UN wants Tigers to free refugees

The United Nations called on the LTTE to let tens of thousands of Tamil civilians flee an area that has been battered by heavy fighting.

Refugees who managed to flee the area on Friday by sea told The Associated Press that they were held forcibly by Tamil Tiger rebels but managed to sneak out while the guerrillas were distracted during artillery and gunfire exchanges with government troops. They spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals.

The refugees were fleeing the rebel-held village of Vaharai in eastern Batticaloa district, where there has been heavy fighting between government troops and Tamil Tigers over the last few weeks. The Tigers say the government has sealed off the only road out of the village, but the government claims the rebels are holding the civilians as human shields.

There was no immediate direct comment from the rebels on the U.N. call, but the pro-rebel Web site, TamilNet said the residents were trying to escape from army fire and shortages of food and health care. The U.N. call to let civilians flee came after boats carrying fleeing Tamil civilians capsized in the eastern sea, killing at least eight people, according to the Sri Lankan military. But TamilNet said as many as 18 were feared killed. International Committee of the Red Cross spokesman Davide Vagnite said Friday according to their estimates 4,000 to 5,000 people have crossed over to government-held areas from the Vaharai area over the past month. On Friday, some 81 people arrived by sea, he said.

The military said Friday that thousands of Tamils are fleeing rebel-controlled areas."Starting from Nov. 1, more than 10,000 people have arrived into government-controlled areas," said military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe.

AFP