Sri Lankan Separatists Ignore Surrender Deadline

[oberliner]

Source: NY Times

HONG KONG — Tamil separatist fighters on Tuesday ignored a surrender ultimatum by the Sri Lankan government, heightening concerns for tens of thousands of civilians unable to flee a crumbling safe haven that has been the scene of fierce fighting in recent days.

The government said some 9,000 civilians fled the so-called no-fire zone on Tuesday, joining about 30,000 who escaped Monday when soldiers broke through earthen defenses built by the Tamil Tiger fighters.

Fighting continued Tuesday inside the zone, which is now the embattled rebels’ last remaining sanctuary — a dwindling patch of lagoons, coconut groves and beachfront. An estimated 60,000 civilians remained trapped inside the zone on Tuesday.

“The situation is nothing short of catastrophic,” said Pierre Krähenbühl, director of operations for the International Committee of the Red Cross. And in a statement, the Red Cross said Tuesday it was “concerned that the final offensive in the area by government forces could lead to a dramatic increase in the number of civilian casualties.”

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/22/world/asia/22lanka.html?ref=global-home

[ohio2007]

1. They will fight on to the last bitter human sheild end.

[oberliner]

2. Sri Lanka: 50,000 civilians have fled war zone

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – Thousands more civilians streamed out of the war zone Tuesday, the military said, bringing the exodus of the past two days to nearly 50,000 as a government deadline passed for separatist Tamil rebels to surrender.

The ultimatum expired at noon (0630 GMT) Tuesday without a response from the rebels, who are cornered in a sliver of coastal territory amid signs they are facing total defeat after a 25-year fight for an independent, ethnic Tamil homeland.

Rights groups say tens of thousands of civilians remained trapped in the rebel-held enclave and fear the civilian death toll could spike if the military launches a final assault.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090421/ap_on_re_as/as_sri_lanka_civil_war;_ylt=AqNVABBF3s9eLg2NJp51d3ms0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTJub2Rlcm9rBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkwNDIxL2FzX3NyaV9sYW5rYV9jaXZpbF93YXIEY3BvcwMyBHBvcwM1BHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcnkEc2xrA3NyaWxhbmthNTAwMA--

Things could get even more ugly.

[ohio2007]

3. Rights groups say the rebels are holding many against their will to use as human shields.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3841624&mesg_id=3841624

They will surrender when the last civilian falls.

[Joanne98]

4. It's going to be a massacre and it's barely being reported.

[oberliner]

5. Tamil rebels accuse Sri Lanka of civilian 'bloodbath'

Sri Lanka's Tamil rebels say some 1,000 civilians were killed and more than 2,000 were injured when government troops raided their last sliver of territory on Monday to allow tens of thousands of civilians to flee the coastal strip.

The Tamil Tigers said in an emailed statement on Tuesday that a "bloodbath" prevails in the war zone, calling on the United Nations and the world community to act to rescue the trapped civilians.

The military denies the allegation, and has accused the rebel group of targeting civilians leaving the conflict zone in a desperate attempt to use them as human shields against advancing government troops.

Government forces said they rescued thousands of civilians on Monday after they broke through a barrier built by the rebels to protect their territory. By Tuesday evening, the military said 52,000 civilians had escaped.

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/04/21/tamils-sri-lanka021.html

A lot more coverage of this horrendous situation outside the US.

[ohio2007]

6. A barely being reported video.of "human sheilds" being pushed into the sea

SL Gov video - civilians escaping LTTE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppo21s1rM7g&feature=player_embedded

[ohio2007]

7. Submarine Escape for Sri Lankan Rebel?

The Tiger leader isn't going out like Adoplh but, where will he go ?

snip
snip

The Telegraph adds that “Western diplomats in Colombo said the L.T.T.E. had acquired a number of semi-submersible vessels for weapons smuggling and had been working on small rudimentary submarines.”

Here is IBN’s video report, with file pictures of the rebel leader, and the homemade submarine he may now be banking on for his survival:


http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/24/submarine-escape-for-sri-lankan-rebel/

Semi submersables ? I saw an article years ago those are an export product on Kim Jong ill's country.