M.I.A. Speaks Out for Sri Lankan Civilians

Recent demands for a ceasefire in her home country of Sri Lanka are a reminder of the rapper's concern for humanitarian issues. M.I.A. has always fused political, personal, and humanitarian in her music. While she is busy with her new baby, her new record label - N.E.E.T, and a video shoot for "Bang" the new single from her label's debut artist Rye Rye, the impact of the war and the hundreds of thousands affected are also on her mind.

M.I.A knows the impact of war. She grew up in Sri Lanka where her father was a Tamil supporter and occasionally on the run. Demands for ceasefire and the recent demands of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa are not new in this over 25 year conflict. This time, government forces seem stronger and the Tamil army has been secluded to a small corner in the northern edge of the island. Hundreds of thousands of refugees are affected and 50,000 to 100,000 others remain trapped in the area where the government and rebel army battle.

M.I.A. is quick to remind people of the real heart of this issue. She recently told MTV.com , "It's a humanitarian situation...It's not about, 'Do you support the government, or do you support the Tigers?' which I think everyone is making this whole thing into, and has made it into for the past 30 years. You have to recognize it's actually about the people who are stuck in the middle getting exploited by both sides."

The U.S. government joined the international community to call for the ceasefire on Wednesday. Previous internationally supported ceasefires have been unsuccessful, but M.I.A. remains hopeful, "Fingers crossed. We'll wait and see what happens. Hopefully, there is a solution."

We want to know what our readers think about the conflict in Sri Lanka and M.I.A.'s comments.