Sri Lankan refugees flee from rebel territory

Colombo, Jan 19: More than 10,000 Sri Lankan refugees are fleeing Tamil-Tiger held territory in the island's east, aid workers said today, which analysts said meant a military showdown for control of the area was imminent.

Some on foot, others on tractors, the refugees left the rebel-held town of Vakarai on the island's northeast coast at dawn and were heading south towards government-held territory a few miles away.

''Some of the people are making their way down the coast, others are coming through jungle in vehicles,'' said Selvaraj Jeyaraj, project coordinator for the Italian Red Cross. ''We are talking about 12,000 internally displaced, more or less,'' he added.

The United Nations confirmed the exodus. About 20,000 to 25,000 refugees had already fled Vakarai in recent weeks.

He said about 500 people had reached government territory so far and the Tigers and the military had agreed to halt shelling at the request of the Red Cross after fierce fighting overnight. But sporadic shelling continued.

Neither the military nor the Tigers were immediately available for comment.

SHOWDOWN IMMINENT?

Vakarai is in the middle of a 12-mile long pocket of rebel-held territory, which the military has surrounded after capturing rebel areas in a series of battles in recent months.

The army has accused the Tigers of using displaced ethnic Tamils as human shields and planting thousands of landmines to prevent them leaving. But there has been no independent confirmation any mines had been laid.

''Thousands of people are streaming out,'' said UN spokeswoman Orla Clinton. ''Because we haven't had access (to Vakarai) since November 29, food has been very short -- these people are obviously weak and afraid and we are looking for assurances their protection will be assured.''

Aid agencies, embassies and journalists have been clamouring for weeks to access rebel-held areas, which the government has refused.

The area around Vakarai is one of several pockets of territory the Tigers control in the island's east under the terms of a tattered 2002 ceasefire -- and is their last remaining direct access to the sea in the east, an important supply line.

The Tigers' patches of eastern territory are cut off from their main northern stronghold by military-held areas.

''This is a very clear indication that the fighting there is going to intensify,'' said Iqbal Athas, an analyst with Jane's Defence Weekly. ''A showdown (over Vakarai) is imminent.''

The Tigers resumed their fight for an independent state for minority Tamils in the north and east after the government rejected their demands for a separate homeland. Analysts fear this new chapter in a war that has killed more than 67,000 people since 1983 could escalate.

REUTERS

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