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Opposition leader among 22 killed in Sri Lanka suicide blast
A Tamil Tiger suicide bomber triggered a blast near offices of the main opposition party in northern Sri Lanka on Monday, killing at least 22 people, officials said. A Tamil Tiger suicide bomber triggered a blast near offices of the main opposition party in northern Sri Lanka on Monday, killing at l... more
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Country Fast Facts:Sri Lanka
The Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C. probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced beginning in about the mid-third century B.C., and a great civilization developed at the cities of Anuradhapura (kingdom from circa 200 B.C. to circa A.D. 1000) and Polonnaruwa (from about 1070 to 1200).
In the 14th century, a south Indian dynasty seized power in the north and established a Tamil kingdom. Occupied by the Portuguese in the 16th century and by the Dutch in the 17th century, the island was ceded to the British in 1796, became a crown colony in 1802, and was united under British rule by 1815.
As Ceylon, it became independent in 1948; its name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972.
Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted into war in 1983. Tens of thousands have died in the ethnic conflict that continues to fester.
After two decades of fighting, the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) formalized a cease-fire in February 2002 with Norway brokering peace negotiations.
Violence between the LTTE and government forces intensified in 2006, but neither side has formally withdrawn from the cease-fire. The Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C. probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced beginning in abo... more -
Sri Lanka 'on verge of victory'
Sri Lanka's powerful Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has said the government is on the verge of victory in the war against Tamil Tiger rebels.
"In all fronts we are very superior, on the ground, the sea and air," said Mr Rajapaksa in an interview with the BBC.
"Our numbers are very much greater than theirs, our firepower is much greater. We are very confident we can win and we want to finish this very soon."
About 70,000 people have been killed in one of South Asia's longest wars.
After a ceasefire fighting resumed in earnest in mid-2006 and Sri Lanka's military ejected the Tigers from the East.
Attention then turned to territory controlled in the north by the rebels, who want a separate state for the ethnic Tamil minority.
In recent months troops have advanced rapidly, and Mr Rajapaksa, who is the brother of Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa, said they are now 4.5km (2.8 miles) from the rebel stronghold of Kilinochchi.
The Tigers administer areas under their control from the town.
The government bars most journalists from areas where the fighting is taking place and the military's accounts cannot be independently verified.
Civilians have fled their homes ahead of the military's advance, moving further into the diminishing area still held by the Tigers.
Aid agencies estimate 200,000-230,000 displaced people are in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts. Sri Lanka's powerful Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has said the government is on the verge of victory in the war against ... more -
SRI LANKA: UN to recommence food deliveries to Tiger-held areas
The first convoy of food supplies since 16 September will travel under the UN flag to areas held by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the north in the next few days, Neil Buhne, the UN Resident Representative in Sri Lanka, told IRIN.
The World Food Programme (WFP) convoy will be the first since UN and other international agencies working in areas held by the Tigers in the north-central region, known as the Vanni, relocated to government-controlled areas following a state directive amid deteriorating security.
"The key for us is to get the distribution right, and to get food directly to those who need it most," Buhne told IRIN. "The success of the first convoy is important, because it will shape those that follow it."
There are between 200,000 and 230,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) in the Vanni, according to UN statistics, and most are in areas north-east of Kilinochchi, the Tiger political headquarters, where the UN had also been based before the relocation.
New route
"The supplies will not be offloaded at warehouses, so the convoy will travel directly to where the IDPs are staying and distribute the supplies," Buhne said. "We're still determining the precise route, but it will be to the east of Kilinochchi."
Heavy fighting between government forces and the Tigers has been reported near Kilinochchi in recent weeks.
UN officials will accompany the convoy and supervise the distribution. They are likely to remain in the Vanni until the distribution is completed.
The government directive on 5 September had advised all international humanitarian organisations including UN agencies to cease all work in areas under Tamil Tiger control by 29 September.
Essential supplies
Government officials in Kilinochchi told IRIN that following the relocation of UN and other international agencies a series of discussions had been held to formalise the new distribution system.
"We held meetings with the WFP and other UN agencies in Vavuniya [south of Kilinochchi] this week and we have planned to send 60 lorries of essential items in one instant during next week," Nagalingam Vedanayagam, the Government Agent for Kilinochchi, told IRIN. "These goods will be for both Killinochchi and Mullaithivu districts [in the Vanni]."
