Sri Lanka navy destroys suspected rebel boat; 6 believed killed

Associated Press, Mon November 27, 2006 03:07 COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - (AP) Sri Lanka - 's navy on Monday destroyed a boat suspected of ferrying arms for Tamil Tiger rebels off the island's west coast, killing six, the military said, as the rebels marked their annual ``Martyrs' Day.'' Sri Lanka - is separated from India home to some 56 million Tamils by the narrow Palk Straits.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam rebels, as the rebels are formally known, have fought the government since 1983 demanding a self-ruled homeland for ethnic minority Tamils, citing decades of discrimination by the Sinhalese majority.
The guerrillas mark their ``Martyrs' Day'' on Nov. 27 every year to remember thousands of fighters killed battling government troops. In the past they have mounted major attacks on military, economic and civilian targets to commemorate their dead fighters.
More than 65,000 people were killed until a 2002 cease-fire. But the truce nearly collapsed in the past year with assassinations, aerial bombardments and exchange of heavy arms fire killing another 3,500 people.
Both side say they have not officially withdrawn from the truce despite the violence

Sri Lanka military, rebels’ battle in east after Tiger leader hints at renewed war

Associated Press Writer - COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - (AP) Tamil Tiger rebels and Sri Lankan troops traded fire Tuesday, the military said, a day after the top rebel leader declared a 2002 cease-fire ``defunct,'' suggesting the insurgents would renew their violent struggle for an independent Tamil homeland. Rebel spokesman Daya Master confirmed that officials from the Sri Lanka - Monitoring Mission were meeting with rebel leadership in the insurgents' stronghold of Kilinochchi. But he had no immediate details. Rambukwella warned of military retaliation if the Tigers officially renewed their more than two decade armed struggle for independence. ``Our armed forces will act to safeguard national security,'' he said at a news conference. Reclusive rebel chief Velupillai Prabhakaran, in an annual speech on Monday, said he no longer believed the government wanted to resolve the conflict through peaceful means. He accused the government of President Mahinda Rajapakse of wanting to decide the fate of the island's ethnic Tamil minority using military power. ``It wants to occupy the Tamil land and then force an unacceptable solution on the Tamils,'' Prabhakaran said. But on Tuesday, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake, visiting Vietnam, said it was up to the rebels to end the bloodshed that left more than 65,000 people dead before the cease-fire. ``There is terrorism and there is negotiations. Terrorism must be stopped by them, not us. We are not terrorists,'' he said. Government spokesman Rambukwella also said the government was still committed to a peaceful settlement of the Tamil issue which revolves around rebel demands for an independent homeland for Sri Lanka - 's 3.1 million Tamils in the northeast. ``We are still keeping the window open,'' he said of the possibility of peace talks. But violence between the two sides continued. The military said the rebels fired heavy artillery at army positions in eastern Batticaloa district early Tuesday. At least one soldier was killed and two wounded, military spokesman, Maj. Upali Rajapakse, said.
Meanwhile, the New York-based Human Rights Watch asked the government to stop its troops' alleged involvement in child recruitment for an armed group fighting the Tamil Tigers. ``We have clear and compelling evidence that government forces are helping Karuna forces abduct boys and young men,'' the statement quoted Jo Becker, children's rights advocate at HRW, as saying. The Karuna group is named after a former top Tamil Tiger commander who broke from the mainstream rebels in 2004, with about 6,000 fighters. The rebels have since accused the government of launching a proxy war against them using the splinter group. The mainstream Tigers are known to have used thousands of child soldiers. In his speech, Prabhakaran called the tattered truce ``defunct'' and urged the international community to recognize the Tamil cause as a ``freedom struggle.'' The government Tuesday dismissed Prabhakaran as a leader out of touch with his people. This year has seen a sharp rise in open conflict, with more than 3,500 fighters and civilians dying in aerial bombings, assassinations, bomb attacks and daily skirmishes, according to government figures. Associated Press Writer Krishan Francis contributed to this report.
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Sri Lanka wants to know if Tamil Tigers have withdrawn from 4-year-old cease-fire

Associated Press, Tue November 28, 2006 02:56 EST . COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) _ Sri Lanka's government said on Tuesday it has asked peace broker Norway and European cease-fire monitors to find out if Tamil Tiger rebels have officially withdrawn from a four-year-old cease-fire, after their top leader called the pact ``defunct.''
``We have asked Norway and the SLMM (Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission) to inquire whether the LTTE is out of the cease-fire agreement,'' government spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said, referring to the rebels by an acronym for their formal name, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
Rambukwella said that the government's future course of action will depend upon the rebels' response.
Top guerrilla leader Velupillai Prabhakaran in his annual ``Martyrs' Day'' speech on Monday called a 2002 Norway-brokered cease-fire with the government ``defunct'' and said a separate independent country for Sri Lanka's Tamil minority was the only option.
However, Prabhakaran stopped short of declaring an official withdrawal from the cease-fire agreement, which requires any side wanting to walk away to give a 14-day notice.
Tamil Tiger rebels have fought the government since 1983 for a separate homeland for minority Tamils.