Word: colombo
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...Lanka's civil war began in July 1983, when more than 1,000 Tamils were killed in Colombo after a Tiger ambush of 13 army soldiers--though the LTTE's grievances go back much further, to what it says were decades of discrimination against ethnic Tamils, who are mainly Hindu or Christian, by the Sinhalese Buddhist majority. Few families in the island nation have been untouched by the violence--more than 70,000 people have died since the war began--yet Sri Lanka has managed to preserve its stunning beaches and lush hills, as well as a cosmopolitan outlook dating...
...Lankan military denied shelling any hospitals, and has blamed the LTTE for civilian casualties. The government said Monday that the military campaign was in a "decisive stage", and that it could not "be responsible for the safety and security of civilians still living among LTTE terrorists". Colombo claims the rebels trap civilians in order to use them as human shields. Although the government has demarcated a safe zone north of Mullaittivu, it's unclear how non-combatants might be able to reach the sanctuary. While aid agencies clamor for access to those displaced, neither they nor most journalists have been...
...morale. Some 20% of the nation's budget is now devoted to military spending (6% of its GDP), and the boost in resources has, over the past nine months, helped the military make steady gains against what had once seemed intractable positions held by the rebels. Some have taken Colombo's example as a message for counterinsurgency efforts elsewhere. On Jan. 16, an editorial in the Wall Street Journal hailed Sri Lanka's successes as proof that wars "on terror" could be won militarily when negotiations prove futile. Diplomatic cooperation from India and the EU proved key in drying...
...decades of conflict have led to allegations of atrocities on both sides - from kidnappings and extrajudicial killings to the recruitment of child soldiers. Various rounds of peace talks, the last held in 2002, failed to reconcile the LTTE with the government. But even with a decisive military victory, Colombo will have to take significant measures to win the peace...
...care of our civilians." Once the LTTE is quashed, Wijesinha envisions elections being held in the north and a gradual devolution of power to Tamils who have joined in the peace process. The Indian government, whose ruling coalition depends upon the support of Tamil parties within India, has urged Colombo to deliver on these promises. And there has been some progress: In Sri Lanka's east, competing Tamil parties, which include former LTTE cadres, successfully contested elections there, and the same scenario may emerge in Jaffna, the northern city which is the cultural center of Sri Lanka's Tamils...