">Forum Views ()
">Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
Sri Lanka re-imposes formal ban on Tamil Tigers
Navigation
Primary Navigation
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Secondary Navigation
Australia
China
India
Indonesia
Japan
Malaysia
Philippines
Thailand
Vietnam
Search
Search:
Sri Lanka re-imposes formal ban on Tamil Tigers
AFP - Thursday, January 8
COLOMBO (AFP) - - Sri Lanka Wednesday decided to formally ban the Tamil Tigers, a senior minister said, in a symbolic move that signals closing the prospect of early peace talks.
President Mahinda Rajapakse used emergency laws to reimpose the proscription of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), government spokesman Maithripala Sirisena said.
"From today onwards, the LTTE is banned," Sirisena, who is also the agriculture minister, told reporters after a meeting of the cabinet.
The president reintroduced the ban lifted in September 2002 to allow the Tigers to attend negotiations arranged by peace broker Norway. Those talks eventually collapsed in 2006.
The move is essentially symbolic, given the scale of the current military offensive against the LTTE. Government forces captured the rebels' political capital, Kilinochchi, Friday after months of heavy fighting.
The Tigers, who are already outlawed by the United States and the European Union, have been waging a drawn-out campaign for independence for Sri Lanka's minority Tamil community.
Government officials said the president had given the Tigers an ultimatum to release civilians inside rebel-held territory by the end of December or face a ban from the start of 2009.
The Tigers had not formally responded to the government's ultimatum.
Draft laws banning the rebels would be presented to parliament for rubber stamping, but the move would not prevent medical assistance reaching the guerrillas, the government said.
It formally allows the arrest of anyone associated with the Tigers, but even before the ban, the government had been using emergency laws to detain anyone suspected of links with the separatists.
Any person or organisation found to have helped the LTTE could be tried under the ban and jailed for 20 years, but the same penalties were already available under the tough Prevention of Terrorism laws.
Officials said the government had been considering reintroducing the ban since last Tuesday, with authorities debating the practical value of the move.
Media minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa said the press would still be allowed to report on LTTE activities.
"You can go ahead and report as you normally do," the minister told reporters when asked if the ban would affect journalists having contacts with the guerrillas.
Just before the widely expected announcement, a powerful blast ripped through a railway track near Colombo, disrupting commuter services, police said.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but police said they suspected the Tigers may have been behind the blast, which was similar to past attacks and caused no casualties.
Sri Lanka's outlawing of the Tigers came after the government late last year seized money belonging to organisations it said were fronts for the LTTE.
Tiger chief Vellupillai Prabhakaran, 54, is a fugitive from justice in Sri Lanka, convicted of masterminding the January 1996 bombing of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka that killed 91 people.
Prabhakaran is also wanted in neighbouring India for the May 1991 assassination of former Indian premier Rajiv Gandhi, and the Tigers have been banned in India since 1992.
Sri Lanka reimposed a ban on the Tigers in January 1998, a day after the group was held responsible for the bombing of a key Buddhist temple in the central town of Kandy.
The ban on the Tigers had been in force from 1983 until 1989, when emergency laws lapsed, automatically removing it.
Email Story
IM Story
Printable View
Blog This
Recommend this article
Average (0 votes)
Sign in to recommend this article »
Most Recommended Stories »
Related Articles: Asia Pacific
Pakistan fires national security adviserAP - 2 hours 7 minutes ago
Handlers on phone ordered Mumbai gunmen to killAP - 2 hours 52 minutes ago
Beshir warrant 'disastrous' for Darfur: Chinese envoyAFP - 2 hours 56 minutes ago
Sri Lanka re-imposes formal ban on Tamil TigersAFP - Thursday, January 8
US envoy in Beijing for 30th anniversary of tiesAP - Thursday, January 8
Enlarge Photo
Sri Lanka re-imposes formal ban on Tamil Tigers
Most Popular – Asia Pacific
Viewed
Shares skyrocket as Porsche takes over Volkswagen
