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Clinton protests civilian deaths in Sri Lanka
iht.com,
March 13.
WASHINGTON: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told Sri Lanka's president on Monday of deep U.S. concern over deteriorating conditions and increasing loss of life in the government-designated "safe zone" of northern Sri Lanka where civilians are supposed to be shielded.
In a telephone call, Clinton told President Mahinda Rajapaksa his soldiers should not fire into the civilian areas, State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid said.
He said the secretary condemned the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam for using civilians as shields against government attack and shooting civilians who try to leave.
On Wednesday, the U.N. refugee agency said it was "outraged by the unnecessary loss" of hundreds of civilian lives.
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Published: Fri Mar 13 20:03:43 EDT 2009
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UN rights chief points to war crimes in Sri Lanka
reuters.com,
Mar 13.
GENEVA, March 13 (Reuters) - Both sides in Sri Lanka's conflict may have committed war crimes and must suspend fighting to let tens of thousands of civilians escape, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said on Friday.
Warning that the loss of life may reach "catastrophic levels", she urged the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels to suspend hostilities to allow evacuation of up to 180,000 civilians trapped on the northeastern coast.
Pillay said the government had repeatedly shelled the designated "no-fire" zones for civilians and also cited reports that the separatist guerrillas were holding civilians as human shields and had shot some as they tried to flee.
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Published: Fri Mar 13 16:00:59 EDT 2009
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On a Ballfield in Sri Lanka, Healing the Wounds of War
wp,
march 14.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka -- With his worn baseball glove freshly oiled, Praneeth Samaraweera stood under a bright sun and began teaching a young player how to hold a bat steadily and swing straight through a pitch.
It was something that even weeks earlier he wasn't sure his emotions could handle.
Just over a year ago, eight players -- more than half his high school baseball team -- were killed when a suspected Tamil Tiger rebel suicide attacker detonated her explosives at the city's main railway station. The attack came as team members were returning from a tournament and just as their coach was buying them a celebratory round of ice cream. The other six members of the team, including Samaraweera, had returned a day early.
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Published: Fri Mar 13 23:21:07 EDT 2009
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