Posted on 04/20/2009 5:05:40 PM PDT by zaphod3000
Reporting from New Delhi -- In a sign of its growing confidence, Sri Lanka on Monday issued an ultimatum calling on Tamil rebels to surrender or perish after the army reportedly breached a major defensive barrier, paving the way for tens of thousands of civilians to make a run for it.
Troops captured an additional square-mile area of the rebels' shrinking terrain Monday, freeing about 19,000 civilians trapped by the fighting, while the navy freed 2,165 people as more fled in other directions, military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said.
By some reports, as many as 35,000 noncombatants fled the hotly contested battle zone.
None of the claims could be verified since the Sri Lankan government rarely allows independent media, civic or monitoring groups into the conflict area.
Government forces broke through part of a 7-mile-long barrier built by the rebels as they prepared for their last stand, military officials said. The breach allowed civilians to flee the area.
SNIP
The civil war has raged for the last quarter century. In recent months, however, largely due to more aggressive tactics and a major increase in its ranks, the army has made significant gains, trapping most Tiger fighters in an area as small as 6.5 square miles on the island's northern coast.
"Militarily, [the Tamil fighters] appear to have lost their major artillery weapons, including 130mm [millimeter] guns and antiaircraft weapons," wrote Col. R. Hariharan, a retired Indian military intelligence official who served in Sri Lanka in the late 1980s, in a recent report. "Thus the security forces have overwhelmed the LTTE, not only physically, but also psychologically."
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
These people do not belong there and need to go back to India.
?
What an utterly ridiculous thing to say. Those people have lived in Sri Lanka since before the time of Christ, which is hell of a lot longer than White Europeans have lived in North America...
The Tamil were the late comers...they arrived in Ceylon 20 centuries AFTER the Sinhalese.
Once Ceylon was "unified" by the Brits granted independence - the Tamil engaged in a war of independence..
Apparently, they lost.
The LEGITIMATE options the Tamil have now - is to accept political leadership by the Sinhalese who are 73.8% of the population and perhaps join in that leadership, or continue to fight and die or LEAVE Sri Lanka as SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND "non combatants" have already done...
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ce.html#People
Like the Palestinians, I suspect those who remain will choose war and die.
Proving once again the science of survival of species by natural selection .
Which "people"? The Sri Lankans, or the Tamil Tigers? (You do know that these so-called "Tigers" are nothing but Muslims trying to take over the country by force, right?)
“What an utterly ridiculous thing to say. Those people have lived in Sri Lanka since before the time of Christ, which is hell of a lot longer than White Europeans have lived in North America...”
Thw Hindus were brought in by the British to pick Tea. Read up on your history here.
“Which “people”? The Sri Lankans, or the Tamil Tigers? (You do know that these so-called “Tigers” are nothing but Muslims trying to take over the country by force, right?)”
The Tamils of course! Need to go back to India.
Thw = The sorry
Perhaps you should read up on yours. The Tamil population may have been increased by immigration during the time of Empire, but Tamils have established there for a lot longer. Archeological evidence in the form of ceramic shards and stones bearing tamil script dating back to hundreds of years BC shows that Tamils have lived in Northern Sri Lanka since at least then...
No, I am very familiar with them since I had both Sinhalese and Tamil in my factory Crews and spoke at length with them on this very subject, My foreman (Sinhalese) lost his Older Brother in the conflict..
Thats very nice, but that still doesn’t change the fact that Tamils have lived in what is now Sri Lanka for thousands of years....
Yes but they wore out their welcome with the bombings Indian's belong in India..Beautiful place see the slopes with the woman picking Tea ,gemstones Their agriculture. I used to get boxes of fresh that morning fruit and large bags of real Tea when my crew would return from holiday. Buddhists real nice people.. the Tamil's a different story.
Welcome doesn’t come into it. They’ve lived there for thousands of years and make up about a fifth of the island’s population. I agree with the Sri Lankan government’s crackdown on the fanatical Tamil tigers, but on the other hand, they have to learn to co-exist.
It wouldn’t have been a problem if the Majority Sinhalese government had implemented federalism as was the case in India instead of unitary government, which is why Tamils haven’t been serious about independence in the South of India like the Tamils have in the North of Sri Lanka...
Well they will be good children from now on or else!
Well the Sinhalese also came from India.
If they are Muslim, don't they belong in Bangladesh?
Muslims!!!!Huh-where did you get that from? The LTTE are an atheistic bunch-most of their fighters are Hindus, with quiet a few Christians as well-some in influential positions. After the Sinhalese hardliners, the LTTE’s biggest enemies have been Sri Lanka’s Muslims.
About who’s cozying up to the Muslim world-some facts would help. The Sri Lankan military has built up close logistical ties with Iran, Pakistan and China in recent years.
The Sinhalese chauvenist fringe, which includes sections of the Buddhist clergy and leftist political parties like the JVP look down upon the Tamil population as a whole. The only way they will devolve power is if India twists their arm.
Umm, by your logic, the Sinhalese are Indians too-and about the Buddhists being darlings-read up on their clergy’s role in politics-they are no different from extremist Hindu groups in India and only a little better than Muslims. They opposed all attempts at even a limited devolution of powers to create a federal structure in Sri Lanka.
http://indianchristians.in/news/content/view/278/47/
http://www.hindu.com/2004/04/11/stories/2004041101791800.htm
Yes so what? the Point is?? BTW Where are the murders and Bombings??
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