COI Report March 2012 - UK Border Agency - Home Office

SRI LANKA 7 MARCH 2012
2002 Sri Lankan Government and LTTE sign a cease-fire agreement with the
mediation of Norway. De-commissioning of weapons begins; the A9 road linking
the Jaffna peninsula with the rest of Sri Lanka reopens after 12 years;
passenger flights to Jaffna resume. Government lifts ban on Tamil Tigers.
Rebels drop demand for separate state.
2003 The LTTE suspend participation in the peace talks but the ceasefire holds
2004
March Renegade Tamil Tiger commander, known as Colonel Karuna, leads split in
rebel movement and goes underground with his supporters. The LTTE regain
control of the east with a short offensive.
July Suicide bomb blast in Colombo, the first such incident since 2001
December More than 30,000 people killed in the tsunami
2005
June Row over the deal reached with the Tamil Tiger rebels to share nearly $3bn in
tsunami aid among Sinhalas, Tamils and Muslims
August State of Emergency is declared after foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgamar is
assassinated.
November Mahinda Rajapakse, at the time prime minister, wins presidential elections.
2006
February Government and Tamil Tiger rebels declare their respect for the 2002 ceasefire.
April Explosions and rioting in Trincomalee. The main military compound in Colombo
is attacked by a suicide bomber. The army launches air strikes on Tamil Tiger
targets.
June 64 people are killed in a mine attack on a bus in Anuradhapura district. A few
days later, more than 30 people are killed in a battle between Government
forces and Tamil Tiger rebels in the Mannar district.
August Clashes between Tamil Tiger rebels and Government forces in the north-east,
considered the worst fighting since the 2002 ceasefire. Hundreds of people are
killed and the UN says tens of thousands have fled.
September The Government says it has pushed Tamil Tiger rebels from the mouth of
strategic Trincomalee harbour. This is seen as the first major capture of enemy
territory by either side since a 2002 ceasefire.
October A suicide bomber attacks a military convoy, killing more than 90 sailors.
December The Government announces revised though emergency regulations.
2007
January After weeks of heavy fighting the military announces the capture of the Tamil
Tiger stronghold of Vakarai, in the east. Tens of thousands of civilians flee the
area.
March Government troops claim continuing success against the Tamil Tigers rebels in
coastal areas in the east. Thousands of civilians flee the fighting. Tamil Tigers
launch their first air raid, hitting a military base next to the Katunayake Colombo
international airport.
June Police evict hundreds of Tamils from lodges in Colombo, citing security
concerns, but the Supreme Court orders an end to the expulsions.
222 The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 3 February 2012.
Further brief information on recent events and reports has been provided in the Latest News section
to 2 March 2012.