India on Sunday appealed to the Sri Lankan government to use the ceasefire offer by the Tamil Tigers to allow organisations like the International Committee of the Red Cross evacuate innocent civilians trapped in the war zone.
"The Sri Lankan government should use the ceasefire offer by the LTTE to evacuate all civilians caught in the crisis," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said at a seminar 'Peace and Security in South East and Central Asia'.
But Mukherjee made it clear that he was only concerned with the plight of civilians caught up in the trouble-torn areas. "So far as the LTTE is concerned, it is a banned terrorist organisation, and we have no sympathy for it."
"Colombo should allow international organisations like the ICRC to work there. The civilians suffering there should be taken to not only technically safe, but to secure, positions," he added.