Children killed in Sri Lanka ‘bloodbath’: UN

[ AFP ] More than 100 children were among a large number of Tamil civilians killed in a weekend “bloodbath” in Sri Lanka, the United Nations’ spokesman in Colombo, Gordon Weiss, said Monday. He said the UN had been warning of a bloodbath as tens of thousands of civilians have been trapped in a narrow…

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Australian Tamils call off hunger strike

[AFP] Tamil protesters who staged a seven-day hunger strike outside the Australian prime minister’s home have announced the end of their protest following assurances their demands had been heard. The five men called off their fast late Friday after a mass demonstration involving up to 8,000 people outside the foreign affairs department in Canberra, a…

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Tamil hunger striker ‘prepared to die’ in London

[AFP] A Sri Lankan hunger striker in London who has gone ten days without food said Thursday he was prepared to starve himself death to highlight the plight of Tamils, as hundreds of people protested. Paramesweran Subramaniyam, 28, is surviving on sips of water and his condition could soon become critical, doctors say. But he…

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Disease risk in Sri Lanka war zone: Red Cross

[AFP] Tens of thousands of people trapped by fighting in Sri Lanka’s north are facing serious risks of disease due to shortages of clean water and sanitation, the Red Cross said Tuesday. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said the humanitarian situation was deteriorating fast as civilians still living in the rebel-held territory…

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After Fighting, Sri Lanka Needs Devolution – India

[AFP] Sri Lanka needs true devolution of power to minority Tamils if it wants to permanently end its long-running ethnic war, Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon said Wednesday. Menon, who was in Washington for talks, said the U.S. and the Sri Lankan government itself both agreed with regional power India on the need to quickly…

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