Sri Lankan Rebels Declare a Cease-Fire

By Katie Pfefferle

Sri Lankan rebels declared a unilateral cease-fire Sunday, April 26, hoping the Sri Lankan government would also hold its fire. The rebels, known as the Tamil Tigers halted their fight in order to allow humanitarian aid into the war-torn area. The area is currently suffering a humanitarian crisis as an estimated 50,000 civilians are trapped in the war zone, sustaining large casualties without access to food, clean water or medical supplies. The Tamil Tigers claim the number of trapped civilians is really closer to 150,000. The U.N. has urged Sri Lankan leaders to let aid and workers into the war zone. Moreover, the U.N. claims more than 6,500 civilians have been killed in the past three months.

However, the government has refused the cease-fire and instead plans to proceed with its offensive and push to force the rebels to surrender. The Sri Lankan government claims it has sent food and aid into the area and also accuses the Tamil Tigers as using civilians as human shields. Indeed, the Sri Lankan rebel forces, which have been fighting to create an independent Tamil state in the North and East, have been known to commit atrocities against civilians. They are also currently considered a terrorist organization by 32 countries. Moreover, the Tigers have carried out more suicide bombings than Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and al-Qaeda combined.

The government has been fighting a civil war against the Tamil Tigers for a quarter of a century. Recently though the government has intensified its fight with success. It seems the Tigers are on the verge of defeat. Some have even begun to surrender themselves. Moreover, the people of Sri Lanka are supporting their government. Recently, “the President Mahinda Rajapaksa's coalition won a sweeping victory in an election seen as a referendum on its fight against rebels.”

This issue is a tricky one. In my opinion, on the one hand it is evident that the civilians trapped in the war zone need aid. However, on the other hand, if the government allows for a cease-fire it may give the rebels time to regroup. In the interest of defeating the Tigers once and for all, which the government seems near to doing, it seems necessary to continue the offensive while the enemy is weakened.