Europe accuses Sri Lankan army of assassinating aid workers

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Hours before the Sri Lankan President is due to meet Tony Blair in London today, European ceasefire monitors have accused his security forces of the "assassination" of 17 aid workers from a French NGO.

Even as Mahinda Rajapakse meets Mr Blair to discuss the crisis in his country, the Sri Lankan military is accused of what has been called the most serious attack on humanitarian workers in the world since the bombing of the UN compound in Baghdad in 2003.

The accusation will increase the pressure on Mr Blair to push Mr Rajapakse for an end to the continuing violence between his forces and Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka, just days after his government launched a new offensive close to where the killings took place

Seventeen local employees of the French NGO, Action Contre la Faim, (ACF) were found dead in the town of Muttur earlier this month. Fifteen were found in the NGO's local office with bullet wounds to their heads. The bodies of two others were found in their car near by; they had apparently been trying to flee.

Telegraph (Belfast)

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1. Blair meets Sri Lanka leader

Great pic of Bliar.

LONDON - British Prime Minister Tony Blair has met Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse for private talks on the political situation in Sri Lanka, a spokeswoman for Blair said.

The two leaders, meeting at Blair's country residence Chequers, northwest of London, also discussed "general global issues", the spokeswoman said, without giving further details.

The Sri Lankan embassy in London declined to comment on the visit, but officials in Colombo have said Blair and Rajapakse were expected to discuss Sri Lanka's collapsing ceasefire with Tamil Tiger rebels.

There was no formal statement from the Sri Lankan government about Rajapakse's surprise departure for London on Wednesday, just as government forces were battling Tamil Tiger rebels in the island nation's northeast.

http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/zones/sundaytimesNEW/basket7st/basket7st1157028272.aspx

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2. 11,000 Tamils flee to India to escape Sri Lanka fighting

CHENNAI, India (AFP) - More than 11,000 Tamil refugees have fled to India since January to escape renewed fighting between the Sri Lankan army and separatist rebels and more are likely to come, officials said.

The figure includes a batch of about 500 refugees who travelled by boat to reach Mandapam camp in southern India's Tamil Nadu state late Wednesday, said a senior government administrator from Ramanathapuram district.

Ramanathapuram, 700 kilometres (434 miles) from Chennai, capital of Tamil Nadu state, is the district nearest to Sri Lanka, ravaged by ethnic conflict since the early 1980s.

"So far 3,310 (Tamil) families have crossed over since January this year," said the Ramanathapuram official who asked to remain anonymous.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060831/wl_sthasia_afp/srilankaunrestindiarefugees