The L.T.T.E. is ready to accept the calls for a cease-fire issued by the international community with the good intention of ending the human suffering.
Balasingham Nadesan • Political chief of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, in a letter sent to the United Nations. The Sri Lankan separatist group will accept a conditional cease-fire as long as they get to keep their weapons. The Sri Lankan government quickly rejected the request. • source
She’s unknown at home Despite her massive critical acclaim, the ubiquity of her hit “Paper Planes” and her recent Grammy and Oscar nominations, she remains fairly unknown in her homeland, Sri Lanka. Those who do know her claim she’s an apologist for the Tamil Tigers, the separatist group which has fought a lengthy civil war for independence.
In her words M.I.A., born Maya Arulpragasam, recently commented on the crisis in an interview on Tavis Smiley’s PBS talk show. “Being the only Tamil in the Western media, I have a really great opportunity to sort of bring forward what’s going on in Sri Lanka,” she said “There’s a genocide going on.”
Fighting art with artMany Sri Lankans who have seen M.I.A.’s videos claim that her imagery either glorifies or supports the cause. M.I.A. says she doesn’t support terrorism, but at least one rapper has taken her head-on: DeLon, a Sinhalese rapper based in L.A., put up a video remix which directly attacks the singer’s stance. source
What happened? Sri Lanka is in the midst of a lengthy (30-year-plus), dangerous and bloody civil war with Tamil Tiger rebels in northern Sri Lanka. The Tigers are fighting to create their own sovereign nation, but appear to be close to defeated in this latest offensive. On Friday, Sri Lanka claimed that they killed 14 rebels, including two leaders.
In the middle In the midst of this conflict are a number of civilians, many of whom are hospitalized. 250,000 total people are trapped inside the rebel territory. After rebels started firing shells at a hospital in Puthukkudiyiruppu, the war zone’s last hospital, patients were moved to a makeshift medical facility in Puttumatalan village.
A plea for helpThe Red Cross says there are nearly 400 people at this medical facility, many lying on the floor because it’s so overcrowded or forced to receive medical attention at unequipped schools or community centers. The international organization wants the rebels to allow them to move these patients without worry of getting in the crossfire. source
They are trapped in a very small area which has come under fighting, and they just have no safe place to go, they cannot escape, and they have lost the means that they need for survival.
Sophie Romanens • A Red Cross representative, on the dangers more than 300 hospitalized civilians and 20 staff face after being moved away from the fighting to nearby Puttumatalan. The area has a lack of drinking water and the situation is getting critical for the patients. • source