Frontline World

Sri Lanka - Living With Terror



INDEX

THE STORY
Synopsis of "Living with Terror"

REPORTER'S DIARY
34 days in Sri Lanka

THE MAKING OF A SUICIDE BOMBER
Interview and Analysis

A LONELY WARRIOR FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
Profile of Rajan Hoole

FIGHTING TERROR WITH PAINT BRUSHES
Slideshow

ANIL'S GHOST BY MICHAEL ONDAATJE
Excerpt from the Novel

LINKS & RESOURCES
Sri Lanka News and Information

MAP

   








Sri Lanka Truce Complications; Deadline Lapses
Leaders cannot agree over dispute about bus services in war zone. Missed deadline tests peace process. (Reuters, May 8, 2002)

Rift Over Sri Lanka Peace Moves
The Sri Lankan president calls for her party to have a greater role in the peace process alongside the prime minister. (BBC News, May 3, 2002)

Sri Lanka, Rebels Trade Charges Over Sea Clash
Two Tamil Tiger boats explode in the sea. Remains provide unclear evidence as to whether the fishing boats were destroyed by the military or blew themselves up smuggling weapons. (Reuters, May 2, 2002)

Tiger Flight Tests Sri Lanka Truce
The plane of the Tamil Tiger's chief negotiator diverts from its flight plan for unknown reasons and is almost shot down by the Sri Lankan army. The incident tests the shaky nerves of both sides. (BBC News, April 29, 2002)

Sri Lanka Peace Process Protest
Opposition parties stage rallies condemning the peace process and concessions to Tamil Tiger rebels. (BBC News, April 23, 2002)

Sri Lanka Prepared to Lift Tiger Ban
The Sri Lankan government says it is prepared to lift the four-year ban on the Tamil Tigers. The Tiger leader hints he may settle for autonomy within Sri Lanka rather than insisting on a separate state. (BBC News, April 11, 2002)

Thailand to Host Peace Talks
Thailand has been confirmed as the venue for peace talks to take place in the first week of May between the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan government. (Rediff.com, March 29, 2002)

Sri Lanka Peace Talks in May
Unprecedented peace talks between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the government of Sri Lanka are scheduled to take place. Will this mean peace for a country that has seen civil war for nearly 20 years? (BBC News, March 27, 2002)

Sri Lankan Prime Minister to Keep Troops on Alert
Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe will keep Sri Lankan troops on alert, even though a cease-fire has been declared between Tamil separatist forces and the Sri Lankan government. (BBC News, March 4, 2002)

Announcement of Cease-Fire Between Tamil Tigers and Sri Lankan Government
The cease-fire will begin the day after both sides sign an agreement created by Norwegian officials. The accord has been signed despite the opposition of Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga. (CNN.com, February 23, 2002)

Text of Cease-Fire Agreement
Read the full text of the cease-fire agreement signed by the government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. (Guardian Unlimited, February 22, 2002)

A Vote for Peace?
What change will peace dialogues with the Tamil separatists make in the Sri Lankan political status quo? (The Economist, December 6, 2001)


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What Is Terrorism?
Written in the wake of the September 11 attacks, this article considers Sri Lanka's suicide bombings within the larger context of global terrorism. (BBC News, September 20, 2001

Analysts Rethink Image of Suicide Bombers
The level of technological sophistication and training of the September 11 terrorists not only marks an advance in conventional suicide bombings but also -- along with the activity of the secular Tamil suicide bombers -- underscores the difficulty of developing a "typical" suicide-bomber profile. (Los Angeles Times, September 20, 2001)

Sri Lanka's Deadly Bombers
What sets Sri Lankan suicide bombers apart from their Middle Eastern counterparts is that the latter engage in suicide bombings to obtain martyrdom, whereas the Sri Lankans are motivated more by ideological and political goals. (BBC News, June 7, 2000)

Human Rights Issues in Sri Lanka
World Report 2002 by Human Rights Watch outlines allegations of human rights violations by both Tamil separatists and the Sri Lankan army, including reports of persons tortured by Sri Lankan police acting under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. (Human Rights Watch, 2002)

Information About the Tamil Tigers
The International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism provides information about the Tamil Tigers history –– its leaders and its use of suicide bombings as a terror tactic.


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Sri Lanka Web Window
Set up by the Sri Lankan Council for Information Technology, this site offers information on a variety of subjects, ranging from the country's history to its economy and education system. There is also a feature allowing immediate access to information about the nation's peace process.

The National Peace Council of Sri Lanka
This organization, which rejects the idea of "peace through war," calls for an end to partisan politics to help spur the peace process.

Lankapage
Find out the "latest news from Sri Lanka – updated round the clock."

The Sunday Times
The Sri Lankan newspaper offers a year-in-review feature called "Blood and Blunders" that looks back at the formative events and developments in Sri Lanka during 2001.

Daily News
Boasting "the widest coverage in Sri Lanka," the Daily News provides the latest news and updates on Sri Lanka's uncertain journey toward national peace.

Eelam.com
This is the official site of the Sri Lankan separatist movement, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

TamilNet.com
"Reporting to the world on Tamil affairs," this online resource presents events in Sri Lanka from the Tamil perspective. Text is in English, with a Tamil-text option.


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Sri Lanka: The Untold Story
This exhaustive, ongoing series from Asia Times Online traces the roots of interethnic Tamil and Sinhalese fighting from British colonial rule to the present. The most recent chapter is "Accord and Its Ramifications."

Overview of Sri Lanka
Infoplease.com reviews Sri Lanka's history, its independence and its nearly 20-year-long civil war. The site also has links to further information about Sri Lanka's geography, economy and government.

CIA Factbook on Sri Lanka
The CIA's World Factbook 2001 about Sri Lanka is replete with geographical, demographic and historical information.

Ethnic Populations of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka includes not only the Sinhalese majority and the Tamil minority but also groups such as Muslims, Vedas and Burghurs, who have contributed to its multitextured ethnic and religious makeup. The role of colonial rule in fueling resentment between the Tamils and the Sinhalese is also explored. (BBC News, May 16, 2000)


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