Category: Politics
Sri Lanka war zone hospitals short of medical staff, aid: ICRC
April 17, 2008 (AFP) – Hospitals in Sri Lanka’s Tamil rebel-held territory are running low on basic medicines and medical staff, the International Committee of the Red Cross said Thursday.Fighting between security forces and Tamil Tiger rebels has escalated since January, when the government withdrew from a 2002 truce arranged by peace broker Norway and […]
Sri Lanka opposition, govt trade charges over sanctions threat
April 17, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s main opposition political party says the island is facing international isolation and economic sanctions, a charge rejected by the government. The opposition United National Party accused the government of being unable to effectively address international concerns over human rights abuses by the military. But a government spokesman dismissed […]
Sri Lanka war planes hit Tiger communication centre: military
April 15, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lankan war planes bombed a communications centre inside rebel-held territory Tuesday after heavy ground battles left seven Tamil Tigers dead, the defence ministry said. The target was taken on Tuesday afternoon as ground troops battled the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) along the de facto border of […]
Sri Lanka steps up air strikes, ground battles: military
April 16, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka stepped up air attacks against Tamil Tiger rebels Wednesday, deploying jets and helicopter gunships as 12 guerrillas were killed in ground battles, defence officials said. Fighter jets bombed a suspected Tamil Tiger base in the northern town of Oddusudan overnight while Mi-24 helicopter gunships were deployed to attack […]
Sri Lanka told to clean up human rights record
April 15, 2008 (AFP) – A team of top legal luminaries told Sri Lanka’s government on Tuesday to clean up its human rights record, saying an escalating war against Tamil Tiger rebels had brought with it grave abuses. Updated The International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP), comprising experts from several countries, the European Union […]
‘s day: military
April 14, 2008 (AFP) – Security forces smashed through defences of Tamil separatists in northern Sri Lanka, killing at least five rebels as the country marked the traditional new year, the defence ministry said Monday.Government troops captured eight bunkers of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the Jaffna peninsula on Sunday, the day […]
Clashes leave dozens dead in Sri Lanka: ministry
April 13, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka marked its traditional new year Sunday with government forces and Tamil separatists locked in fierce combat resulting in losses on both sides, defence officials said.Security forces pounded Tamil Tiger positions in the rebel-held northern Wanni region and troops smashed bunkers belonging to rebels in the Jaffna peninsula, further […]
Sri Lankan president urges unity as 10 more deaths reported
April 12, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse called for national unity Saturday in his traditional New Year message as 10 more deaths were reported in the conflict-racked nation.“It is my conviction that we would be strengthened by engaging in New Year traditions and customs as one nation,” Rajapakse said in a message […]
Sri Lanka JVP lawmaker arrested in latest twist in split drama
April 11, 2008 (LBO) – A lawmaker of Sri Lanka’s Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) party was arrested Friday for stealing tax-free vehicles bought by rebel members of the party in the latest twist in an unfolding political drama following a major split in the party. Parliamentarian Jayantha Weerasekera was remanded till April 17 after he […]
Sri Lanka says 26 rebels killed
April 11, 2008 (AFP) – At least 26 Tamil Tiger rebels, two soldiers and a civilian have been killed in fighting across Sri Lanka’s northern districts, the defence ministry said Friday.Security forces smashed rebel bunkers and exchanged artillery with Tamil Tiger guerrillas in two days of fighting, while air force jets bombed a suspected Tiger […]
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April 10, 2008 (LBO) – A host of media rights groups from around the world have written to Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapakse urging him to ‘stop the war on journalists’ and probe a spate of recent attacks on the island’s media. “The international press freedom and human rights community is extremely concerned that journalists […]
Sri Lanka says 93 troops killed in March
April 9, 2008 (AFP) – At least 93 Sri Lankan soldiers were killed and another 686 injured during clashes with Tamil Tiger rebels last month, the prime minister told parliament Wednesday. Premier Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, in a statement to the 225-member national legislature, said 38 civilians were killed and another 21 wounded in March. “The number […]