At least 4,000 people marched through the streets of Colombo, escorting Wickrematunge's body to the cemetery. Many wore black armbands and chanted anti-government slogans.

Foreign governments protested the violence and human rights groups said the government had created a climate of impunity for attacks on perceived critics. Opposition politicians accused the government of orchestrating the attacks.

``This is a government of Hitler, this is a government of Mussolini, this is a government of Pol Pot,'' they chanted. ``This is a murderous government.''

The government has denied accusations that it was in any way involved in the killing and promised a thorough investigation.

The protest appeared to be the biggest against Rajapaksa's government since it took power more than three years ago. Many marchers carried black balloons and signs calling on the government to protect journalists.

The killing of Wickrematunge came two days after more than a dozen men armed with grenades and assault rifles attacked a TV station the state media branded said was not patriotic enough in its reports of recent government victories in the civil war with ethnic Tamil rebels.Discuss this story Published: Mon Jan 12 09:22:26 EST 2009

While the pro-LTTE Tamil National Alliance appealed to New Delhi and Chennai in the same breath to intervene and save the lives of civilians caught in the conflict zone, a moderate section represented by the Tamil United Liberation Front directed its anger at Tamil Nadu chief minister M. Karunanidhi for not being vocal enough on the plight of civilians being used as a human shield by the LTTE. The LTTE is holding over 200,000 civilians captive in the jungles of Mullaittivu, its last bastion, in order to recoup its residual fighting capability and thwart Sri Lankan troops from making further advances. More...Discuss this story Published: Mon Jan 12 16:37:29 EST 2009

The military has won a string of major victories over the rebels in recent weeks, capturing their administrative capital and seizing their main base on the Jaffna peninsula.

The Tigers, who once controlled a substantial swath of territory in the north, retreated to a small region of jungle in the northeast.

The military kept the pressure on Monday, launching airstrikes on rebel gathering points in support of ground troops, the military said.

In one attack, air force jets bombed a hide-out deep in the jungle in Mullaittivu believed to have been visited by the Tamil Tigers' top leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, the military said in a statement.

It did not provide details of damage or casualties.

The two sides also fought nearly three dozen battles on Sunday, the military said. Troops recovered four rebel bodies. The rebels fought back with mortar barrages and roadside bombs.

The Tigers were not available for comment, but the rebel-linked Web site TamilNet reported a sharp rise in civilian casualties from the fighting in recent days.

Aid groups have expressed concern that hundreds of thousands of civilians living in the rebels' shrinking territory will increasingly fall victim to the encroaching violence.

The rebels have been fighting since 1983 to create an independent homeland for ethnic minority Tamils, who have suffered decades of marginalization by governments controlled by the Sinhalese majority. The conflict has killed more than 70,000 people.Discuss this story Published: Mon Jan 12 11:18:39 EST 2009