DATE=11/2/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=SRI LANKA KILLING (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-255724
BYLINE=VANDANA CHOPRA
DATELINE=COLOMBO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: A Sri Lankan Tamil lawmaker was shot to death
today in a suburb of the Capital, Colombo. And as
Vandana Chopra reports, two days of heavy fighting in
the north of the country has killed more than 60 Tamil
tiger rebels and government soldiers.
TEXT: Police officials say the lawmaker, from a
minority Tamil party, and his driver, were shot dead
in their car by an unidentified gunman.
The legislator, Athputharajah Nadarajah, represented
the Eelam People's Democratic Party or EPDP, a former
Tamil rebel group, that has nine seats in the 225
member Sri Lankan parliament.
Mr. Nadarajah was also the editor-in-chief of a
popular Tamil language newspaper, which has been
critical of other minority Tamil political parties.
Party officials have not yet blamed anyone for the
killing. In the past tiger rebels have targetted EPDP
members who they accuse of not supporting their cause
for an independent homeland in Sri Lanka's north and
east.
The leader of EPDP, Douglas Devananda, has also been
attacked by the rebels in the past.
Meanwhile, the defense ministry says more than 60
soldiers and rebels were killed in a limited operation
in the Northern jungle region, Wanni.
The defense ministry statement says aircraft and
helicopter gunships attacked rebel positions causing
heavy casualties.
There has been no reaction from tiger separatists on
the latest round of fighting.
Fighting in the North and East and surprise attacks by
Tiger rebels have increased in the last few months.
Tiger separatists have been fighting for a separate
homeland for the minority Tamil community in Sri
Lanka's North and East since 1983.(Signed)
NEB/VC/PLM
INTRO:
TEXT:
NEB/WTW/
02-Nov-1999 05:55 AM EDT (02-Nov-1999 1055 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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