Sri Lanka sparks row with EU over ban on Swedish minister

[Coventina]

Source: Times Online

Sri Lanka has refused to allow Sweden’s Foreign Minister to enter the country on a joint mission with his British and French counterparts to press for a ceasefire in the conflict with the Tamil Tigers.

Carl Bildt was due to join David Miliband and Bernard Kouchner in Colombo tomorrow to urge the Government to grant aid agencies access to tens of thousands of civilians still trapped on the frontline.

But Sri Lanka refused to grant Mr Bildt a visa today, sparking a diplomatic row with the EU just as the Sri Lankan army says it is on the point of defeating the Tigers after 26 years of civil war.

“This is remarkable,” Mr Bildt said on the sidelines of an EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Luxembourg. “You just don’t act this way.”



Read more: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6186062.ece

[InfiniteThoughts]

1. First wrong move & i don't like the direction ...

This is the first wrong move by the SL govt. Stupid not to get good publicity on the refugee camps (if they were as clean as claimed by the SL army).

The reason why i am very concerned - Rajapaksa should realize that defeating LTTE, however hard it might be, is the easy step. Ensuring that Tamils get the autonomy as well equal rights as the Sinhalese, needs a strong political leader who is a visionary - a role that Rajapaksa doesn't seem comfortable with!

Dark are the days for Sri Lanka if the issue of Tamil equality isn't addressed