DATE=5/5/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=SRI LANKA - GOVERNMENT MINISTER (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-262020
BYLINE=VANDANA CHOPRA
DATELINE=COLOMBO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: The Tamil Tiger rebels have recently scored
some major military victories in northern Sri Lanka
but today (Friday) a Sri Lankan government minister
expressed confidence the rebels will not win the
country's 17 year ethnic war. Vandana Chopra has the
details from Colombo.
TEXT: The state media says Sri Lankan troops came
under long range mortar attack Friday by Tamil rebels
but were strengthening their positions as they try to
keep the rebels from retaking their former stronghold
at Jaffna. The Sri Lankan government has said it will
not withdraw from Jaffna.
Jaffna is threatened because the Tamils have taken
control of Elephant Pass, a key military camp that
serves as a gateway to the northern Jaffna peninsula.
Sri Lankan Media Minister, Mangala Samaraweera,
admitted that the fall of Elephant Pass was a serious
setback but said the government still had the upper
hand against the rebels.
// BEGIN SAMARAWEERA ACT //
We are prepared for all possibilities . We are
encouraged and we feel this is the beginning of the
end of LTTE despite their recent so-called victories.
// END SAMARAWEERA ACT //
The state media says there was little fighting on
Friday, a day after Sri Lanka introduced censorship on
foreign media and invoked the Public Security Act,
which gives sweeping powers to the military, police
and government.
The government last imposed censorship on foreign
media in 1998 but later eased it. War news in local
newspapers is already censored by the government.
Tamil Tiger rebels are fighting for a separate
homeland for the minority Tamil community in Sri
Lanka's north and east. (SIGNED)
NEB/VC/PLM
05-May-2000 06:37 AM EDT (05-May-2000 1037 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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