Hundreds of civilians have been killed and more than 1,100 injured over the past fortnight in intense fighting between the Sri Lankan military and Tamil Tiger rebels, according to UN and Red Cross reports in what aid agencies are calling a humanitarian crisis. A further quarter of a million civilians are thought to be trapped. It is reported that government troops pushed into the rebel held northern town of Visuamadu on Wednesday after capturing Mullaitivu three days earlier, their objective being to completely stamp out rebel control along the entire northeast coastline over the next few weeks.
The toD verdict: Despite calls from neutral humanitarian groups such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as well as the UN, the Sri Lanka government denies that a humanitarian crisis is unfolding in the battle-scarred region, saying there have been "zero civilian casualties", and claiming instead that such reports stem from separatist "propaganda". Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa said both the ICRC and UN are "exaggerating". However, Thurairajah Varatharjah, senior government health official said between 250 and 300 civilians have been killed in the last two weeks. Tamil Tiger rebels fighting for Tamil independence have clashed with government forces frequently since the drive against the militia group intensified in 2007.
The head of Red Cross operations in South Asia has appealed to both government forces and separatist rebels to allow aid workers access to conflict zones, asking for co-operation in allowing the safe evacuation of civilians from the areas. However the Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights has said efforts made by the Red Cross to treat both sides impartially is "ignorant", denying putting civilians in danger and refuting the possibility of a ceasefire on the grounds that it would give the rebels time to restructure. Government officials claim the rebels are using civilians as human shields and firing at troops from designated safe zones, although such claims are unsubstantiated.
With most aid supply routes blocked, and civilians, aid workers and ambulances being caught in the crossfire severely jeopardising evacuation efforts, humanitarian groups are calling for international humanitarian law and the law of war to be respected without exception. Indian Foreign Secretary Pranab Mukherjee has called for urgent action to protect civilians, while Ban Ki Moon UN Secretary General has expressed his "deep concern" at the deteriorating situation.
Israel bombs tunnels under Gaza-Egypt border
Israel has bombed the Rafah tunnels under the Gaza-Egypt border following a roadside bomb attack on an Israeli patrol vehicle according to the Israeli army. The tunnels are thought to be used for arms smuggling, but some have claimed the tunnels are relied upon by ordinary Gazans as a means of smuggling fuel and food from Egypt. The strikes over the past couple of days mark a significant break in the ceasefires made earlier this month. George Mitchell, the US envoy to the middle east, today called for a stronger ceasefire.
World Economic Forum rocked by Erdogan-Peres debate
Echoes of the ongoing conflict in Gaza reached the polished halls of the World Economic Forum at Davos, when Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stormed out of a debate after a heated exchange with Israeli President Shimon Peres. While Peres pointed to Hamas as the villain of the piece, Erdogan decried the conditions in Gaza, which he described as an open-air prison. Erdogan insisted later that his exit had little to do with political disagreement, but was meant to register his disappointment at being allotted half the speaking time of his Israeli counterpart.
Anti-government group suspected of Bogota bomb attack
A bomb attack in the Colombian capital Bogota killed at least two people and injured 20 others yesterday night. The bomb exploded in an ATM machine in the district of La Cabrera. It is suspected that rebel organisation Farc (The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) were behind the attack. Farc are also thought to have been behind a similar attack last month. The organisation has carried out anti-governmental attacks since the 1960s but there has been a decrease in recent years.
China launches hard-line security campaign on Tibetans
Chinese authorities have detained 81 people in Lhasa, the Tibetan capital, in a "strike hard" security campaign allegedly targeting criminals. Around 6,000 people have undergone security checks. The operations coincide with the run up to the 50th anniversary of the Tibetan rebellion against Chinese authority which led to the Dalai Lama's exile. As well as offences such as robbery and prostitution, Tibetans were detained for "crimes" as trivial as having reactionary music on a mobile phone. It is suspected that the security operations are designed to intimidate Tibetans and stifle any unrest.
Sharia law declared in response to new Somali administration
New opposition members of the Alliance for the re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS) have been sworn in to Somalia's transitional government as the country plans for a presidential election. However the influential al-Shabbab Islamist militia refuse to recognise the new government. The militia captured the Somali parliament base in the town of Baidoa earlier today and swiftly imposed Sharia law over the seized areas. Conflict between the Somali government and various militia groups has raged for almost 20 years, costing 16,000 lives and displacing at least a million people.
Lucrative private security license in Iraq to end
The Iraqi government has refused to renew the operating license of Blackwater, a private security firm used extensively by US officials in Iraq. The firm came under fire after congressional reports revealed that it had been involved in two hundred shootings in Iraq since 2005. With the expiry of immunity agreements, the security firms have sought a closer accord with the Iraqi government especially after the control of license granting was handed over to the Iraqi administration. Perhaps the most infamous incident was that of Nissoor Square in Baghdad in September 2007 when Blackwater guards opened fire on Iraqi civilians in a crowded street. Five former Blackwater guards are on trial in the US for killings in the Baghdad while a sixth struck a plea bargain with prosecutors.
With additional reporting from Arundhati Pal
