Category: Politics

NEW DELHI, March 28, 2009 (AFP) – A senior European official said Saturday that aid groups want to help Sri Lanka meet the humanitarian needs of civilians in the country’s battle zone and are “not against” the government.Sri Lanka hit back earlier this week against human rights and aid groups, accusing them of supporting the […]

March 28, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s military on Saturday accused the Tamil Tiger rebels of firing at civilians fleeing fighting in the north of the country, killing one and injuring two.Amnesty said the Tigers were holding civilians hostage and were “reported to have deliberately attacked civilians that have tried to escape from areas under […]

March 26, 2009 (AFP) – Tamil Tiger rebels have lost more of their territory in northern Sri Lanka and their total defeat is now “imminent,” a government minister said Thursday.Government troops have confined Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) fighters to an area of 21 square kilometres (eight square miles), most of which is a […]

March 25, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lankan government troops have overrun a hideout of the Tamil Tigers’ feared intelligence chief, the defence ministry said Wednesday. But there was no sign of Pottu Amman, who along with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader Velupillai Prabhakaran is believed to have either fled the island or else […]

March 22, 2009 (AFP) – More than 1,000 civilians fled Sri Lanka’s war zone as government troops fought to wipe out separatist Tamil Tiger rebels, the military said Sunday.Of the 1,150 who escaped from rebel-controlled areas on Saturday, 108 left by boat while the others walked out through the jungle, it said in a statement. […]

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, March 21, 2009 (AFP) – India tightened security at three major airports in the southern state of Kerala after a call threatening attacks by Tamil Tiger sympathizers, police said Saturday.Extra security measures were in place at the international airports of Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode following the threat, the director general of police told AFP. […]

March 19, 2009 (AFP) – Civilians are continuing to flee Sri Lanka’s war zone as security forces step up an offensive against Tamil Tigers, with another 31 rebels killed, the defence ministry said Thursday.About 1,000 men, women and children left the area still under the control of the rebels on Wednesday to seek shelter with […]

March 19, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka will lodge strong protests with countries where there have been demonstrations in favour of the island’s separatist Tamil Tiger rebels, a minister said Thursday.Sri Lanka’s Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said pro-rebel sympathisers have been staging demonstrations in Australia, Belgium, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United […]

March 18, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka said Wednesday it would open up its war-torn north to international scrutiny, days after the UN said it suspected war crimes were being committed in the fight against Tamil rebels.A foreign ministry official said talks were under way to give a European Union fact-finding mission access to the […]

March 17, 2009 (AFP) – Tens of thousands of people trapped by fighting in Sri Lanka’s north are facing serious risks of disease due to shortages of clean water and sanitation, the Red Cross said Tuesday.The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said the humanitarian situation was deteriorating fast as civilians still living in […]

March 16, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lankan troops pushed deeper into remaining Tamil Tiger-held territory and captured a rebel court house in weekend battles, the defence ministry said on Monday.The UN human rights chief Navi Pillay said last week 2,800 civilians had been killed in the fighting since January 20, and that both sides may […]