A humanitarian disaster is in the making in Sri Lanka's civil war
(From The Japan Times Feb. 5 issue)

スリランカ内戦で広がる民間人被害

As the Sri Lankan military closes in on the remaining core of Tamil Tiger rebels, there is growing concern about the fate of civilians trapped in the conflict zone. The government, guerrillas and human rights groups trade accusations over who is responsible for the lives of thousands of non-combatants unable to flee the fighting. A humanitarian disaster is in the making.

A powerful offensive by the Sri Lankan military appears to have broken the back of the 25-year-old Tamil insurgency that has claimed more than 70,000 lives. It is estimated that as many as 250,000 civilians — the government says 120,000 — are trapped in the 300-sq.-km area to which the rebels have retreated. The government says the civilians are being held by the Tigers as human shields. The rebels counter that the government is not letting civilians go; a little more than 100 have fled since the military warned of a final assault and guaranteed safe passage to noncombatants for 48 hours.

No matter which estimate is correct — and independent verification is impossible as the government has, in keeping with long-standing practice, banned journalists and aid workers from accessing the combat zones — a final battle could yield a horrific toll. Both sides have been largely indifferent to the fate of noncombatants. The Tigers have long been accused of using civilians as shields or forced labor while the military has accepted collateral damage as a necessary part of war.

Neither side is prepared to sue for peace. The government feels absolute victory is within its grasp and the Tigers have vowed to fight to the death; their record to date is proof that those are not empty words. Tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of Tamil civilians are likely to be caught in the crossfire. Victory, if it comes, is likely to reveal the full scale of the atrocities committed against non-combatants. And enduring peace will require considerable work and money to make those lives whole again.

スリランカ政府軍が反政府武装組織「タミル･イーラム解放のトラ」（LTTE）の残存勢力の掃討を進める中、戦闘地域の住民被害への懸念が高まっている。政府、武装組織、人権団体は、内戦の巻き添えとなった民間人に対する責任を押し付け合い、人災が広がっている。

政府軍の猛撃により、25年にわたり犠牲者7万人以上を出した内戦は終盤に入ったようだ。政府はLTTEが住民を「人間の盾」にしていると言い、LTTEは政府軍による住民拉致を責める。

政府の厳しい情報統制で実情は判然としないが、最終攻撃は多大な犠牲を伴う可能性がある。政府もLTTEも民間人の命に対する関心が薄い。

勝利が訪れれば、民間人への残虐行為の全貌が判明するだろう。恒久的平和の実現には、彼らの生活を取り戻すための相当な努力と資金が必要だ。