Sri Lanka rules out international observers

PHOTO

Sri Lankan army soldiers patrol by a roadside in Mullaittivu. [Reuters]

AUDIO from Asia Pacific

UNICEF says children caught up in the conflict risk dying from disease and malnutrition

Created: 19/03/2009

Sonja Heydeman

Last Updated: Thu, 19 Mar 2009 11:03:00 +1100

Sri Lanka has ruled out allowing international observers into the conflict zone in the northeast of the country, where government troops are fighting Tamil Tiger rebels.

The European Union is in dialogue with the government, but the country's north remains closed to independent assessment.

The United Nations says it suspects war crimes are being committed in the conflict against the Tamil rebels.

Sri Lanka's Foreign Secretary, Palitha Kohona says the belief that area requires international scrutiny is misplaced.

He's told Radio Australia's Asia Pacific program at least 98 per cent of the country is now under government control... and only a small area of land is still occupied by the Tamil Tiger rebels.

"Of course there is no way that anybody could gone into this little area, which is about 20 to 25 square kilometres in extent and do any sensible scrutinising."