COLOMBO/RIYADH, 3 February 2007 — Sri Lanka stepped up already tight security in the capital Colombo yesterday amid fears of Tamil rebel attacks ahead of Independence Day celebrations, officials said.
Security forces armed with tough anti-terror laws increased road blocks and random checks within the city of 600,000 people and carried out searches.
Sri Lanka won independence from Britain in 1948. With the ending of 133 years of British rule, ethnic tensions between the majority Sinhalese and minority Tamils erupted into the open and spawned Tamil Tiger rebels in 1972. More than 60,000 people have since been killed in the Tamil separatist conflict led by the LTTE. Diplomatic attempts to bring the two sides to the negotiating table have ended in failure. Tiger guerrillas carried out two suicide bombings killing more than 20 people ahead of the 50th Independence Day in 1998.
Meanwhile, Norway’s ambassador held a routine but useful meeting with Tamil Tiger separatists, the embassy said yesterday, amid efforts to end an escalation of bloodshed that has returned the tropical island to a war footing.
“Nothing spectacular came out of it as it was a routine meeting,” embassy spokesman Tom Knappskog said after arriving back in Colombo from the rebels’ northern headquarters of Kilinochchi. Norway’s Ambassador Hans Brattskar met the rebels’ top political chief, S.P. Thamilselvan, on Thursday.
Extensive Arrangements to Celebrate National Day in Kingdom
In association with the Sri Lankan community, the Sri Lankan missions in the Kingdom have made extensive arrangements to celebrate the country’s national day tomorrow. The Sri Lankan Embassy in Riyadh will host a breakfast morning to all Sri Lankans in Riyadh following the ceremonial flag hoisting ceremony.
Ambassador A.M.J. Sadiq will unfurl the national flag amid the beating of the drums of Hewisi band music at 8.30 a.m. at the embassy premises.
Then the community members will join the choir of the Sri Lankan International School, Riyadh in singing the national anthem. This will be followed by the rendition of Jayamangala Gatha.
A two-minute silence will be observed by the audience in memory of fallen heroes. “This will be done as a mark of respect to all those who sacrificed their lives for the sake of the nation,” Ambassador Sadiq told Arab News. The traditional oil lamp will be lit by the ambassador and prominent community members to mark the day.
Sadiq is slated to make his independence day speech at the end of the morning program.
In Jeddah, Consul General Masihudeen Inamullah will hoist the national flag at 7.30 a.m. at the consulate premises. The consulate has sent out an open invitation to all its community members to participate in this program.
