Protest at Parliament

Around 40 protesters turned out at Parliament today calling for a ceasefire in Sri Lanka.

In chants they accused the Sri Lankan government of killing children and their placards asked the United Nations to intervene to protect citizens caught up in the military's attempts to suppress the Tamil Tigers in the northern party of the country.

Earlier this week a Maori Party MP blocked a parliamentary motion expressing concern about the humanitarian situation in northern Sri Lanka.

Progressive MP Jim Anderton said his motion was not about taking sides in a bitter conflict that the UN estimates has resulted in 200,000 civilians fleeing their homes, 4500 deaths and 12,000 people wounded since January.

The motion called for the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam to cease hostilities, respect international humanitarian law and condemn violence against civilians.

Any single MP can block such a motion without giving any reason and Maori Party MP Te Ururoa Flavell did so.

Mr Anderton said he was disgusted by the action.

Maori Party foreign affairs spokesman Hone Harawira said in a statement that he wanted restraint from the Sri Lankan government in dealing with the last enclave of the Tamil Tigers in that country.

"Indications are that many civilians are still caught up in the enclave and while the Sir Lankan government has claimed that these people are being held by the Tamil Tigers, the government nevertheless says people in the enclave are legitimate targets -- so too are hospitals," Mr Harawira said.

NZPA