As news reports quote US President Barack Obama saying Tamil Tigers to "free civilians," and Colombo government to stop indiscriminate shelling, Tamil circles in the US asked whether President Obama is prepared to take full responsibility of the Tamil homeland and whether he is prepared to give full assurance to the freedom and the aspirations of the Tamil people.
"I'm also calling on the Sri Lankan government to take several steps to alleviate this humanitarian crisis," the President said.
"First, the government should stop the indiscriminate shelling that has taken hundreds of innocent lives, including (in) several hospitals," UK's Telegraph quoted President Obama as saying.
While admitting, during the remark outside the White House, that Sri Lanka "hasn't received much attention" with several "big issues going on," the President said, "the government should live up to its commitment to not use heavy weapons in the conflict zone," and should grant UN and Red Cross aid workers access to suffering civilians, according to Telegraph report.
"Without urgent action this humanitarian crisis could turn into a catastrophe," Reuters quoted Obama as saying.
Amnesty International, in a press release issued today, urged "President Barack Obama to speak out against the indiscriminate killing of civilians in the current conflict between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)."
Meanwhile, a more critical article on the weekly magazine Time, said Obama is "failing," in the [humanitarian] test on Sri Lanka, saying, "unlike Darfur, where the most egregious crimes were committed long before the current Administration took office, the humanitarian disaster in Sri Lanka has unfolded within the past 100 days, on Obama's watch."
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 Obama addressing Tamil suffering |
Obama addressing Sri Lanka issues
While admitting, during the remark outside the White House, that Sri Lanka "hasn't received much attention" with several "big issues going on," the President said, "the government should live up to its commitment to not use heavy weapons in the conflict zone," and should grant UN and Red Cross aid workers access to suffering civilians, according to Telegraph report.
"Without urgent action this humanitarian crisis could turn into a catastrophe," Reuters quoted Obama as saying.
Amnesty International, in a press release issued today, urged "President Barack Obama to speak out against the indiscriminate killing of civilians in the current conflict between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)."
Meanwhile, a more critical article on the weekly magazine Time, said Obama is "failing," in the [humanitarian] test on Sri Lanka, saying, "unlike Darfur, where the most egregious crimes were committed long before the current Administration took office, the humanitarian disaster in Sri Lanka has unfolded within the past 100 days, on Obama's watch."
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