He said that since the relocation no new supplies had reached the Vanni and more delays could lead to lowering of rations. "At the moment the situation in the area is okay ... there was some fear because no supplies had come [into the Vanni] after the relocation," he told IRIN, "but after the new convoy arrives things will get better."
Buhne also said it was essential to continue with supplies transported by the UN into the Vanni.
"These supplies are a vital lifeline to tens of thousands of civilians forced by fighting from their homes. If they do not continue, their condition will deteriorate the longer the fighting and their displacement continues." The first convoy of food supplies since 16 September will travel under the UN flag to areas held by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eel... more -
UN pulls out of north Sri Lanka
The United Nations has pulled its staff out of Sri Lanka's rebel-held northern region after being ensured safe passage by government troops and rebels.
Other aid agencies have also left, after being prevented from doing so over the weekend by displaced people. The agencies' retreat comes as the army continues a major offensive against the rebels in northern areas of the island. The government ordered aid workers out of the north last week saying they could not guarantee their safety. The army says it is closing in on rebel headquarters in Kilinochchi after other rebel bases fell in recent months. Kilinochchi is the town where aid agencies in the north have been based.
A convoy of some 20 vehicles carrying UN and other staff set off from the town on Tuesday travelling south along the A9 highway. Later the convoy arrived in Omantai town in government-controlled territory. The UN has said fighting in the area has worsened in recent days, and it was time to get its staff and other humanitarian workers out. Meanwhile, a bomb has wounded at least four people on a bus in the capital, Colombo, police say. There have been a number of such attacks blamed on the rebels in recent months.
(continues at link) The United Nations has pulled its staff out of Sri Lanka's rebel-held northern region after being ensured safe passage by governm... more -
US: Congress acts to prosecute recruiters of child soldiers
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2008/09/15/usdom19818.htm
New legislation adopted on September 15, 2008 will permit the United States to prosecute foreign military commanders who recruit child soldiers abroad, Human Rights Watch said today. The Child Soldiers Accountability Act passed the House of Representatives unanimously on September 8 and was adopted by the Senate today.
The law makes it a federal crime to knowingly recruit or use soldiers under the age of 15 and permits the United States to bring charges under the law against both US citizens and non-citizens who are in the United States. The law imposes penalties of up to 20 years, or up to life in prison if death results, and allows the United States to deport or deny entry to individuals who have knowingly recruited children as soldiers.
“The exploitation of children as soldiers persists in many armed conflicts because child recruiters are rarely held accountable,” said Jo Becker, children’s rights advocate for Human Rights Watch. “This law tells military commanders worldwide that they cannot recruit children into their forces and then seek safe haven in the United States.”
Children are currently used in armed conflicts in at least 17 countries. Recruiters prey upon children, who are often the most vulnerable potential recruits and the most susceptible to threats and coercion. Child soldiers are used as combatants, porters, guards and spies, and for other duties.
The recruitment and use of children as soldiers was recognized in 1998 as a war crime under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. In 2007, four former military commanders from Sierra Leone were convicted by the Special Court for Sierra Leone for recruiting and using children as soldiers. Rebel and military commanders from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda have also been charged under the International Criminal Court with recruiting and using child soldiers, though none have yet gone to trial.
“International tribunals are beginning to prosecute individuals for recruiting child soldiers, but almost no national governments have done so,” said Becker. “The United States is giving real leadership to efforts to end the use of child soldiers.”
Senator Richard Durbin authored the bipartisan bill, which he introduced together with Senators Tom Coburn, Russell Feingold, and Sam Brownback.
Countries in which children are known to have been used in hostilities between 2004 and 2007 include: Afghanistan, Burma, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Nepal, Philippines, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Thailand, and Uganda. http://hrw.org/english/docs/2008/09/15/usdom19818.htm ... more -
Mirror neurons bring science closer to Buddhism
Buddhist perception of the mind and existence as reflected in modern medical science was among the main topics discussed at the two-day Fourth National Conference on Buddhist Studies held at the All Ceylon Women's Buddhist Congress Hall, Colombo 7 on August 30-31.
