The United Nations high commissioner for human rights has voiced deep concern over the plight of civilians in war-ravaged Sri Lanka, saying both the government and the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) may be committing war crimes.
Navi Pillay on Friday also urged both the sides to halt hostilities to allow the evacuation of civilians trapped by fighting in the country's northeast.
Pillay said the government had repeatedly shelled the designated "no-fire" zones for civilians and also cited reports that the Tigers were holding civilians as human shields and had shot some as they tried to flee.
"Certain actions being undertaken by the Sri Lankan military and by the LTTE may constitute violations of international human rights and humanitarian law," Pillay said in a statement.
"The world today is ever sensitive about such acts that could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity," said the former UN war crimes judge, who is a member of the Tamil ethnic group and grew up in South Africa.
The Sri Lankan government has been quick to reject the high commissioner's statement.