|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Barbed wire villages raise fears of refugee concentration camps
From The Times,
feb 13.
Sri Lanka was accused yesterday of planning concentration camps to hold 200,000 ethnic Tamil refugees from its northeastern conflict zone for up to three years — and seeking funding for the project from Britain.
The Sri Lankan Government says that it will open five “welfare villages” to house Tamils fleeing the 67 sq mile patch of jungle where the army has pinned down the Tamil Tiger rebels.
The ministry in charge says that the camps, in Vavuniya and Mannar districts, will have schools, banks, parks and vocational centres to help to rehabilitate up to 200,000 displaced Tamils after a 25-year civil war.
More...Discuss this story
Published: Thu Feb 12 22:07:00 EST 2009
|
|
|
|
Sri Lanka Declares Safe Zone for Tamil Civilians on East Coast
bloomberg.com,
Feb. 13 .
Feb. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Sri Lanka declared a safe zone for Tamil civilians on the northeastern coast as the government said the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam controls only 100 square kilometers (39 square miles) of territory in the north.
The 12-kilometer-long zone is north of the port of Mullaitivu and will allow aid to reach civilians trapped by the Tamil Tigers, the government said. The LTTE earlier this week accused the government of blocking access to the north for international aid groups and harassing refugees in camps.
“The area under LTTE control is rapidly shrinking,” the Foreign Ministry said in an e-mailed statement today. “The government is continuing with the evacuation of civilians with medical needs.”
More...
Published: Thu Feb 12 22:59:59 EST 2009
|
|
|
|
|
India shifts stand on Sri Lanka
dailytimes.com.pk,
February 13.
NEW DELHI: India has mended its stand on Sri Lanka, insisting no longer that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) lay down weapons as a pre-condition for talks with Colombo for a political settlement.
Instead of asking LTTE to lay down weapons, India now wants the group to at least agree in principle to lay down its weapons as this can pave the way for negotiations with the Sri Lankan government. The subtle change in India’s stand was reflected in Indian President Pratibha Patil’s address to parliament on Thursday when she said the two sides could return to the negotiation table if “the Government of Sri Lanka suspends its military operations and the LTTE declares its willingness to lay down arms simultaneously”.
More...
Discuss this story
Published: Thu Feb 12 20:55:45 EST 2009
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Express your opinions, meet others at the