The Buddhist Times and the Pali University of Sri Lanka organized the event in association with the Bodu Sahana Aramudala (Buddhist Relief Fund). Guest of Honor was Professor Emeritus N.A. Jayawickrema.
Among the conference highlights was a talk on the 'Concept in Buddhist Philosophy and its Neurological basis' by Indian Neurosurgeon Dr. S.V. Prabhu, Neuro Surgery Department of the Western India Institute of Neurosciences, Kolhapur, India.
He said that humans had a template for compassion and therefore the need was to make it a 'temple.' In the case of human emotions such as pity, sympathy, empathy and compassion the last was the most positive while pity was a negative feeling. Mirror neurons, he stressed, helped a person to feel another's emotions, like pain or pleasure.
He observed that humans as highest evolved living beings on this planet were equipped with tools of compassion in our brain. Mirror neurons are a concept that is revolutionizing psychology and philosophy, according to Dr, Prabhu who has established the correlates of Buddhist concepts in neurosciences.
*CONTINUES* Buddhist perception of the mind and existence as reflected in modern medical science was among the main topics discussed at the two-da... more -
Baby elephant rescued from well in Sri Lanka
Villagers rescue a baby elephant trapped in a well in Sri Lanka
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Sri Lanka beat India by 8 wicket
Dambulla: In what can only be described as an abject batting performance, India have been routed for their lowest ODI total in Sri Lanka. It wasn't a pretty sight to watch either as the five-match series opened at Rangiri Stadium Monday.
From the second ball of the game when Gautam Gambhir was bowled by veteran Chaminda Vaas, the innings continually tottered on the brink of collapse against tidy, accurate bowling.
Even the final total of 146 owes its longevity of 46 overs to a last wicket partnership of 29 between Munaf Patel and Pragyan Ojha.
All the pre-match rhetoric to this Idea Cup series of five games that was enough to launch a hot air balloon, wasn't supported by the batsmen. While the balloon, punctured early on, slowly deflated, the Sri Lankan bowling and fielding enabled Mahela Jayawardene to control the pace of the innings as wickets fell at all too regular intervals.
Sure, India went into the game without Virender Sehwag, who was ruled out on Sunday night after an examination of his ankle that was hit by a ball during a practice session, but that didn't suggest that India would continue to struggle against the spin of Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan, well supported by the frontline seam bowlers.
Yuvraj Singh, arriving as early as the eighth over of the innings with 23 on the board, showed a spark of promise when he hoisted Mendis over long on for six. Dambulla: In what can only be described as an abject batting performance, India have been routed for their lowest ODI total in Sri Lan... more -
M.I.A. accused of terrorism imagery
On July 29, Sri Lankan hip-hop artist DeLon posted a remix video diss of M.I.A.'s hit "Paper Planes" in which he accuses the singer of using images representative of The Liberation Tiger Tamils of Eelam (LTTE), a terrorist group allegedly linked to her father and sadly known for suicide bombings and child soldiers recruitment.
In the clip, DeLon sings, "All she wanna do is [sound of gunshots] straight to my head," and claims she "represents terrorism in the worst way."
(Link to the video NSFW: http://ceylonrecords.blogspot.com/2008/08/mia-diss-by-d... )
In a matter of hours, DeLon's video drew over 10,000 views and comments but Interscope managed to have the video removed from YouTube for "endangerment" of M.I.A.'s reputation as a "Freedom Fighter."
M.I.A. wrote in a statement, "I don't support terrorism and never have. As a Sri Lankan that fled war and bombings, my music is the voice of the civilian refugee. Frankly, I am not trying to start dialogue with someone who is really just seeking self-promotion."
It looks like this DeLon has made a good publicity stunt for himself, but M.I.A. certainly isn't immune from criticism. What do you think of M.I.A.'s use of controversial and ideologically loaded images in her artwork and videos? Is it art, publicity or latent terrorism propaganda? On July 29, Sri Lankan hip-hop artist DeLon posted a remix video diss of M.I.A.'s hit "Paper Planes" in which he accuse... more -
28 killed in new Sri Lanka fighting
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka: Battles raged in war-torn northern Sri Lanka leaving 27 rebels and one soldier dead after a unilateral cease-fire called by the Tamil Tigers ended, said the military Tuesday.
