Several International Humanitarian Agencies have responded positively to the Government’s call to provide the required assistance to an anticipated influx of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from the Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi sector following the continuing military thrust in the region, Senior Advisor to the President (MP) Basil Rajapaksa said yesterday.

He said that the Government is ready to look after all those fleeing the areas of conflict. They can come into the cleared areas and be assured that food, medicine, water, sanitary facilities and temporary shelter would be provided to them until such time they are resettled, he noted.

He said that discussions were held with heads and representatives of the UNICEF, UNHCR and the WFP. A UNHCR delegation also visited these areas to assess the situation following the consultations the Government had with the leaders of Tamil political parties last week, Rajapaksa said.

He said that following discussions with Minister for Rehabilitation and Resettlement Rischard Badhuideen, funds had been allocated and sufficient stocks of food and medicines dispatched to the relevant Hospitals through the 11 divisional Secretaries and District Secretaries of the districts of Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi.

The Senior Advisor to the President said that he held discussions the Chairman of the Northern Special Task Force (NSTF) Minister Douglas Devananda, Leader TULF V. Anandasangari, PLOTE Leader D. Siddharthan, EPRLF (Naba Wing) T. Srithran and the Leader of the EROS.

When contacted by The Sunday Island, the leader of the PLOTE, former parliamentarian Dhatmalingham Siddharthan said that he emphasized the need for both parties to the conflict. the Governmernt and the LTTE, to ensure the security, safety and wellbeing of innocent Tamil civilians.

Siddharthan said that Basil Rajapaksa had expressed concern with regard to providing the urgently needed shelter and relief assistance to all those fleeing the areas of conflict to places allotted in non conflict areas.

The PLOTE leader said that, as in the past, the LTTE will not allow civilians to flee to safe areas as it is a practice for them to use innocent civilians as human shields for their own protection and survival.

It is high time the LTTE realized the folly of their having misled the Tamil people by resorting to terrorism in the name of liberation. This had only caused untold suffering, hardship, misery, death and destruction to thousands of innocent Tamil civilians, he noted.

The LTTE should enter the democratic mainstream to achieve their aspirations, if any, through placing their trust in the ballot and not the bullet, the PLOTE leader suggested.

Basil Rajapaksa said the Government is willing to give a firm assurance that all the IDPs would be provided assistance to resettle as soon as the UN Agency for mine clearing granted the certification that the newly cleared areas were mine-free in accordance with stipulated international standards.