Marks & Spencer to axe 1,230 jobs and close 27 stores
Toyota to shut production plants for 11 days
Pink iguanas discovered on Galapagos Islands
2008 slump wipes out 17 trillion dollars in stock value: S&P
View Complete List »
Search:
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Other News on Thursday, 8 January 2009
Israel agrees to "principles" in Egyptian truce
Marks & Spencer to axe 1,230 jobs and close 27 stores
LG shows off phone watch 'worthy of James Bond'
Israel to discuss Gaza truce
Toyota to launch OnStar competitor in U.S
Eight freeze to death in Europe's coldest winter night
Charges filed against Canadian polygamists: reports
| International
|
Crisis deepens as Russian gas supplies to Europe halted
Iraq, India, Mexico deadliest for media: report
| International
|
Afghan civilian casualty claims mount, 50 rebels said killed
US-TECH Summary
LG Elec won't cut investment due to economy
SanDisk unveils memory card-based music player
Growth in consumer electronics sales to slow in 2009
Amy Winehouse Drops Drugs Appeal Case In Norway
EU regulators raid smart-card chip producers
LG shows off phone watch 'worthy of James Bond'
Verizon picks Microsoft search over Google, Yahoo
| Technology
|
LG Elec won't cut investment due to economy
Toshiba to launch Cell chip-powered TV in 2009
| Technology
|
SanDisk unveils memory card-based music player
| Technology
|
US official: NKorea will challenge Obama
Pakistan fires national security adviser
US soldier avoiding Iraq ordered to leave Canada
Handlers on phone ordered Mumbai gunmen to kill
U.S. budget deficit seen hitting $1.186 trillion
LG unveils TVs and deals at CES
| Technology
|
Obama aims to learn from predecessors 'successes'
Rights group prods Obama to lift Cuba travel ban
Beshir warrant 'disastrous' for Darfur: Chinese envoy
US blames Russia in Ukraine gas dispute
Sri Lanka re-imposes formal ban on Tamil Tigers
Toyota to launch OnStar competitor in U.S.
| Technology
|
US envoy in Beijing for 30th anniversary of ties
US deficit 'to hit $1.2 trillion'
Chennai Open hit by rain, Davydenko shocker
US: Troops kill 32 insurgents in east Afghanistan
Sri Lanka outlaws rebel group
NKorea sets March date for parliamentary elections
Asia needs pension reform: OECD
India outsourcing giant hit by billion-dollar fraud scandal
Tourist arrivals in Myanmar decline
China fears recession riots as Europe joblessness grows
Daniel Craig takes break from Bond
| Entertainment
|
Crude Oil Dips On Reserves Increase
Surging Numbers Of Jobless Americans Taxing State Unemployment Systems
Washington State Expecting More Drenching Rain, Flooding; Possibility Of Landslides, Avalanches In Some Areas
Wintry Weather Brings Snow, Ice To East Coast
Woman Accused Of Witchraft, Burned To Death By Community Members In New Guinea
4-Year-Old Ohio Boy Shoots Teenage Babysitter In Revenge For Accidentally Stepping On His Foot
Israel approves tougher war on Hamas
Cisco sees acquisitions with focus on video
Germany plans 100-bln-euro company financing scheme: MP
Iraqi cleric urges attacks on US troops over Gaza
Sudan protesters call for attacks on Westerners
Toshiba to use Cell processor for TV of the future
US General: Anbar lacks support of Iraq government
IT firm EMC to cut 2,400 jobs
China finds no bird flu outbreak after new death
| International
|
Verizon picks Microsoft search over Google and Yahoo
Netflix and Vizio to stream films to high-def TVs
Motorola unveils mobile phone made from recycled water bottles
Toshiba to launch Cell chip-powered TV in 2009
LG unveils TVs and deals at CES
Singapore’s first tattoo show kicks off on Friday
Motorola unveils mobile phone made from recycled water bottles
Toshiba to launch Cell chip-powered TV in 2009
Sri Lanka outlaws rebels, ruling out peace talks
SanDisk unveils memory card-based music player
| Technology
|
US military deaths in Afghanistan region at 560
US military deaths in Iraq war at 4,223
Cisco sees acquisitions with focus on video
| Technology
|
Venezuela reduces oil production
Former presidents join Obama, Bush for historic meeting
Netflix and Vizio to stream films to high-def TVs
| Technology
|
U.S. DVD sales drop and rentals flat
| Technology
|
Nomura also sees South Korean economy contracting
Seoul shares open lower as techs decline
Electronics industry trio launches US gadget recycling program
Historic White House Luncheon Assembles Present, Future, Past Presidents
Wall Street Dips On Employment News, Profit Outlooks
Hollywood writers nominate best film scripts
| Entertainment
|
Beyonce, Tyler Perry dominate NAACP Image nominations
