Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

How many people moved into Wanni when CFA was intact at least in the first two years?

Amnesty criticizes LTTE for deliberately targeting civilians
Friday, April 11, 2008, 16:16 GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Apr 11, Colombo: The London based human rights group Amnesty International (AI) has criticized the LTTE for deliberately targeting civilians.

It is not unlawful to target combatants for attack, where legal means and methods are used however specific rules aim at protecting civilians and other non-combatants, AI said in a statement regarding the assassination of Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle in which several civilians were also killed.

They must not be the object of attack. Indiscriminate attacks, including attacks on military objectives that are expected to cause excessive loss of civilian lives or damage to civilian objects (the principle of proportionality) are similarly prohibited, as is the use of civilians as human shields, it continued.

As a result of intensifying fighting, a historic statue of the Virgin Mary has been removed for safety from the Madhu shrine. The LTTE is reported to have used communities around the Church as human shields and Amnesty International has in the past raised concerns about the recruitment of children by the LTTE from families living in the locality.

AI notes that under international humanitarian law, parties to armed conflicts, including non-international ones such as in Sri Lanka, must take special care to protect cultural property, including buildings dedicated to religion, from damage unless there is imperative military necessity to do otherwise, the statement said.

Fierce fighting kills 89 combatants in Sri Lanka as the country celebrates New Year
Sunday, April 13, 2008, 15:06 GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Apr 13, Colombo: As the rest of the country celebrates the Sinhala and Hindu New Year, security forces launched attacks on Tamil Tiger positions and battled the LTTE Tiger rebels in the Wanni region in a drive to push into the Tiger controlled territory.

Sri Lankan soldiers backed by artillery advanced further ahead of the frontlines in Mannar yesterday facing heavy resistance from the Tigers in a daylong battle that killed 77 Tigers and 12 soldiers according to the defense sources.

Army infantrymen yesterday gained a significant area of ground by driving off the Tigers on the Mannar front further into the Wanni non-liberated areas, Defense Ministry said. Fighting continued throughout the day in Kattankulam, Udaiyadi, Munkilmurichchan , Ilantaivan areas.

Citing intercepted LTTE radio transmissions, the military said 77 Tigers have been confirmed killed and at least 26 others injured on Mannar front alone. On the government side 12 soldiers died in the battle while 29 others suffered injuries.

Soldiers took control of eight LTTE bunkers located at various positions on the battlefront during the offensive. Troops are consolidating their positions in the area.

Defense reports citing intercepted radio transmissions claimed that the retreating Tiger leaders called for reinforcements from other areas in North but failed as the junior cadres refused to comply.

Independent verification of casualty figures is not possible as the access to the conflict zone is restricted.

Sri Lankan government stepped up its military campaign against the rebels since it abrogated the defunct ceasefire agreement in January.