HRW says LTTE has stepped up forced recruitment, including children

The organisation also accuses the guerrillas of severely restricting the movement of civilians in their territory, and of forcing them to do dangerous labouring work.

"The LTTE claims to be fighting for the Tamil people, but it is responsible for much of the suffering of civilians in the Vanni," said Brad Adams, Asia director for Human Rights Watch.

The LTTE claims to be fighting for the Tamil people, but it is responsible for much of the suffering of civilians in the Vanni HRW statement

Human Rights Watch says that it has been difficult to build up a complete picture of the situation.

But it says that it is clear that, as the Tigers lose ground to the Sri Lankan army, their treatment of the hundreds-of-thousands of civilians under their control is worsening.

TNA response

"Having long used a coercive pass system to prevent civilians from leaving areas it controls, the LTTE has now completely prohibited movement out of the Vanni, except for some medical emergencies. By refusing to allow displaced persons to leave for government-held territory, the group has severely restricted their access to essential humanitarian relief," the statement issued on Monday said.

Sri Lanka government has also accused the LTTE of using the civilians under their control as a human shield.

	MP says suffering of the Tamil civilians will only end when the war stops

There was no response from the LTTE.

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said both the LTTE and the government should allow international organisations, including the UN, to visit Vanni to verify the real situation.

Saying that Tamil Tigers run a pass system “to monitor people moving in and out,” TNA MP MK Sivajilingam said that war should be stopped to end the suffering of the civilians caught in Vanni.

Mr. Sivajilingam was speaking with BBC Sinhala service from Delhi, India.

“However, people are moving towards the LTTE rather than moving out when the Sri Lanka Army moves in” he told BBC Sandeshaya.