| Entertainment
|
Hollywood writers nominate best film scripts
Matt Dillon arrested for speeding in Vermont
Kevin Bacon among latest hurt in Madoff scheme: reports
Schwarzenegger's "The Terminator" is back. Forever
Ken Burns adding a 10th inning to `Baseball'
Stylized portrait of Obama enters Smithsonian museum
`The Mentalist' scores a football boost from CBS
'Dark Knight,' 'Benjamin Button,' up for US writers' awards
People's Choice Awards have heroic odds
Hollywood writers nominate best film scripts
Beyonce, Tyler Perry dominate NAACP Image nominations
Chargers-Colts playoff leads NBC to ratings win
List of top 20 shows in prime-time Nielsen ratings
Capsule reviews of `Bride Wars' and other films
Attack on Israel from Lebanon threatens 2nd front
Rockets from Lebanon hit Israel
| International
|
Russia, Ukraine energy chiefs hold first crisis talks
Japan may promote lower mobile phone fees
Up to five rockets from Lebanon seen to hit Israel
Iran's Larijani meets Hamas in Damascus
| International
|
Obama to unveil stimulus spending as deficit hits new high
Finance fights sex for Aussie dictionary honour
Israeli police say rockets fired from Lebanon
Vietnam bird flu patient's sister had same symptoms
| International
|
Sony debuts pocket-sized notebook computer
Israeli army fires into Lebanon after rockets fall: spokeswoman
Basque leaders go on trial, weeks before regional elections
U.S. frees $99 million more aid for Mexico's drug war
| International
|
TVs tout energy savings and Web
Dish Network DVR has Slingbox technology
Ford to introduce next generation of Sync system
Western, Arab ministers extend UN talks on Gaza truce compromise
MySpace brings online social networking to TV sets
Samsung to make more energy-efficient LED TVs
Sony debuts pocket-sized notebook computer
Ford to introduce next generation of Sync system
Samsung to make more energy-efficient LED TVs
Sony to launch world's lightest 8-inch notebook PC
Yahoo unveils partners for Web TV push
| Technology
|
TVs tout energy savings and Web
| Technology
|
Verizon picks Microsoft search over Google and Yahoo
| Technology
|
Sony to launch world's lightest 8-inch notebook PC
| Technology
|
Thai soldiers must face justice for imam's death: rights group
Gunmen shoot anti-government editor in Sri Lanka
China blames global slowdown for tourism woes
UMC Dec sales mark biggest drop in near 7 yrs
Indonesian Muslims storm KFC over Israeli raids
Japan may promote lower mobile phone fees
| Technology
|
Chinese democracy activist sentenced to 6 years
NATO: Bomb kills soldier in southern Afghanistan
Sri Lanka troops take more territory from Tigers in Jaffna: military
Ford to introduce next generation of Sync system
| Technology
|
NLB members must pay outstanding fines by April to continue borrowing books
Netflix and Vizio to stream films to high-def TVs
| Technology
|
RPT-GLOBAL MARKETS-Econ crisis rears its head, Asia stocks drop
Fundamentalist sect leaders in Canada charged with polygamy
Venezuela to keep sending free fuel to US poor
US releases $99 million of Mexico anti-drug money
Chavez hopes Gaza situation improves under Obama
BART Officer In Fatal Shooting Resigns; Protests In Oakland Turn Violent
U.S. Army Says Sorry To Dead Soldiers' Families For "John Doe" Letters
Texas Judge Claims Innocence In New Sex Abuse Charges
Venezuela Backtracks, Won't Halt Heating Oil Program For Poor U.S. Households
Japan shares sharply down on US economic worries
Bank of Japan starts emergency loan program
Dark Knight soars at People's Choice Awards
| Entertainment
|
Scrubs makes itself comfortable at new ABC home
| Entertainment
|
Rourke and Rockwell circle Iron Man 2
| Entertainment
|
Warner Bros. asks for Watchmen call sooner
| Entertainment
|
Aussie actress swept off her feet by Apprentice
| Entertainment
|
Indian business community reels after Satyam
Seoul shares retreat; but shipbuilders, Hynix gain
Same werewolf will stalk Twilight sequel
| Entertainment
|
S.Korean won down 3 pct on econ woes, stocks
Indian markets closed Thursday for holiday
S.Korea's president demands preemptive econ measures
Japan sales of imported vehicles drop to 15-yr low
China's Lenovo to cut 11 percent of workforce
SKorea's Lee calls for "pre-emptive" steps against slowdown
Researchers Find New Region In Earth's Magnetosphere
No `King Lear' nude scene for McKellen on PBS
US investment guru sees future in China, despite hard times
Gun sales still up on eve of Obama administration
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Aussie actress swept off her feet by "Apprentice"
