ICG blames LTTE and Colombo with human rights violations; Developmental aid package of Rs. 500 million for the East announced; Colombo: Kosovo secession could pose serious threat to international peace
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    • With fighting between the LTTE and the government forces escalating, Defence spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukkwella proposed an ‘escape gateway’ for the trapped civilians in the Wanni region1. The International Crisis Group meanwhile in a recent report has blamed the LTTE for the failure of the ceasefire agreement2. It has also accused both the Sri Lankan government as well as the LTTE for human rights violations, stating that the “government’s desire to defeat the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam [LTTE] and end the war definitively is understandable. But by failing to protect human rights or share power with moderate, unarmed Tamil and Muslim political forces, its military approach have strengthened extremists on both sides in an escalating cycle of violence3.” The government announced an aid package for the eastern part of the country worth Rs. 500 million for livelihood-based development activities, the biggest amount ever allocated to the region4.

    UN Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs Angela Kane visited the country during the week. She met with leaders of the All Party Representative's Committee (APRC) and reviewed the work of the UN Country Team5.

    In other developments, Sri Lanka has refused to endorse the secession of Kosovo from Serbia maintaining that it could pose a serious threat to international peace. Colombo stated that the action by Kosovo was “a violation of the Charter of the United Nations, which enshrines the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Member States6.”

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