UNP MP Jayalath Jayawardena yesterday urged the government to open welfare centres run by the military in the Vanni for civilians fleeing the LTTE-held area east of the A9 for visits by politicians.

Dismissing the assertion that access couldn’t be given due to security reasons, the MP pointed out that as Japan’s peace envoy, Yasushi Akashi had been given access to the internally displaced persons recently and Jayawardena shouldn’t be denied a similar opportunity.

"I am sure they don’t have anything to hide so let me visit IDPs," he said.

Responding to questions, he said that MPs Mano Ganeshan, Mohammed Thambi Hasen Ali, Shafeek Rajabdeen and Thalatha Atukorale recently wrote to the Defence Secretary requesting his permission to visit the area.

As soon as soon as they received government approval, the recently established Parliamentarians for Human Rights would send a delegation to the Vanni, he said.

Jayawardena stressed that the LTTE shouldn’t prevent people from leaving the area under its control at gunpoint. "The right to free movement should be upheld," he said.

He emphasized the critical importance of avoiding civilian casualties as fighting on the eastern flank gradually coming to an end.

Although he estimated the number of people trapped in the war zone at 400,000, President Mahinda Rajapaksa recently placed the figure at 150,000. The ICRC which maintains a significant presence in the LTTE-held area believes that over 200,000 could be trapped in the area.

Jayawardena said that it was grave mistake on the part of the LTTE to hold local UN employees and a group of their dependents against their will.

"I condemn their action," the MP who had been called an LTTE agent by a section of government press said, urging the LTTE to release people.

He said that the government could exploit their visit to IDP centres. Pointing out that the government was desperately trying to persuade Tamil civilians to reach government lines, he said that a visit undertaken by opposition MPs would be to the government’s advantage.

A government official said that Dr. Jayawardena was trying to get political mileage of the situation. This wasn’t a political issue, he said, urging the opposition not to cause unnecessary trouble.