"Scrubs" makes itself comfortable at new ABC home
Warner Bros. asks for "Watchmen" call sooner
Brad Pitt says he was faithful to Jennifer Aniston
"Dark Knight" soars at People's Choice Awards
Winners at the People's Choice Awards
Sony to launch world's lightest 8-inch notebook PC
U.S. DVD sales drop and rentals flat
U.S. Army Sending Letters Of Apology To Families Of Dead Soldiers Addressed As "John Doe"
Three killed in shooting incident in Finland: police
Russia and Ukraine hold gas row talks in Moscow
| International
|
Britain set for record low interest rates
Bombs kill five Iraqi soldiers in northern Iraq
India vows to end fraud as Satyam scandal shocks
| International
|
Freezing China warns of repeat of New Year gridlock
| International
|
Lebanese prime minister condemns rocket attacks
Yahoo unveils partners for Web TV push at CES
US rabbi spearheads care package campaign
EU's Solana in Turkey for Gaza talks: ministry
Nokia stops production of only WiMax device
India says all options open to dismantle terror groups
| International
|
The latest in webcams: 3D
Bombs kill five Iraqi soldiers in northern Iraq
| International
|
Sri Lankan army says overruns Tiger town in Jaffna
| International
|
Nokia stops production of only WiMax device
Nokia stops production of only WiMax device
| Technology
|
Swiss court orders Marcos associate to return funds to Philippines
Taiwan considering sending navy to fight piracy
Singapore to develop new ways to get citizens working longer
Singapore, Abu Dhabi discuss ways to strengthen bilateral ties
Senior official says US, China ties strengthening
REACH website hit 1.5 million page views in 2008
Malaysia govt withdraws ban on Catholic newspaper
Malaysia calls for sanctions on Israel over Gaza
Barclays Wealth to shed 30 jobs in Singapore, HK
Chinese democracy activist sentenced to 6 years
US Navy announces new anti-piracy force
Report: US had unrealistic goals in Afghanistan
U.S. Army Deserter Ordered Expelled From Canada
What if Sundance isn't about the sales anymore?
| Entertainment
|
Schwarzenegger Hopeful Democrats, Republicans In California Will Set Aside Feud To Pass State Budget In Next 3 Weeks
Lower Manhattan Seeks To Become Wedding Capital Of U.S. With Upgrade Of Marriage Bureau
Consumers' Group Asks Congress To Delay Feb. 17 Switch To Digital TV Signal
24 off to strong start after dud season
| Entertainment
|
Obama Creates Position Of "Chief Performance Officer" To Control Federal Budget
Taiwan will review market before tapping govt fund
MSNBC's Chris Matthews Ends Speculation; Won't Run For Senate
MSNBC's Chris Matthews won't run for Senate
| Entertainment
|
China's Lenovo to cut 11 percent of work force
Thousands Forced To Evacuate As Floodwaters Rise In Washington State
HK stocks fall nearly 4 pct amid corporate gloom
Shooting movie takes stab at Taiwan ex-president
| Entertainment
|
South Korea says risk of recession has increased
Taiwan sees average 5 pct GDP growth 2009-2012
Howie Mandel yuks it up in hidden-camera show
| Entertainment
|
Global recession fears deepen as thousands of jobs axed
Japan's TDK to cut 8,000 jobs, forecasts loss
South Korea detains financial "prophet of doom"
Cathay shares fall sharply on fuel hedging loss
Toyota asks Japan workers to lower pay amid slump
More than 15,000 in tents after Indonesian quakes
Microsoft Releases Trial Version Of Windows 7
Consumers Push For Postponement Of Feb. 17 Switch To Digital TV Broadcast
"24" off to strong start after dud season
Howie Mandel yuks it up in hidden-camera show
What if Sundance isn't about the sales anymore?
"24" off to strong start after dud season
Shooting movie takes stab at Taiwan ex-president
Howie Mandel yuks it up in hidden-camera show
MSNBC's Chris Matthews won't run for Senate
Manhattan Seeks To Rival Las Vegas As Quickie Wedding Destination
'Mummified' Corpse Of 59-Yr-Old Woman Found Several Months After Death
Microsoft to let consumers test Windows 7 on Friday
Analysis: Lebanese rockets raise fear of 2nd front
Christie Brinkley Accused Of Breaching Custody Agreement By Ex-Husband
Surgeon Who Operated On Kanye West's Late Mother Sentenced To One Year In Jail
Lionsgate Buys TV Guide For $255 Million
CES: Sony to launch world's lightest 8-inch notebook PC
Christian Bale Pays Tribute To Heath Ledger As "The Dark Knight" Wins Big At The People's Choice Awards
Cambodia PM wants to unify dates of regional meets
SKorea groups to send leaflets with NKorean bills
U.S. says more is needed from Pakistan on Mumbai
Chingay Parade to feature STB, Tote Board floats for the first time