 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Chief peace monitor hits out at Sri Lanka water attack
Colombo, Aug 7, 2006 Sri Lanka's chief truce monitor has criticised government troops for shelling Tamil rebels as they tried to reopen a bitterly contested waterway at the centre of the heaviest clashes in years. Ulf Henriksson, head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), said the Maavilaru dam was just minutes away from being re-opened, returning water supplies to thousands of families, when the bombardment started. "No water. War instead of water. Not a good idea, not a good solution," Henriksson told the BBC in comments reported Monday. "... we could have waited some minutes more for the water so I think (the attack) was a bad idea," he said. At least 425 people have died in clashes over the Maavilaru dam in the northeastern district of Trincomalee since July 26 after the government accused rebels of blocking the waterway, cutting off supplies to thousands of families. The guerrillas said residents closed the waterway, which lies in rebel-held territory, to get the government to improve their drinking water supply. A spokesman for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said the monitors had a "narrow shave" in the shelling. "We had informed the Sri Lankan government and clearance was obtained," S. Puleedevan told AFP. "But, as they approached the area, there was heavy shelling and they can't open the sluice gates. Even the monitors had a narrow shave." The government said it was not involved in talks between peace-broker Norway and the rebels on re-opening the dam. "Water should not be a negotiating tool," Colombo spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella told AFP. "We don't want terrorists to come and open the waterway. They must simply allow irrigation engineers to do it, otherwise we will open it anyway." It has been the worst fighting in Sri Lanka since a truce was agreed in 2002. An estimated 60,000 people have been killed since the Tamil insurgency began around three decades ago. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Water News - Science, Technology and Politics
More than two million people face shortage of drinking water in China
Beijing, Aug 6, 2006 Southwest China is experiencing a serious drought, with 2.39 million people facing a shortage of drinking water, state media said Sunday. |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
