White House says the government of Sri Lanka must stop shelling neutral areas and allow international aid groups to work

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/24/AR2009042403516.html

WH: Sri Lanka must stop shelling neutral areas



The Associated Press
Friday, April 24, 2009; 8:04 PM
WASHINGTON -- The White House says the government of Sri Lanka must stop shelling neutral areas and allow international aid groups to work during the nation's civil war.
The White House on Friday said Washington is "deeply concerned about the plight of innocent civilians caught up in the conflict." The White House says civilians should be allowed to leave the combat zone, and journalists should be allowed to report on the violence.
Washington also called on both sides to adhere to humanitarian law and warned abuses would make reconciliation difficult.
The United Nations on Friday reported almost 6,500 ethnic Tamil civilians have been killed in the last three months. The south Asian island nation has endured a quarter-century of civil strife.