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Sri Lanka s Civil War Could End Soon
go.com,
31 january.
After nearly three decades of fighting, the Sri Lankan government is convinced Asia's longest-running civil war could soon be over. More than 100,000 people have been killed in this battle between the Sri Lankan military and the Tamil Tiger rebels.
Government officials told ABC News that they are on the verge of crushing the remaining rebel forces in and around Mullaittivu in the northeast part of the country, where the majority of Tamils live.
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Published: Fri Jan 30 20:34:45 EST 2009
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Sri Lanka to rebels: Let civilians flee war zone
Associated Press,
Fri January 30, 2009 05:33 EST .
RAVI NESSMAN - Associated Press Writer - COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - (AP) Sri Lanka's president has urged the Tamil Tiger rebels to allow the estimated 250,000 civilians trapped in the northern war zone to flee to safety following reports of heavy casualties among noncombatants stuck in the shrinking territory. The rebels, who have been fighting for a separate homeland for ethnic Tamils in northern Sri Lanka - since 1983, were ousted from all major towns after heavy battles in recent months and are now cornered in a 115-square mile (300-square kilometer) area of jungle and villages in the northeast. The Red Cross estimates 250,000 civilians are trapped in the shrinking territory still under rebel control. Nanayakkara has said no civilians have been killed, but that some people who were forced by the rebels to build fortifications might have been wounded in crossfire. The Tamil Tigers want to create a separate state for minority Tamils, who have suffered decades of marginalization at the hands of governments controlled by the Sinhalese majority. More than 70,000 people have been killed in the civil war.
Published: Fri Jan 30 06:16:39 EST 2009
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Sri Lanka rules out ceasefire with Tamil rebels
google.com,
31 january.
COLOMBO (AFP) — Sri Lanka on Friday rejected growing international calls for a ceasefire amid fears for the safety of 250,000 civilians trapped as the military pushed for victory against Tamil rebels.
Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said there would be no let-up in the military campaign against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) despite calls for a truce.
"There will be no ceasefire," the minister told reporters after a meeting with Colombo-based diplomats. "We will continue with our military operations and we will continue to liberate areas which have not been liberated so far."
His remarks came amid growing worries about the safety of civilians caught in the embattled northeast of the island, where the defence ministry says it is conducting the final phase of operations against Tiger guerrillas.
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Published: Fri Jan 30 20:35:20 EST 2009
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