International donors have suspended aid due to Sri Lanka due to the government’s recent offensive against the Tamil Tiger separatists. The United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany suspended new aid because of the increased numbers of killings. 

Amnesty International has alleged that both the military and the rebels have been killing civilians in indiscriminate artillery raids.

Sri Lanka’s Human Rights Commission has recorded more than 100 abductions and disappearances so far in 2007. Last year, 1,000 people were reported missing. More than 4,800 people have been killed since December 2005. More than 69,000 people have been killed since the war began in 1983.

The Tiger rebel group wants a separate state with full control over its law enforcement and government entities.  But a large majority of the island’s Tamil minority want a system based on federalism and a decentralization of power.

 

For more information, please see:

Aid weapon used against Sri Lanka http://www.ft.com/cms/s/54315d20-087b-11dc-b11e-000b5df10621,_i_email=y.html

600 killed in Sri Lanka battles http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070520/ap_on_re_as/sri_lanka

Sri Lanka: Tamil Tigers abducted us, say Indian fishermen http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070520/wl_sthasia_afp/indiasrilankaunrestkidnap

Moves by Sri Lanka Military Worry Human Rights Group http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/17/AR2007051702386.html?referrer=emailarticle

20 Tamil rebels killed in fresh fighting: Sri Lanka http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070517/wl_asia_afp/srilankaunrest

8 reported killed in Sri Lanka fighting http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070514/ap_on_re_as/sri_lanka

Foreign aid cut fear as Sri Lanka fails on human rights http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/275876/1/.html