Scattered battles Monday in the rebel-held Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu regions killed 12 rebels and one soldier, the military said in statement. Sri Lankan troops fired artillery into Welioya region, killing two rebels while infantry fighting in the area left four more guerrillas dead.
Soldiers also destroyed a rebel bunker in Vavuniya area, where separate clashes killed nine rebels.
Tamil Tiger spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan was not available for comment.
Both sides routinely exaggerate enemy casualties and underreport their own, and independent verification of the death toll from fighting is not possible because journalists are barred from the war zone.
The rebels have been fighting for an independent state in the north and east since 1983, following decades of marginalization of ethnic Tamils by governments dominated by the Sinhalese majority. More than 70,000 people have been killed in the conflict.
Monday's fighting coincided with the end of a 10-day unilateral cease-fire declared by rebels as a goodwill gesture amid a high profile regional summit held last weekend in the capital Colombo. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation meeting concluded Sunday.
Despite the cease-fire call, the government pressed ahead with its offensive against the Tigers in their de facto state in the north. The government rejected the truce as a ploy by the rebels to gain time to regroup after several recent battlefield losses.
Fighting has escalated in recent months after the government vowed to crush the guerillas by the end of the year. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka: Battles raged in war-torn northern Sri Lanka leaving 27 rebels and one soldier dead after a unilateral cease-fire ... more -
Relief Worker Attacks in Afghanistan, Somalia Cut Aid
Attacks on aid workers are forcing humanitarian groups to curtail operations in Afghanistan, Somalia, Sri Lanka and other war-torn countries, and relief agencies say they may have to make wider cuts.
Killings, kidnappings and violence against aid workers have more than doubled in the past five years, according to a draft of a report to be published by London-based Overseas Development Institute in the next three months. The average annual number of incidents rose to 76 from 2003 through 2007, compared with 35 in the previous five-year period.
For the first time, humanitarian workers are being specifically targeted, said Nan Dale, the U.S. executive director for Paris-based Action Against Hunger/Action Contre la Faim, which had two French workers kidnapped in Afghanistan on July 18. Attacks on aid workers are forcing humanitarian groups to curtail operations in Afghanistan, Somalia, Sri Lanka and other war-torn cou... more -
Artists illustrate 25 years of war
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) |
Anoma Rajakaruna has warm memories of her childhood in the diverse suburb of Panadura, where she went to the market and the pharmacy with her mother and chatted with neighbors in a mixture of English, Sinhalese and Tamil.
Then bloody riots targeting minority Tamils exploded across the Sri Lankan capital. The Tamil neighbors she once greeted disappeared and her country was plunged into a civil war that continues to consume it.
As Sri Lanka marks the 25th anniversary of the riots this week, two exhibits by artists from the Sinhalese majority seek to prod their countrymen into acknowledging a quarter century of suffering, in the hopes of offering a path out of the violence.
"We need to take a minute after 25 years to think," said Miss Rajakaruna, 43, a photographer and documentary filmmaker. "People haven't dealt with this as they should."
Her exhibit, "July: Life After 25 Years," is a series of photographs of Tamil victims of the riots and the ensuing war. The images are stark and each portrait shows a different facet of the tremendous suffering.
Merchants return to their burned-out businesses on Aug. 1, 1983, in the Pettha area of downtown Colombo, Sri Lanka, to see what can be salvaged after a week of rioting. More than 1,000 businesses and homes were destroyed, and more than 2,000 Tamils were reported killed. (Associated Press)
One shows the lined and nearly expressionless face of a woman, almost 70, who lost all seven of her sons in the violence.
Another examines a Hindu Tamil writer, who lost all his works in the flames and now sculpts Buddha statues for the temples of poor Sinhalese Buddhists.
Yet another zeros in on the key tied around the neck of a woman who was driven from homes 16 times because of the violence.
Many in the Sinhalese community see themselves as victims of the separatists' bombs and suicide attacks and have never taken time to see that the Tamils are suffering as well, Miss Rajakaruna said.
"I wanted [the Sinhalese] to look at it and realize what we are going through and what they are going through," she said.
