Category: Politics
Sri Lanka captures family of top Tiger commander: officials
May 15, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s navy on Friday captured the wife and two children of a top Tamil Tiger military commander while they tried to escape the island by boat, a navy spokesman said. Their capture came as the Sri Lanka government said it was poised to seize the last patch of land […]
UN urges protection of civilians in strife-torn Sri Lanka
UNITED NATIONS, May 13, 2009 (AFP) – The UN Security Council on Wednesday urged the warring sides in Sri Lanka to ensure the safety of civilians, voicing “grave concern’ at the “worsening humanitarian crisis” there.It unanimously adopted a non-binding statement that expressed “grave concern over the worsening humanitarian crisis in northeast Sri Lanka, in particular […]
Obama asks Tamil Tigers to surrender
May 14, 2009 (LBO) – US President Barack Obama has called on Tamil Tigers to lay down their arms and the the Sri Lankan government to take greater care to ensure the safety of civilians caught in the conflict.“Going forward, Sri Lanka must seek a peace that is secure and lasting, and grounded in respect […]
Sri Lanka rejects pressure over war: minister
May 14, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s government on Thursday rejected international calls for a halt to the war against Tamil Tiger rebels, hours after the UN Security Council called for civilian lives to be spared.“We are not going to succumb to international pressure to stop the offensive,” Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena told reporters. […]
Sri Lanka Tamil Tigers using phosphorus to halt final attack: military
May 14, 2009 (AFP) – The Sri Lankan military on Thursday accused Tamil Tigers of using phosphorus bombs as part of their last-ditch attempt to face off against a massive onslaught by government troops.A military statement said the once-powerful rebel force, now surrounded in a four square kilometre (1.5 square mile) patch of jungle on […]
US, Britain urge Sri Lankans to stop fighting, spare civilians
WASHINGTON, May 12, 2009 (AFP) – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her British counterpart David Miliband called Tuesday on Sri Lankans to stop fighting immediately and allow trapped civilians to escape the conflict.During a visit to Sri Lanka late last month, Miliband and Kouchner urged the government to stop the fighting with the […]
Sri Lanka fighting rages despite calls for halt
May 13, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tigers put up stiff resistance to advancing government troops on Wednesday, in heavy fighting that saw the beleaguered rebels launch a wave of suicide attacks, the military said.The clashes came as both sides in the brutal conflict faced renewed charges of war crimes, with the United Nations […]
Sri Lanka troops take more rebel territory: military
May 12, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lankan troops have made fresh advances into the small patch of territory held by the Tamil Tigers, the defence ministry said Tuesday.A statement said government forces advanced 800 metres (yards) during fighting on Monday, cutting deeper into the roughly four square kilometres (1.5 square miles) of coastal jungle in […]
” by civilian deaths in Sri Lanka
WASHINGTON, May 11, 2009 (AFP) – The United States is “deeply concerned” about civilian deaths in strife-torn Sri Lanka, a State Department spokesman said Monday, calling on the Colombo government and Tamil Tiger rebels to end their fighting.“We’re deeply concerned,” said State Department spokesman Ian Kelly, when asked to comment on reports that more than […]
Sit-down Tamil protestors arrested in London
LONDON, May 11, 2009 (AFP) – British police said they arrested 45 Tamil protestors Monday after they blocked traffic with a sit-down protest outside parliament in London, in response to the killing of civilians in Sri Lanka. The arrests were made as police tried to move protestors off the road at one of the British […]
Australia announces new people-smuggling fight
CANBERRA, May 12, 2009 (AFP) – Australia on Tuesday announced what it called the largest surveillance operation in the country’s history to fight people-smuggling amid a surge in refugees making for its shores.Unveiling the annual budget, the government committed an extra 1.3 billion Australian dollars (990 million US) to strengthening border security, including two additional […]
”’ report
May 11, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka on Monday protested against a United Nations statement that said a large number of civilians had been killed in a “bloodbath” in the northeast where troops are fighting Tamil rebels.Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona said the government had summoned UN representative Amin Awad to receive a formal protest. “We […]