Category: Politics
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February 9, 2009 (AFP) – The BBC has suspended its FM programming to Sri Lanka’s national broadcaster because of what it claimed was “deliberate interference”, it said Monday. In a statement, the BBC said its programmes and news reports in English, Sinhala and Tamil had been blocked by the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC), and […]
Sri Lanka civilians flee war zone despite suicide strike: govt
February 10, 2009 (AFP) – Thousands of Tamil civilians streamed out of Sri Lanka’s war zone on Tuesday despite a suicide bombing that killed 30 people at a centre for those escaping the fighting, a military official said.More than 6,500 Tamils crossed the frontlines in the northern Mullaittivu region on Monday, Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said, […]
Sri Lankan Tigers gun down civilians: military
February 10, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tiger guerrillas on Tuesday shot dead 17 civilians and wounded nearly 70 others fleeing territory still under rebel control, military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said.Survivors of the attack who arrived at a military post told how Tiger fighters had fired on a group of 1,000 people trying to […]
Suicide bomber strikes refugee camp: military
February 9, 2009 (AFP) – A suspected Tamil Tiger suicide bomber attacked a camp for civilians fleeing Sri Lanka’s war zone on Monday, killing 20 soldiers and eight civilians, army spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said.He said the female bomber from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) targeted a camp near Visuamadu, an area the military […]
Sri Lanka suicide attack condemned by US
Feb 09, 2009 (LBO) – The United States has condemned a Tamil Tiger suicide attack in northern Sri Lanka that killed 28 people and urged the rebels to let civilians move out of the war zone. “The United States condemns today’s suicide attack on a government centre that was registering internally displaced persons who had […]
Sri Lanka hunts Tiger chief with victory in sight
February 8, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lankan troops have smashed the Tamil Tigers’ mini-state and cornered the remaining rebels, but officials say they must catch their elusive leader to declare final victory. The air force carried out a series of raids on locations where Velupillai Prabhakaran, 54, was suspected to have sheltered over the weekend, […]
Civilians pour out of Sri Lanka war zone: govt
February 8, 2009 (AFP) – At least 10,000 civilians have escaped Sri Lanka’s war zone in the last four days, the government said Sunday, as the president warned Tamil Tiger rebels to surrender unconditionally or be killed. The Tigers are fighting for survival after being driven back into a small patch of jungle by a […]
Sri Lanka navy sinks two Tiger boats: military
February 8, 2009 (AFP) – The Sri Lankan navy on Sunday sank two boats carrying Tamil Tiger rebels escaping the island’s north-eastern battle zone, killing at least six guerrillas, a spokesman said.Naval craft attacked two boats belonging to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) off the coast of Mullaittivu where the rebels have been […]
Britain deplores stoning of Sri Lanka aid offices
LONDON, February 6, 2009 (AFP) – The British government said it deplored Friday’s stoning of the Red Cross offices in Colombo, saying the ICRC was a neutral body carrying out vital work to protect Sri Lankan civilians. “The British government has recently allocated a further 2.5 million pounds (3.7 million dollars, 2.9 million euros) to […]
Sri Lanka warns Tigers to surrender or risk rout
February 7, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse warned cornered Tamil Tiger rebels to surrender or face a complete rout as government forces claimed more successes in what is regarded as their fight to a finish.“I want to tell the Tigers ‘lay down arms and surrender to security forces’,” the president told a […]
Galle literary festival, Sri Lanka; seeking freedom in prose
Feb 07, 2009 (LBO) – “I happen to be in love with dictators,” says Moses Isegawa, a Ugandan author whose life had been shaped by the likes of former dictator Idi Amin, and who eventually left his home country to write from abroad.“Every word is a vote,” insists Anam. V V Ganeshanthan, whose debut novel […]
Sri Lanka mob stones Red Cross office
February 6, 2009 (AFP) – A mob stoned the main office of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo on Friday, smashing windows, a spokeswoman told AFP.The crowd of protestors, estimated to number around 200, shouted slogans, including “ICRC go home,” before being dispersed by police, spokeswoman Sophie Romanens […]