The flight has continued and now they find themselves cornered in an area shrinking by the day if not by the hour between Darmapuram and Mullaithivu. Some have fled multiple times.

According to UN estimates there are over 230,000 IDPs alone in these areas, increasingly being boxed in. Government ministers have said that the figure could be less than what is being reported. From mid-last year there have been talk that the Tigers were not allowing civilians to move out freely from the Wanni.

The few civilians who have moved out from the Wanni have indicated that even as early as 2006 the Tigers were restricting youth from moving out permanently. When UN and other agencies relocated out of the Wanni in September 2008, internal reports said that civilians had been prevented from leaving the Wanni.

Tigers in their last hold-out

With government troops now encircling the Tigers in their last hold-out, international calls have increased to allow the civilians to safely move out of the area. Top UN officials like Under Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes and the Special Rapporteur Raddika  Coomaraswamy have both publicly come out urging the Tigers to allow free movement of civilians.

"The Special Representative urges the LTTE to allow all children and their families to move to safe areas away from the fighting. She calls upon the government to welcome these families and to create conditions that respect their fundamental rights and which offer a viable alternative to life in a war zone," Coomaraswamy's office said.

To add to the woes the UN on January 22 said that the Tigers had prevented  UN local staff members who had gone to the Wanni to deliver food supplies and dependents to return. In a strongly worded release the UN OCHA office in Colombo said - "The United Nations in Sri Lanka has issued its strongest possible protest to the LTTE for their refusal to allow UN national staff and dependents to return from the Wanni with the present UN convoy.

"The staff are part of a UN convoy which travelled to the Wanni on Friday,  January 16 delivering urgent food and emergency supplies to displaced populations. Due to fighting between the LTTE and government forces, this convoy has only been able to move safely today.

"The UN calls on the LTTE to meet their responsibilities and immediately permit all UN staff and dependents to freely move from this area. The LTTE's denial of safe passage is a clear abrogation of their obligations under international humanitarian law."

Tiger refusal

UN international and local staff  were engaged in negotiations with the Tigers to get the workers and dependents released over January 22 and 23. 

The Tiger refusal not to allow civilians to move out of the Wanni at their will including those working with UN and other international agencies is nothing new. In fact during a meeting in Habarana UN and other international agencies discussed the inability to remove their local staff  out of harm's way. Minutes of the August 27 meeting said, "LTTE has indicated that no passes will be issued for dependents of UN/NGO staff members to leave the Wanni."

In the concluding remarks the agencies present agreed that the "LTTE was unlikely to allow a substantial outflow of population from the Wanni."

Less than 20 days after the meeting the UN and other agencies relocated out of the Wanni. After the relocation the Tigers had forcibly recruited the security officers at the UN offices into their ranks.

The army on January 21 declared a safe zone, within the fighting areas just north of the A 35 highway where civilians could move safely.  Same day afternoon Wanni Security Forces Commander Maj. Gen. Jagath Jayasuriya had met the ICRC sub-office head in Vavuniya, Valerie Petitipierre and informed her of the 35 sq. km safe zone east of Darmapuram.

Safe zones

ICRC officials had agreed to inform the Tigers of the safe zone, and following the Tiger refusal air force helicopters also dropped leaflets over areas in the Wanni where large concentrations of civilians remain with information of the safe zone. There was no indication whether civilians had begun to move in to the area.

The ICRC however said that it was outside its purview to inform civilians in the Wanni on the safe zone. There were some reports on Friday that said that the government agents in the Wanni had informed the grama sevakas to inform the civilians of the zones and some had begun moving into the zone.

However a day after the safe zone was announced there was bleak news from the Wanni. The Defence Ministry said that the Tigers were placing artillery guns in the rear areas of the safe zone.  "LTTE terrorists have already located its artillery batteries, heavy mortar guns and rear operating positions inside the declared no-fire zones," defence sources said citing both civilian and technical sources.

"Many people have fearlessly opposed the LTTE tactic and some have even confronted the terrorists, also blocking movement of heavy gun carriers and trailers into the villages," it said.

The army had informed the ICRC to inform the Tigers not to place artillery pieces and other weaponry in the zone. Similar scenarios were reported during battles in Vakarai in the east when the military accused the Tigers of placing gun positions in areas with heavy civilian concentrations.

Prevent civilians from leaving

The Defence Ministry said that the Tigers were using violence to prevent civilians from leaving the Wanni.

"On Tuesday (20), around 75,000 people who lined up to enter the liberated areas at Killinochchi were surrounded and beaten up by an LTTE led mob. At least 10 people were killed when LTTE terrorists opened indiscriminate fire at the civilians," escapees from the tragic site revealed to security force officials at Killinochchi.

"One of the medical students was tortured and exhibited around the populated areas to make  them realise what the fate of the escapees would be. Few managed to escape while the rest were dragged towards LTTE torture camps believed to be located at Visuamadhu and Puthukudiyirippu. According to revelations, the civilian exodus is mostly triggered from areas at Teravilkulam, Visuamadhu and North of Puthukudiyirippu."

Hundreds of civilians had escaped the Wanni in the last fortnight but the fleeing had slowed down last week.

Civilians killed

On the same day reports coming from the Wanni said that dozens of civilians had been killed. Some websites and wire reports said that over 60 civilians had died in the attacks.

On January 22, the ICRC also organised a humanitarian convoy that transported 70 patients who needed urgent medical care out of the fighting zones. The ICRC was able to negotiate the convoy after three days of discussions.

Among those who made the trip through the frontline was army corporal Pushpa Kumara who fell into Tiger custody during fighting in the Killali area (now under government control) late last year. He had suffered head injuries that required specialist medical treatment and was immediately transferred to the Anuradhapura Hospital.

"The ICRC officials, in response to requests made by Wanni army authorities on the release of any captives in hospitals have had a lengthy discussion with an unknown LTTE leader before the release was secured," the army said.

Tiger areas encircled

The sooner the civilians get out of the fighting zones the better. Seven offensive formations from the army have encircled the area now under Tiger control that was estimated to be 365 sq. kms by January 22.

By Thursday afternoon troops had reached  the western outskirts of Visvamadhu. Only one other main town Puthukudiyirippu  lies between Visvamadhu and Mullaithivu town.

"The 57 Division troops now closing in on  the western perimeter of Mullaithivu  amidst terrorist resistance expanded their Forward Defence Line (FDL) in Visvamadhu  Thursday (22). Soldiers of the 574 Brigade commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Senaka Wijesoriya crossing the Netheli aru, the waterway starting from the Kalmadukulam tank, entered the western border of Visuamadhu.

"Advancing troops of the 574 Brigade received heavy gunfire from terrorists however it was countered and overpowered by the soldiers who entered the area north of Kalmadukulam tank. Fresh confrontations that erupted in Therappuram area between the 58 Division troops and terrorists eliminated a few more LTTE fighting cadres the same day morning. Later, the troops found two  dead bodies of terrorists from the area," the Defence Ministry said.