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17 May 2009 02:35

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World: Sri Lanka’s claiming victory. The Tamil Tigers are suicide bombing.

  • Suicide explosions are taking place. Suicide cadres are coming in front of troops in the frontline and exploding themselves.
  • Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara • A military spokesman, on the current status of the longest war in modern Asian history, which Sri Lanka has finally claimed victory in. The LTTE, or the Tamil Tigers, has been conditioned to commit suicide before surrendering, which explains the suicide bombings. The Tamils likely knew this moment was coming, basically begging for a cease-fire a couple of weeks ago. • source

11 May 2009 08:31

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World: A designated safe zone in Sri Lanka didn’t prevent civilian deaths

  • 1,000+ civilians got caught in the middle source

03 May 2009 10:25

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World: Sri Lanka aims its barbs at the West in its Tamil Tigers fight

  • Never did history unmask the hypocrisy and the sanctimony of the Western powers than (it has in) their behavior towards Sri Lanka during recent times.
  • The Sri Lankan Defense Ministry • In a post on their web site. The ministry complained of Western nations putting pressure on them to cease-fire in their assault on the Tamil Tigers, who they have close to defeat. Much of the attention on the conflict has focused on the huge amounts of civilians caught in the crossfire, rather than the conflict itself. • source

29 Apr 2009 10:48

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World: European countries: Cease-fire? Sri Lanka: *shakes head* NO!

  • They will not give up the fight with Tamil rebels. U.K. and French ministers tried to convince the Sri Lankan military to change its tune, but it continues to not want to budge, for fear of giving the Tamil Tigers time to regroup. The ministers also tried convincing the Tamil Tigers to let civilians leave what’s now described as a two-square-mile area holding up to 50,000 people. Someone has to budge here. source

26 Apr 2009 11:38

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World: Tamil Tigers: We want a cease-fire. Sri Lanka: No.

  • In response to a severely weakened position as well as for humanitarian reasons, the Tamil Tigers have asked for a unilateral cease-fire. “We are in full agreement that the humanitarian crisis can only be overcome by declaration of an immediate cease- fire,” the group said. source
  • Despite thousands of people suffering and criticism from the UN, the Sri Lankan military says the Tigers must surrender. “They were not fighting with us; they were running from us,” Sri Lankan defense secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa said, calling the cease-fire offer a “joke.” source

26 Apr 2009 03:10

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World: The numbers game continues between Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers

  • 150,000 number of people the Tamil Tigers claim are near starvation in the Sri Lankan warzone source

24 Apr 2009 10:47

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World: Sri Lanka and the UN can’t agree on who’s in danger

  • A document from the UN claims 6,432 civilians have been killed and 13,946 wounded. Sri Lanka says these numbers are inflated. source
  • The UN says at least 108,000 have left the Tamil warzone since Monday; Sri Lanka says 196,000 have escaped since the beginning of the year. source
  • The UN estimates that 50,000 people are still trapped in the warzone; Sri Lanka says the number is much closer to 10,000 to 20,000. (It’s a lot.) source
 

12 Apr 2009 09:39

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World: Sri Lanka calls a temporary halt on its Tamil Tiger conflict

  • The halt will allow civilians to leave the warzone. Sri Lanka, who has been in conflict with the Tamil Tigers longer than M.I.A. has been alive, has been facing increased international scrutiny (and heavy protests from Tamils abroad) for its military push to force the Tigers into defeat, because it’s come at the cost of large civilian casualties. The cease-fire would allow civilians just enough time to escape so they aren’t in the crossfire. source

08 Apr 2009 10:16

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Music, World: M.I.A. is ticking off the Sri Lankan government again

  • Many have already perished from starvation and preventable disease. We cannot ignore these genocidal conditions, and if the aim of the SL Government is to protect the lives of the civilians, then this ship will reach its destination and lives will be saved.
  • M.I.A. (a.k.a. Maya Arulpragasam) • Who’s put herself in the middle of a conflict between the Sri Lankan government and the U.K.-based Act Now organization, which is trying to send aid to the country which is supposed to be for civilians caught in the conflict between Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers, but the Sri Lankan military fears may be headed for Tamil forces. She’s ruffled these feathers before. • source

15 Mar 2009 11:25

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World: Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tigers conflict takes a huge toll

  • 36,000 civilians have been displaced during the conflict’s recent flare-up, the Red Cross says source