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Sri Lanka: “it’s like pre-ceasefire days”

COLOMBO: Alarmed at the escalation of civilian casualties in the island nation, the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) on Thursday said the violence witnessed now was similar to what was seen prior to the signing of the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) in 2002.

Separately, President Mahinda Rajapaksa, on his return from a state visit to Iran, condemned Wednesday’s killings in Colombo and called for greater attention of the international community to these attacks that “demonstrate the true nature and unchanging ways of terrorists and terrorism.”

The statements come amid palpable tension in the national capital. The administration has ordered closure of educational institutions for two days and the security and police forces have stepped up vigil.

The SLMM, mandated under the tattered CFA to monitor ceasefire violations, pointed out that 49 civilians had been killed and 60 injured in violent incidents in just four days, from November 25 to 28.

Separately, the European Union said: “The E.U. condemns yesterday’s [Wednesday’s] terrorist attacks in Colombo and deplores the deliberate targeting of civilians. These callous attacks can have no political justification and serve only to add to the suffering and grief of ordinary Sri Lankans. We extend our condolences to the victims and their families and friends.”

[Eighteen persons were killed in a parcel bomb explosion triggered by suspected LTTE cadres in an apparel shop. A woman suicide bomber and another person were killed in an attempt on the life of Social Welfare Minister Douglas Devananda in his office.]

“The E.U. remains gravely concerned about the welfare of civilians caught up in Sri Lanka’s conflict — in Wanni, in Colombo or wherever. It expects the parties to take the utmost care to avoid civilian casualties in accordance with international humanitarian law.”

A U.N. statement released here said the Secretary-General condemned the suicide attacks in Colombo and expressed his concern over Tuesday’s aerial strike, which damaged the office of the United Nations World Food Programme in Kilinochchi.

“The Secretary-General appeals for an end to the destructive spiral of violence and calls on the parties to the conflict to return to the peace process while making every effort to ensure the protection of civilians.”

Condemning the Colombo attacks, Tamil United Liberation Front leader V. Anandasangaree said brutality had so hardened their hearts that the Tigers would never reform themselves. “The news item that 11 persons including 9 students were killed in a claymore mine attack by the forces that penetrated deep into the LTTE-held area is a real fabrication. Reading this in the Tamil newspaper this morning [Wednesday], I felt that this news is a prelude to some serious incident to take place in the course of the day and as expected this tragic incident had taken place at Nugegoda,” he said.

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