Category: Politics

WASHINGTON, Jan 3, 2008 (AFP) – The United States on Thursday said it was “troubled” by the Sri Lankan government’s decision on Wednesday to end its 2002 truce with Tamil Tiger rebels, and urged both sides to avoid further fighting. “The United States is troubled” by the Sri Lankan government’s decision, State Department spokesman Sean […]

WASHINGTON, Jan 3, 2008 (AFP) – Human Rights Watch called Thursday for a UN human rights monitoring mission in Sri Lanka in the wake of the breakdown of the 2002 ceasefire agreement between the government and the Tamil Tiger secessionists.The New York-based group said new monitors were needed to replace the Norwegian-led Sri Lanka Monitoring […]

Jan 04, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is looking at redefining the role of Norway in the county’s peace effort following its decision to terminate a truce with the Tamil Tigers with effect from January 16, 2008, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama told a news conference Friday. .Updated The Sri Lankan government Thursday formally notified Norway […]

Jan 3, 2008 (AFP) – Two Sri Lankan government soldiers were killed and three others wounded Thursday when their truck was hit by a roadside bomb in a north-central part of the island, police said.“The truck was hit by a Claymore mine,” a police official in the district of Anuradhapura said by telephone. “We can […]

Jan 3, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka announced Thursday it had given the mandatory two weeks’ notice to peace broker Norway to formally quit a ceasefire with Tamil rebels on January 16. The foreign ministry in a statement said the February 2002 ceasefire arranged by Oslo would end in two weeks, after the government on […]

Jan 03, 2007 (LBO) – The Sri Lankan government is still willing to have peace talks with Tamil Tiger rebels despite its decision to withdraw from a moribund ceasefire agreement, media minister Anura Yapa said Thursday. . The government is not against peace talks to end the ethnic war but believes it is useless to […]

Jan 3, 2008 (AFP) – A prominent Sri Lankan Tamil opposition MP who was murdered earlier this week was cremated here Thursday amid tight security and allegations that the island’s government was behind the killing.The cremation took place amid heavy fighting between government troops and Tamil Tiger rebels in northern Sri Lanka, hours after the […]

Jan 03, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s main opposition, whose leader signed a truce with the Tamil Tigers in 2002, says a government decision to abrogate the deal is not a problem for the party. “The decision is not a problem for us,” United National Party General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said. “It was drafted during […]

Jan 2, 2008 (AFP) – Suspected Tamil Tiger rebels set off a powerful roadside bomb in the Sri Lankan capital Wednesday, killing at least five people and wounding another 28, police said.The powerful fragmentation mine targeted an army bus transporting wounded soldiers, although hospital officials said most of the victims were civilians. A police official […]

Jan 02, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s main opposition party Wednesday called for impartial investigations with foreign support into the killings of Tamil parliamentarians and accused the government of operating goon squads. . The United National Party (UNP) demanded the government prosecute those responsible for the killings of Tamil parliamentarians and called for more security […]

Jan 02, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s cabinet of ministers has approved a proposal to pull out of a ceasefire agreement with the Tamil Tigers, state television reported Wednesday. . The proposal was submitted by Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wikremenayake and it was unanimously approved the state-owned Independent Television Network (ITN) said. Either party could pull […]

Jan 2, 2008 (AFP) – The Sri Lankan government Wednesday announced it was formally withdrawing from the Norwegian-arranged ceasefire agreement with Tamil Tiger rebels, presidential spokesman Chandrapala Liyanage told AFP.The move also followed a call by the United States to revive stalled peace talks between the government and the Tamil Tigers. “The cabinet of ministers […]