Sri Lanka closes in on Tigers, U.N. worker held

[Coventina]

Source: Reuters

COLOMBO (Reuters) - The United Nations said on Monday Tamil Tiger rebels forcibly recruited another of its local workers in Sri Lanka's war zone along with three dependents of U.N. staff, including a 16-year-old girl.

The United Nations said the forced conscriptions came at the weekend, when nearly 2,000 people fled Sri Lanka's shrinking war zone as troops fought towards the final showdown in a 25-year war with the separatist Tamil Tigers.

It is the second time the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have forced a U.N. worker into its ranks. The United Nations and witnesses say hundreds of civilians have been forced to fight or build defences against a military onslaught.

"The U.N. in Sri Lanka has protested to the LTTE that U.N. national staff, as well as children in general, are protected under national and international law from recruitment by armed groups, and has called for their immediate release," a U.N. statement said.



Read more: http://in.reuters.com/article/southAsiaNews/idINIndia-3...

[ohio2007]

1. Tamil Tiger rebels forcibly recruited soldiers for the war of independance?

The United Nations and witnesses say hundreds of civilians have been forced to fight or build defences against a military onslaught.



But then, the UN turns around and wants Sri Lanka to give the tigers breathing room.......

[Vehl]

2. The SL government isnt any better

Do you know that Amnesty international accused the Srilankan government of forcibly recruiting kids for its paramilitary outfits?
if you doubt my word; googling would help


furthermore; one has but to look at the dozens of reports by various NGO's to see that the Sl government has done everything the tigers have done; and more.


What else can you expect from a government which lets its military chief stay in office after he stated "Srilanka is for sinhalese and others should accept the fact". Lol if this had happened in any other democratic country; the chief would have been fired; but lol; the Srilankan government not only did not fire him; but actively defended his comments. They ruined a country that had the promise to be an economic powerhouse and have made it into a shadow of its past glory.


it all started when the government brought the "sinahala only law" in 1954 that effectively disenfranchised the english/tamil educated professionals from the minorities. the rest is history...inter spaced with regular anti-minority pogroms of course...

how many journalists were killed in the past couple of years when they talked against the government?a dozen? no wonder Srilanka is listed as the "Second most dangerous place for a journalist to be", after Iraq.



10000 civilian casualties in 2 months...
anyways; its only a matter of time before the Lankan government's bigwigs are tried in the US/ICJ courts for genocide.



for anyone following in this conflict; the letter " And they came for me" would be very interesting. It was written by a journalist, who had it written to be published in the event he was assassinated. And he was right fear thus; given the fact that any journalist who was critical of the srilankan government was termed a "traitor". His worst fears came true one day..and that brave man was shot to death while traveling to work.


his letter from the grave can be found here
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/stevecoll/2009/01...


First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.