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Sri Lanka captures rebel town as thousands flee
Friday, 19 January 2007 - 7:48 PM SL Time
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Sri Lanka`s military said it captured a strategic rebel-held town in the island`s restive east on Friday as more than 10,000 refugees fled the area and Tamil Tiger rebels withdrew after weeks under siege.
The capture of Vakarai -- a town around 240 km (150 miles) northeast of Colombo that belongs to the rebels under the terms of a tattered 2002 ceasefire -- comes after weeks of fierce fighting between the Tigers and the military, who have vowed to evict them from the east altogether.
`They are withdrawing,` said military spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe. `We are checking the civilians who are fleeing in case the Tigers have infiltrated them and try to come and attack government areas.`
He said some clusters of Tigers were trying to head north towards the neighbouring district of Trincomalee.
The military said they had recovered one rebel body so far, and that nine other Tiger fighters were killed in a separate clash further south in the district of Batticaloa.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were not immediately available for comment.
Some on foot, others on tractors, thousands of refugees left the northeastern coast town of Vakarai at dawn and headed south towards government-held territory a few miles away, some carrying white flags.
`Some of the people are making their way down the coast, others are coming through jungle in vehicles,` said Selvaraj Jeyaraj, project coordinator for the Italian Red Cross, told Reuters by telephone from the eastern district of Batticaloa.
`We are talking about 12,000 internally displaced, more or less,` he added.
THOUSANDS FLEE
The LTTE resumed its fight for an independent state for minority Tamils in the north and east after the majority Sinhalese government rejected demands for a separate homeland.
With a rash of suicide bombings, air raids and land and sea battles in recent months, analysts fear an escalation of the war that has killed more than 67,000 people since 1983.
The United Nations confirmed the exodus from Vakarai, from which 20,000-25,000 refugees had already fled in recent weeks.
Vakarai is in the middle of a 20-km (12-mile) stretch of rebel-held territory, which the military surrounded after capturing rebel areas in a series of battles in recent months. The rebels still control some nearby villages.
The area around Vakarai is one of several pockets of territory the Tigers control in the island`s east -- and is their last remaining direct access to the sea in the east, an important supply line.
The Tigers` patches of eastern territory are cut off from their main northern stronghold by military-held areas.
The army has accused the Tigers of using displaced ethnic Tamils as human shields and planting thousands of landmines to prevent them leaving. But there has been no independent confirmation any mines had been laid.
`Thousands of people are streaming out,` said UN spokeswoman Orla Clinton. `Because we haven`t had access (to Vakarai) since Nov. 29, food has been very short -- these people are obviously weak and afraid and we are looking for assurances their protection will be assured.`
Aid agencies, embassies and journalists have been clamouring for weeks to access rebel-held areas. The government has refused. (Additional reporting by Ranga Sirilal in COLOMBO)
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Achilles
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 19 Jan 2007 13:52:54 GMT Report for Abuse
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| Finally they liberate poor people from useless tigers! |
Gunapala
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 19 Jan 2007 13:54:42 GMT Report for Abuse
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A tribute to Army, Navy, and Air Force of Sri Lanka
Your alarm goes off; you hit the snooze and sleep for another 10 minutes
He stays up for days on end
You take a warm shower to help you wake up
He goes days or weeks without running water
You complain of a 'headache', and call in sick
He gets shot at as others are hit, and keeps moving forward
You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt, and go meet up with
your friends
He still fights for your right to wear that shirt
You talk trash about your 'buddies' that aren't with you
He knows he may not see some of his buddies again
You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls
He walks the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists
You complain about how hot it is
He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow
You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order
wrong
He doesn't get to eat today
Your wife/mother/maid makes your bed and washes your clothes
He wears the same things for weeks, but makes sure his weapons are clean
You go to the mall and get your hair redone
He doesn't have time to brush his teeth today
You're angry because your class ran 5 minutes over
He's told he will be held over an extra 2 months
You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight
He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home
You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday
He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume
You roll your eyes as a baby cries
He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they'll ever
meet
You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything...
He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own people and remembers
why he is fighting
You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men like him
He hears the gunfire, bombs and screams of the wounded - and of the
innocents who have no one to stand up for them
You see only what the media wants you to see
He sees the broken bodies lying around him
You stay at home and watch TV
He takes whatever time he is given to call, write home, sleep, and eat
You crawl into your soft bed, with down pillows, and get comfortable
He crawls under a tank for shade and a 5 minute nap, only to be awakened by
gunfire
You sit there and judge him, saying the world is probably a worse place
because of men like him
If only there were more men like him! |
kiwikanga
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 19 Jan 2007 13:54:48 GMT Report for Abuse
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If the town was liberated by our forces why has the population fled?
Edited By - kiwikanga - 19 Jan 2007 13:58:50 GMT |
Ruwani
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 19 Jan 2007 13:55:39 GMT Report for Abuse
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Finally they liberate poor people from useless tigers!
Good. Now lets liberate these poor people from our Tax money and breakfast tables.
Thanks
RDG(W) |
MaKaSo
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19 Jan 2007 13:55:46 GMT Report for Abuse
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Revy
Thanks for bringing this article to the front page.
btw, can we verify this news with tamilnet ???? |
specialforce
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 19 Jan 2007 13:56:10 GMT Report for Abuse
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| Folks a coastal oporation has also begun...! |
EEELamaya
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 19 Jan 2007 13:56:32 GMT Report for Abuse
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'Thousands of people are streaming out,' said UN spokeswoman Orla Clinton. 'Because we haven't had access (to Vakarai)
LTTE wanted to save the Tamil people from slaughter and may have left the area temporarily... but, VP will force SLA out again from our land... |
Ruwani
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19 Jan 2007 13:58:36 GMT Report for Abuse
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btw, can we verify this news with tamilnet ????
Please don't ask Tamulnet. They will give their statistics in Cows, Goats and Pigs.
Edited By - Ruwani - 19 Jan 2007 13:59:09 GMT |
Achilles
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19 Jan 2007 13:59:08 GMT Report for Abuse
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Kavikinga
If the town was liberated why has the population fled?
Tell me, if you really don't know the answer i will reply |
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