Sri Lankan human rights defender appeal to Filipino people

“Over 3,000 civilians are thought to have escaped severe fighting in the north over past few days. In the past two weeks, more than 7,000 Tamil civilians have crossed into government controlled areas, according to official statistics, bringing to nearly 50,000 the number being housed at government transit camps.”

“The United Nations confirmed that the number of people killed every day has doubled in the past five weeks. The UN puts the number of civilian casualties between January 20 and March 7 as 9,924 – 2,683 deaths and 7,241 injuries. The Governement of Sri Lanka however met all these reports with indignation and angry denials.”

Notable human rights defender K.M. Ruki Fernando visits the Philippines in a mission to tell the Filipino people the current humanitarian tragedy and armed conflict happening in Sri Lanka.

With the support of local Philippine civil society organizations and human rights groups, K.M. Ruki Fernando will hold a press-conference on April 15, Wednesday. 10:30 am at the MAX’s Restaurant inside Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City.)

Filipino human rights activists and peace groups are alarmed over the spate of deaths of civilians, assasination and mass arrests of journalists, protection to aid workers and the forced evacuation of affected population.

The Philippine groups are accompanying Mr. Fernando in his visits to the Philippine Congress to appeal for support to stop the grave human rights violations brought about by the armed conflict in Sri Lanka.