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Desperate Measures
   Next Article → MORALE: Silver Stars For Wanat Warriors
April 15, 2009: Expatriate Tamils, who have long supported (if not always voluntarily) the LTTE with cash, are now holding large demonstrations in Britain and Australia. This is part of an LTTE attempt to gain popular support and diplomatic pressure on Sri Lanka to agree to a ceasefire. If this can be achieved, the LTTE can rebuild and resume its fight to partition the island into Tamil and non-Tamil sectors. The Sri Lankan government refuses to even discuss a permanent ceasefire, and will only negotiate if the LTTE disarms.

The number of civilians escaping the 20 square kilometer "no-fire" zone has declined from 2,000 a day two weeks ago, to less than 200 a day. So far, over 67,000 civilians have been able to get out of the zone. The two day truce apparently allowed the LTTE fighters to increase their efforts to control the thousands of Tamil civilians in the no-fire zone. During the two day ceasefire, troops could see LTTE fighters directing Tamil civilians to build fortifications. The army announced that they are resuming their offensive, which will apparently involve troops advancing slowly against LTTE bunkers, while trying to avoid hitting Tamil civilians the LTTE are using as human shields. The remaining LTTE fighters appear willing to fight to the death, and force Tamil civilians to die as human shields.

April 14, 2009: Two LTTE boats attempted to land in the LTTE safe zone in the northeast. But navy patrol boats fired on the LTTE boats, sinking them, and killing at least ten people.

April 13, 2009: One soldier was killed, and another wounded, as LTTE fighters fired out of the no-fire zone. Only about two dozen Tamil civilians left the no-fire zone on the first day of the ceasefire, and they reported that the LTTE was using force to prevent civilians from leaving.

April 12, 2009: The government declared a unilateral 48 hour ceasefire, to enable civilians in the no-fire zone to escape. The cease fire would begin on the 13th and end on the 14th. Meanwhile, LTTE gunmen in the southeast part of the island, raided a village and killed eight civilians. The same group apparently later went on to kill three more Sinhalese civilians. There are still over a hundred LTTE gunmen operating in the largely Tamil east coast of Sri Lanka. In Norway, demonstrators broke into the Sri Lankan embassy, while police looked on, and trashed the place.

April 10, 2009: The LTTE appear to be using force to keep 50,000 or so civilians in a 20 square kilometer "no-fire" zone along a beach in northeast Sri Lanka. Troops surrounding the zone hear gunfire inside the zone, but there are no reports of Sri Lankan troops being fired on. Tamil civilians who do escape the zone, report LTTE gunmen firing on those trying to leave, and planting mines and booby traps to discourage civilians from leaving.

 Next Article → MORALE: Silver Stars For Wanat Warriors
  
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zorgon    Tamils   4/15/2009 8:23:24 AM
Tamils have been blocking the roads in downtown Ottawa for the last week, and more Tamil protesters are being bused in from Toronto and elsewhere.  The protest signs are printed and not handmade.  They claim genocide, and that poison gas is used against them in Sri Lanka. Talk to anyone in the streets and you will find that the Tamils have garnered no sympathy for their cause. They are annoyance like taxes or mosquitoes.
Zorgon
 
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tharis    CHeap Journalism   4/15/2009 10:11:20 AM
This is purly a cheap journalism sitting in an office in Canada , by listening to what Sri lankan gvt wants to say.
A government which prevents Journalists , even aid workers , even red cross staff are all tamils....THIS IS CRISTAL CLEAR THE SRI LANKAN GOVERNMENT IS HIDING THE WORLD SOME NASTLY THINGS IT IS DOING TO TAMILS.... ARE YOU ANOYING YOU WHEN WE PROTEST LIGALLY IN A DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY ???? IT IS CANADA WHICH BANNED TEH LLTE DURRING THE VERY PEACE TALKS ...which pushed europe to do so ... by being one sided witout paying attention to the war crimes of Sri lankan terror state.
IT is a shame to write as journalism what is told by the terror state which is not allowing YOU to go and see what is happenning.... SHAME ON YOU
 
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Tyrone Dias    Rest of the World is correct   4/15/2009 2:50:39 PM
A key aspect of the LTTE and other Terrorist groups, is the brainwashing of it's supporters from the Western countries, so that they can fund the war with foreign money. But it's still hard for me to believe that these supporters still have a hard time understanding the facts, even though when they are right in front of them. The US, Canada, UK, Australia, EU and other leading countries have labeled the LTTE has a Terrorist Group. They have come to this decision after a lot of research, investigation, surveillance and intelligence. Why is it that the LTTE supporters still believe that the Government of Sri Lanka were some-how able to "trick" these major countries with a lot of state-of-the-art technology and large budgets, into believing it's "lies"...
Why can't they see that they are the ignorant ones that still blindly believe the LTTE propaganda brochure without question, just because that was what they are told.
 
These protestors need to learn to think for themselves and see the facts, and accept that the rest of the World might be right.
 
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Bob Cortez       4/15/2009 8:50:06 PM
Again, I am sick of bloggers on this site: Tharis offers no proof or sources and just opinion.  Tharis, go elsewhere with your moralistic twaddle: offer proof or be quiet.
 
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Ron Harvey    The hostages are still suffering   4/19/2009 11:13:19 PM
The Tamil Tiger controlled territory continues to shrink, with the Sri Lankan special forces now conducting lightening raids to extract civillians and kill defending LTTE cadres at the same time. Under international pressure, heavy weapons have been all but withdrawn by the state, but the LTTE continues to fire artillery stationed among civillian tents. Recordings of surveillance leaked out by Sri lankan air force personnel show the LTTE gradually moving the remaining civillians into a more enclosed area, surrounded by high rise earthern mounds. LTTE's heavy artillery can be seen being moved around among civillians to avoid from being hit by SLAF helicopters and jets who now have established a record of deadly accuracy.
 
Meanwhile over 2500 civillians escaped the LTTE controlled area over the past 36 hours and relate further horror stories of LTTE brutality within the area in which at least another 15,000 - 20,000 civillians are held as a human shield. Most of the escapees bear evidence of assault and some have recieved gun shot wounds. A few who were suspected of being LTTE infilterators were detained by Sri Lankan forces while others are being provided medical attention by Sri Lankan and Indian medics.
 
The largest ever hostage crissis in human history is continuing with neither side willing to back down. The Sri Lankan government is acting with restraint, while their forces possess the capability to finish the tamil tigers within a matter of hours if completely unleashed. No matter what the final outcome here is, a new chapter in modern day terrorism is being written in this island of tears.
 
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