Category: Politics

Sept 13, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s military Thursday said it caused “severe losses” in a combined sea and air attack against suspected Tamil Tiger boats off the island’s northeastern waters, but gave no details of casualties.More than 5,400 people have been killed in fighting in the past 21 months following the breakdown of a […]

Sept 14, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lanka said Friday it was ready to accept foreign scrutiny of its human rights record in a bid to head off formal United Nations criticism over a spate of killings and disappearances.At the same time the war-torn island’s government, locked in a decades-old war with Tamil Tiger separatists, also […]

Sept 13, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process has urged the international Red Cross to resume escorting vessels taking supplies and passengers to the northern Jaffna peninsula by sea. It said in a statement that it was keen to reduce restrictions on movement between the north and south and to […]

Sept 13, 2007 (LBO) – A team of U.S. Air Force medics has helped treat patients in territory recently captured from Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka’s east, the United States embassy in Colombo Thursday. “A nine-person team of USAF medics recently completed a medical/dental humanitarian assistance mission that benefited civilians living in the recently-liberated eastern […]

Sept 13, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s military said Thursday it had bombed the rebel-held north of the island and caused “heavy damage” to Tamil Tiger targets, but rebels said the attack only sparked panic among civilians.More than 5,400 people have been killed in the fighting in the past 21 months following the breakdown of […]

Sept 13, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lankan police on Thursday launched an appeal for the public to donate their pet dogs to help the fight terrorism and crime on the war-torn island.“Make your pet a hero… to curb terrorism and make our motherland Sri Lanka a country with a new facelift,” the police department said […]

Sept 13, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has issued a tsunami alert following an aftershock of a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale in Indonesia at 05.19 am local time and asked people to await further instructions. Following are the message definitions used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States […]

OSLO, Sept 11, 2007 (AFP) – The main mediator in Sri Lanka’s peace process, Norwegian Erik Solheim, expressed confidence Tuesday that stalled talks between the army and Tamil Tiger rebels would one day start again. “It’s very clear that again they will come back to the table” of negotiations, Solheim told reporters in Oslo. “We […]

SYDNEY, Sept 12, 2007 (AFP) – Australia Wednesday granted refugee status to 72 Sri Lankan asylum-seekers who were intercepted at sea in February but said they would be settled overseas. Earlier this month two Indonesians who were on the boat with the Sri Lankans were jailed in Australia over the people-smuggling operation. A boat carrying […]

Sept 12, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has issued a tsunami warning following a 7.9 magnitude quake in Indonesia. The department of meterology asked residents of Northern, Southern and Southwestern Sri Lanka to stay away from coastal areas. The Pacific Tsunami waring center said and Indian Ocean wide tsunami watch was in effect for the […]

Sept 12, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has issued evacuation orders to people living in coastal areas after a tsunami struck the coast of Indonesia from a 8.2 magnitude earthquake. Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Centre estimates that the first waves could reach Sri Lanka by 7.30 pm local time (1400GMT) The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre […]

Sept 12, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has lifted a tsunami warning and evacuation order issued after an 8.2 magnitude earthquake generated a small wave in Indonesia. Sri Lanka lifted the warning after Indonesia gave the all clear. Police said residents along southern coastal settlements fled inland and to high ground when the tsunami alert […]