What has come to be known as "Black July" began after Tamil rebels killed 13 government soldiers in an ambush in northern Sri Lanka on July 23, 1983. Enraged Sinhalese mobs rampaged through Colombo for a week in a spasm of violence that human rights groups say killed more than 2,000 Tamils.
After the riots, many Tamils fled to the north. Some joined the Tamil Tiger rebels, who were fighting for an independent state for the minority community after decades of marginalization by governments dominated by the Sinhalese majority. The war has killed more than 70,000 people.
Anoma Rajakaruna is exhibiting a body of work titled "July: Life After 25 Years," a series of photographs of Tamil victims of the riots and the ensuing war, at a gallery in the Sri Lankan capital. (Associated Press)
***article continues, click link to read*** COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) | ... more -
Bishops says divided Church should turn to cricket
A liberal bishop from Sri Lanka suggested to his colleagues at the Lambeth Conference today that they should take the afternoon off to settle their theological differences over a game of cricket.
The sporting invitation from the Right Rev Duleep de Chickera, Bishop of Colombo, came in an otherwise hard-hitting sermon in which he reminded all 650 bishops attending that the Anglican Church was an "inclusive" community where everyone was equal, regardless of sexual orientation.
The sermon marked the official start of the conference in Canterbury and confirmed the Church's liberal direction. But Bishop de Chickera - who was preaching at the personal invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams - freely admitted the "reality" of the current divisions over gay consecrations and same-sex blessings.
"The reality is that we are a wounded Anglican Communion," he said. "Some of us are not here and that is an indication that all is not well."
Speaking quietly but with passionate insistence, the slightly-built bishop said: "Certainly the crisis is complex. It is not a crisis that can be resolved instantly and the journey ahead is a long and arduous one, a journey that will demand our prayers, our faithfulness, our mutual trust in each other and our trust in God who makes reconcilation possible."
Bishop de Chickera, himself a cricket fan, joked that perhaps the bishops should take a few hours off to sort out their differences as gentlemen and players.
He said: "Sri Lanka is a land of five world religions: Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and cricket. Those of us who organised this conference planned an afternoon aside for cricket - and a game called baseball for the uninitiated."
He added: "In Christ there's enough to go aroud. It is an inclusive communion where there is space equally for everyone and anyone, regardless of colour, gender, ability, sexual orientation. Unity in diversity is the cherished Anglican tradition which we must reinforce in all humilty for the sake of Christ and Christ's Gospel."
The bishop made clear the growing consensus at the Lambeth Conference that the Episcopal Church of the US must not be excluded from the Communion for its consecration five years ago of Bishop Gene Robinson in New Hampshire.
Bishop Robinson was not at the service, because he has not been invited to the conference. Instead, he attended an open air communion and picnic organised by the lesbian and gay Christian community at nearby St Stephen's. The US gay lobby group Integrity will this week launch a new video featuring real-life case studies of gay Africans telling their stories of why they had no choice over their sexuality but still consider themselves part of God's natural creation.
Bishop de Chickeera said: "We are united in spite of the fact we are different because in Christ we are all equal." A liberal bishop from Sri Lanka suggested to his colleagues at the Lambeth Conference today that they should take the afternoon off to... more -
Seeking a new home
As the dust settled down after a day of anger, tears and uncertainty the residents of Glennie street whose homes were demolished by the authorities yesterday were seen this morning removing their belongings to seek a place which they can once again call home. As the dust settled down after a day of anger, tears and uncertainty the residents of Glennie street whose homes were demolished by th... more
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Sri Lanka Journalists Harassed: Media Group
Journalists covering Sri Lanka's war with Tamil Tiger rebels are being harassed despite a government pledge to take action to protect the press, a rights group said Friday.
The Free Media Movement (FMM) reported eight incidents of threats and intimidation, just two weeks after a ministerial committee was formed to look at the issue of media rights.
The incidents included verbal death threats, assaults in public places and visits to journalists' homes by people claiming to be from the police, the statement said.
"It is apparent that the cabinet sub-committee... is powerless to foster media freedom and the freedom of expression in Sri Lanka, or investigate meaningfully the violence directed at journalists," the FMM said.
The rights group demanded a probe into the recent incidents and asked the committee to tell police to respect journalists.
In June, Sri Lanka's hawkish defence ministry published several editorials which labelled journalists and reporters "cowboy defence analysts" and "enemies of the state."
