Colombo to resettle Tamils after demining operations: Krishna

September 29th, 2009 COLOMBO - The Sri Lankan government will recruit Tamils in the police force, an official said Tuesday. There had been an overwhelming response from Tamils to join as constables in northern Jaffna, police spokesman Nimal Mediwaka told reporters.

September 23rd, 2009 NEW YORK - India has pressed for quicker rehabilitation and resettlement of some 300,000 Tamils displaced in Sri Lanka. External Affairs Minister S.M.

September 18th, 2009 Sri Lanka pledges to resettle displaced civiliansCOLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka's president promised Friday to send nearly 300,000 Tamil war refugees who are being held in military-run camps back to their homes in the next four months, the government said. President Mahinda Rajapaksa made the pledge at a meeting with U.N.

September 9th, 2009 COLOMBO - The US is providing training and equipment to the Sri Lanka Army to assist its efforts to demine areas in the island's north where the Tamil Tigers were crushed in May. The training will build additional military capacity to clear mines in the Northern Province and expedite the safe return of people displaced by the war to their homes, a US embassy statement said Wednesday.

August 29th, 2009 CHENNAI - Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Saturday asked the Central Government to ensure more help for Sri Lankan Tamils. "The relief and rehabilitation steps being provided to Sri Lankan Tamils are not enough, many of the Tamilians in Sri Lanka are facing hardships and struggling with rain and therefore we demand more attention of the government towards this issue," Karunanidhi told reporters in Chennai.

August 28th, 2009 CHENNAI - An NGO in Chenai has demanded impartial international inquiry into war crimes against Tamils in Sri Lanka. The activists of "WE" held a press meet in Chennai city on Friday, condemning violent attacks on Tamils by Sri Lankan security forces.

July 22nd, 2009 PHUKET - Sri Lanka Wednesday assured India that the process of devolution of powers to the Tamil minority is on course as it tries to resettle over 300,000 civilians displaced by the military conflict in the shortest possible time. Indian External Affairs Minister S.M.

July 22nd, 2009 PHUKET - External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna on Wednesday held a series of bilateral talks with the foreign ministers of China, New Zealand, Russia and Sri Lanka to draw appropriate strategies for India's 11th summit with the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to be held in October this year.

July 22nd, 2009 PHUKET - Sri Lanka Wednesday assured India that it has begun resettling over 300,000 civilians displaced by the military conflict and hoped it would be able to complete the process within six months. As Indian External Affairs Minister S.M.

July 22nd, 2009 PHUKET - Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna Wednesday said that the early resettlement of some 300,000 Tamils displaced in Sri Lanka will get "top billing" in talks with Colombo.

July 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India Wednesday said it is still waiting for a formal response from Sri Lanka confirming the death of Tamil Tigers chief Velupillai Prabhakaran and promised continued assistance to Colombo to rehabilitate Tamils displaced by the conflict. "In connection with the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, a formal request for an official confirmation of the deaths of Prabhakaran and Pottu Amman, the chief of the intelligence wing of the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam), has been made to the government of Sri Lanka, External Affairs Minister S.M.

June 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Sri Lanka has agreed to allow a ship to off-load its contents, relief material sent by Tamil diaspora, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said here Wednesday after meeting a delegation from the island.

June 19th, 2009 CHENNAI - Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi has sought the central government's intervention after the Sri Lankan Navy turned away a ship carrying relief materials from Europe for the internally displaced Tamils in the island nation.

May 24th, 2009 COLOMBO - The Government of Sri Lanka on Sunday said that it would allow UN aid workers access to Tamil refugees housed in camps after weeding out elements suspected of links with the LTTE. Responding to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's demand for unhindered access after visiting the Menik Farm camp housing 200,000 Tamils, Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa warned of "the likely presence of Tamil Tiger infiltrators among the large numbers who had come to the government areas." The government describes the camps as "welfare villages" and says it wants to resettle all displaced civilians as soon as possible.

January 11th, 2009 CHENNAI - Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi Monday said he will urge the central government to step up measures to bring an end to the alleged killing of Tamils by Sri Lankan security forces.