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Lanka seeks clarification from UN on 2600 Tamil death report
PTI,
25 march.
T V Sriram
Colombo, Mar 25 (PTI) Sri Lanka has sought formal clarification from a top UN official involving his office which claimed that more than 2,600 Tamil civilians were killed during the recent LTTE-Army conflict in the embattled north.
Sri Lankan foreign minister Rohita Bogollagama sought explanation with the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sri Lanka, Neil Buhne whose office released the report "Sri Lanka: Civilian casualties, Vanni Overview March 2009" which claimed that 2,683 civilian died and 7,241 were injured.
Buhne said "the report had been prepared by his Office, and was meant only for circulation among the donor community, but could not independently verify the authenticity of the figures of civilian casualties mentioned in the report," the Sri Lankan government press release said.
Buhne "stated that he is unable to confirm the veracity of the figures of civilian casualties since 20th January 2009 in the conflict area of Mullaitivu District, contained in an official report issued by his Office recently," Lankan government release claimed.
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Published: Wed Mar 25 17:37:33 EDT 2009
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Sri Lanka to Discuss Political Settlement With Tamil Parties
Bloomberg,
25 march.
By Paul Tighe
March 25 (Bloomberg) -- Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa invited Tamil political parties to discuss a settlement to separatist demands, as the army says it is on the brink of defeating the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
Rajapaksa invited Tamil and Muslim parties currently in parliament and those represented previously in the assembly to a meeting tomorrow, the government said on its Web site.
“The military campaign against the LTTE has reached a decisive phase and there is considerable interest in the government’s moves to activate the political process for a resolution of the ethnic conflict,” the government said.
The LTTE has been fighting for a separate Tamil homeland in the north and east of the nation for 26 years. The army has driven the Tamil Tigers from their main bases in the north since January and says the rebels now hold only 24 square kilometers (9.3 square miles) of land near the northeastern port of Mullaitivu.
An All Party Representative Committee has drawn up plans for both devolution and sharing of power with the local administrations in Tamil-dominated areas in the north and east.
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Published: Wed Mar 25 17:29:16 EDT 2009
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LTTE intelligence chief's hideout captured: Sri Lanka
The Hindu,
25 march.
Colombo (IANS): Sri Lankan troops forcing their way into the last strongholds of the Tamil Tigers have captured a hideout of the rebels' intelligence wing chief, Pottu Amman, in the north-eastern Mullaitivu district, the Defence Ministry said on Wednesday.
It said that the 58 Division have captured "the safe house (that) was used by both Pottu Amman and (another LTTE leader) Kapil Amman" in the general area south of Iranapalai at the Mullaitivu battlefront after fierce clashes on Tuesday.
The ministry said that the troops during the subsequent search operation "have also found a jeep believed (to be) used by Pottu Amman himself".
The capture of the hideout of Pottu Amman has come amid media reports that he was now leading the offensive against the advancing troops along with the elusive rebel chief, Velupillai Prabhakaran and his elder son Charles Antony.
Prabhakaran and Pottu Amman are wanted in India for their links with the 1991 assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
The defence ministry in a separate report said that the 58 Division troops have "repulsed an LTTE offensive thrust against the advancing military formations, north of Iranapalai", inflicting heavy damages among the rebels on Tuesday.
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Published: Wed Mar 25 17:33:46 EDT 2009
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