Canberra, Apr 14 : More than 100 Tamil protesters have converged on Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s Canberra residence, demanding that Australia play a greater role in ending the violence in Sri Lanka.
The protesters want Australia to use diplomatic channels to push for a permanent ceasefire in the conflict between Sri Lankan government forces and the Tamil rebels.
There are about 150 protesters just metres from the walls surrounding the Lodge, including three men who began a hunger strike on Friday, with up to 100 more expected to arrive soon.
Colombo - Tamil rebels Tuesday called for an unconditional permanent ceasefire as a precondition to peace talks with the Sri Lankan government. The call from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) came as the Sri Lankan security forces maintained a two-day halt in its military operations in the north of the country coinciding with traditional New Year celebrations observed throughout the country.
Colombo - The Sri Lankan army, backed by police commandos, mounted a search operation in the south of the country Monday after eight civilians were massacred by suspected Tamil rebels overnight, a military spokesman said. Rebels stormed the village of Mahagodayaya in the Buttala area, 340 kilometres south-east of Colombo, Sunday night and opened fire at the residents, he said.
A one-and-a-half-year-old toddler, an 11-year-old boy and three women were among those killed.
Colombo - Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Sunday ordered security forces engaged in military operations in the northern part of the country to restrict offensive operations to enable civilians in rebel held areas to mark the traditional new year. The directive came a day before the traditional new year, which is celebrated by the minority Hindu Tamils as well as the majority Sinhala Buddhist community.
Colombo - Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa has told UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon that the suffering of civilians in the northern part of the country was the "sole responsibility of the Tamil rebels who are holding them as a human shield," the president's office said Friday. The president conveyed his position during a telephone conversation with the UN secretary general on Thursday during Rajapaksa's official state visit to Libya.
Canberra, Apr 14 : More than 100 Tamil protesters have converged on Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s Canberra residence, demanding that Australia play a greater role in ending the violence in Sri Lanka.
Colombo, Apr. 14 : Sri Lanka''s Tamil Tiger rebels have said that they are ready to negotiate a permanent ceasefire with government forces.
Colombo - Tamil rebels Tuesday called for an unconditional permanent ceasefire as a precondition to peace talks with the Sri Lankan government. The call from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) came as the Sri Lankan security forces maintained a two-day halt in its military operations in the north of the country coinciding with traditional New Year celebrations observed throughout the country.
Colombo - Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Sunday ordered security forces engaged in military operations in the northern part of the country to restrict offensive operations to enable civilians in rebel held areas to mark the traditional new year. The directive came a day before the traditional new year, which is celebrated by the minority Hindu Tamils as well as the majority Sinhala Buddhist community.
Colombo - Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa has told UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon that the suffering of civilians in the northern part of the country was the "sole responsibility of the Tamil rebels who are holding them as a human shield," the president's office said Friday. The president conveyed his position during a telephone conversation with the UN secretary general on Thursday during Rajapaksa's official state visit to Libya.