The defence ministry presented reporters with a stark choice of being either pro-government or "pro-terrorist" -- sparking renewed alarm among media rights activists about freedom of the press in Sri Lanka.
Since August 2005, 12 media workers have been killed in Sri Lanka, which is regarded as the second-most dangerous place for journalists after Iraq.
Eleven of them died in government-controlled areas and no one has been brought to justice in connection with the deaths.
Sri Lanka's bitter ethnic war, which has left thousands of people dead, has escalated sharply since January, when the government pulled out of a Norwegian-brokered truce with the Tamil Tigers. Journalists covering Sri Lanka's war with Tamil Tiger rebels are being harassed despite a government pledge to take action to pro... more -
Chroniques de Mount Lavinia
The fascinating trip of a normal family to Sri Lanka, through the waves of the Indian ocean and chicken pox.
L'affascinante viaggio di una famiglia in Sri lanka , con le Onde dell'Oceano Indiano e la varicella. The fascinating trip of a normal family to Sri Lanka, through the waves of the Indian ocean and chicken pox. ... more -
Speak no evil: Sri Lanka suppresses media
The message is simple. Report on matters perceived as national security and you will be considered an enemy of the state.
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IC acts against LTTE: 28 terror suspects arrested in Italy
28 LTTE terrorist suspects have been arrest by the Italian anti-terrorist police during a massive country-wide counter insurgency operation conducted on Tuesday (June 17), foreign news agencies report.
The 28 Tamils all from Sri Lanka were detained alleged for involving in activities and supporting the internationally banned terrorist outfit, LTTE, news sources said citing an Italian police statement. According to sources, about 200 police personnel were involved in the operation.
The massive counter LTTE operation by the Italian police comes in the wake of the Canadian government's decision to list the World Tamil Movement (WTM) as a terrorist organization, under the Criminal Code of Canada on Monday (16).
The LTTE is a ruthless terrorist outfit notorious for crimes against innocent civilians led by the terror psychopath, Prabakaran. In its pursuit for a mono ethnic separate homeland for Tamils since 1983, the outfit has killed and maimed over tens and thousands of innocent children, Tamils and Sinhalese political leaders in indiscriminate bomb attacks.
Meanwhile, defence analysts are of the view that the intensification of anti-LTTE operations by the IC recently is a positive gesture supporting the SL government's efforts towards eradicating terrorism. 28 LTTE terrorist suspects have been arrest by the Italian anti-terrorist police during a massive country-wide counter insurgency oper... more -
Suicide bomb in Sri Lanka kills 12, injures many
At least 12 policemen have been killed and many more wounded in a suicide bombing in Sri Lanka's northern town of Vavuniya, police say.
A man on a motorcycle reportedly detonated explosives in front of a police office in the town, 250km (120 miles) from the capital Colombo.
The area has been sealed off and the injured have been taken to hospital.
It is not clear who carried out the attack but suspicion has fallen on Tamil Tiger rebels.
The rebels have been blamed for a recent series of bombings in Sri Lanka.
School children were among around 40 victims being treated for their wounds after Monday's attack, hospital officials said.
There has been intense fighting between the rebels and the army in the north of the island over the last month.
The military is carrying out an offensive which it says is aimed at crushing the rebels by the end of this year.
Troops drove the Tamil Tigers from strongholds in the east last year.
Both sides in the war in the north claim to have inflicted heavy casualties on the other in recent weeks.
It is impossible to verify either account because the government bars journalists from the frontline areas.
Tamil Tiger rebels have also been blamed for a spate of recent bomb attacks in and around Colombo, mainly targeting buses and trains.
Dozens have been killed and many more wounded.
The rebels have accused the military of the roadside bombings which have killed many civilians in the rebel-held north. The government has denied the allegations.
Sri Lanka's civil war has intensified since the government formally ended a ceasefire with the rebels in January. In practice, the truce had been dead for months.
The rebels have fought for a generation for an independent state for the Tamil minority in the island's north and east.
About 70,000 people have been killed since the civil war began in 1983. At least 12 policemen have been killed and many more wounded in a suicide bombing in Sri Lanka's northern town of Vavuniya, polic... more
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