Category: Politics
Sri Lanka blast in capital
June 4, 2008 (LBO) – A blast ripped through a suburb of Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo in the early morning rush hour, the military said. Military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said the explosion blast had gone off by a rail track. Early reports said the explosion occurred in an area bordering Dehiwela and Wellawatte. Residents heard […]
Sri Lanka Tigers place senior leader under house arrest: military
June 2, 2008 (AFP) – The elusive head of the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka has placed a senior rebel leader under house arrest over a worsening internal dispute, the defence ministry said Monday. Seevaratnam Prabaharan, alias Pulidevan, who is attached to the Tigers’ peace secretariat, has been placed under arrest on the direct orders […]
Sri Lanka Tigers claim civilian deaths
June 3, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lankan government commandos killed six civilians including two children with a roadside mine inside the Tamil Tiger-held north of the island, the rebels said Tuesday.The LTTE has been fighting to carve out a separate Tamil state in the ethnic Sinhalese-majority island since 1972. Tens of thousands have died on […]
Sri Lankan hurt in Bangladesh hotel blast
DHAKA, June 1, 2008 (AFP) – Two explosions rocked a hotel in central Dhaka late Sunday, injuring 16 people and sparking a large fire, police said. A Sri Lankan man, who was staying on the hotel’s 6th floor, was badly burned over 90 percent of his body when the blast occurred at about 9:30 pm […]
Sri Lanka needs better peace proposals: minister
May 31, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka needs peace proposals acceptable to the main political parties and the Tamil speaking community to put pressure on the Tamil Tigers to resume peace talks, a senior government minister has said. The proposals would also assure Tamils that their aspirations and grievances will be addressed by any future […]
Blast in Sri Lanka capital kills two
May 31, 2008 (LBO) – A grenade blast in a southern suburb of Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo late Saturday has killed at least two persons, police said. Tamil Tigers have been waging a separatist war for more than three decades and authorities have blamed the group for a series of explosions, some using suicide attacks […]
Canada-based Sri Lanka Tiger suspect gets student award
OTTAWA, May 30, 2008 (AFP) – A Canadian suspected of using his studies as a cover for terrorist activities was awarded a 5,000 dollar prize for his entrepreneurial talent by a Canadian university, The Globe and Mail reported Friday.Suresh Sriskandarajah, 26, was arrested in August 2006 in Ontario at the request of US authorities who […]
Blast in Sri Lanka capital Colombo
May 31, 2008 (LBO) – An explosion in a southern suburb of Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo around 9.00 pm local time Saturday has left several persons injured, the military and witnesses said. Tamil Tigers have been waging a separatist war for more than three decades and authorities have blamed the group for a series of […]
” by soldiers
May 31, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan media groups have expressed grave concern over what they said was an ‘unofficial’ visit to the Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) by soldiers. The SLPI and media rights group Free Media Movement (FMM) said the visit appeared linked to recent threats and assault on journalists, coming soon after […]
Sri Lanka captures rebel base: military
Sri Lankan troops have captured a Tamil Tiger base in the island’s north after three days of heavy fighting which left seven guerrillas and one government soldier dead, the defence ministry said Friday.It said ground troops captured “Munagam Base,” situated six kilometers (four miles) north of the frontlines in the Weli Oya region, on Thursday. […]
Latest Sri Lanka journalist killing outrageous: rights body
May 30, 2008 (LBO) – An international media rights body said it was outraged by the hacking to death of a Sri Lankan television journalist in the northern Jaffna peninsular along with a friend. “Caught in the crossfire between two armed forces, journalists in the Jaffna peninsula are constantly the targets of threats, kidnappings and […]
Sri Lankan media groups slam govt attempt to muzzle journalists
May 28, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan journalists’ unions and media rights groups Wednesday condemned government attempts to prevent those in the state media from criticising the government. Five media groups in a letter to defence ministry secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa deplored comments by him and another senior government official that journalists working in the state […]