I found the implications of his statement alarming. You should be aware that the Sri Lankan government has barred journalists and other independent observers from the war zone. So it can be very hard to verify any claims by either the government or the Tigers. The government had previously said, as late as last Sunday, that there were only 70,000 civilians trapped in the war zone by the Tigers. Now, apparently, that estimate was too low by 50,000 or so. So, do we now accept an estimate of 15-20,000 civilians still left in the zone? Suppose another 15-20,000 people are able to flee the zone in the next few days. Could the government say that anyone left in the area is a Tiger (since by their estimate, all the civilians would be gone) ? And if everyone left were killed, there would be no “civilian casualties” but just more “massive casualties” suffered by the Tigers. Without international monitors or independent journalists in the area to check, who could contradict the government?
We need a pause in the hostilities now. The government and the Tigers must let aid and monitors into the zone and allow civilians to leave the zone safely.