Suspected Rebel Ambush on Sri Lankan Navy Bus Kills 2 Civilians, Wounds 12 Sailors

Sri Lanka's military says rebels have ambushed a navy bus in the east of the country, wounding 12 sailors and sparking a gunbattle in which two civilians also died.

Officials blame Tamil rebels for Tuesday's attack in Trincomalee. They say the rebels set off a fragmentation mine as the navy bus passed by, and then opened fire on the bus with small arms. Officials say the sailors shot back, and two civilians were killed in the crossfire.

Sri Lanka's government says at least 69 security personnel have been killed by rebels since early December. The violence has severely strained a ceasefire signed by both sides in 2002.

LTTE 'killed one per day'

Human Rights Watch (HRW) say that Tamil Tiger killings of political opponents reached the rate of one per day by June 2005.

Issuing its world report for 2006 on Wednesday, HRW says that this "alarming rate" owed to to the killing of "particularly of Tamils in opposition to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam".

Stating that "respect for human rights has been seriously eroded" over the past year in several Asian countries, HRW particularly names Nepal, Cambodia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and China,

"Tamil Tigers continued to assassinate political opponents with complete impunity," accuses HRW.

Noting that the December 2004 tsunami "wrought tremendous destruction," particularly to the areas already most affected by the country's protracted civil war, HRW says "sectarian interests hijacked aid distribution mechanisms".
Police impunity
The HRW report also says that the Sri Lankan police "continue to enjoy great impunity".
According to this report, since February 2002 Ceasefire agreement, "an estimated two hundred Tamils have been killed for apparently political reasons. Most of the killings have been attributed to the LTTE."

The HRW blames the security forces for extra judicial killings. "While some cases of deaths in custody and torture have been investigated, no one has been prosecuted or punished as yet," the report adds.

Releasing another report on the human rights situation in ten Asian countries The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) reiterated the allegation by saying, "the Sri Lankan police are granted further impunity to commit abuses".

Without a functioning National Police Commission, AHRC say "criminal elements within the police will be encouraged to blatantly flout legal and disciplinary provisions, while complainants receive threats and intimidation".
Judicial system "Rubbish"
AHRC also says that the new president has yet to put in action any strategies to reform the justice institutions.

"A start can be made by implementing the recommendations of the Human Rights Committee and the Committee against Torture."

Basil Fernando, executive director of the Hong Kong-based regional rights body, launching the report said, "When the entire country knows that our judicial system is rubbish the idea of enforcement of human rights standards is ridiculous,"
LTTE 'will not return to war' -Norway
Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka
The Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka says that the Tamil Tigers will not return to war.
Hans Brattskar was speaking to journalists in Kilinoachi after meeting S.P Thamilselvan, leader of the LTTE political wing .

He said that he had no reason to believe that the Tamil Tigers will go to war and was optimistic that the LTTE wants to come to the negotiation table.

Speaking on the scheduled visit of Norwegian envoy Erik Solheim with LTTE leader Prabhakaran on the 23rd of January Bratskar said “the world is not going to change but it will lead to new opportunities”.

Tamil Tiger negotiator Anton Balasinham is also to visit Kilinochchi from London to join in the talks.
Attacks
Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) chief Hagrup Haukland who also had talks with the LTTE political leadership said that he is aware who is responsible for attacks against an SLMM office.

He said “it is not the LTTE. It is not the government, but we know who they are”

Howeve,r Haukland did not disclose who is responsible for the attacks.

An explosive devise was set off at the Batticaloa SLMM office on Friday night.

Commenting on the attacks on security personnel in the north and east S.P.Thamilselvan, leader of of the Tamil Tiger political wing said that it was a reaction from the civilians.

“Our people are been handled in a high handed manner and they are reacting ’’ said Thamilselvan.