The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Issue date: 2/6/09 Section: News

A protestor demonstrates outside the European Headquarters of the United Nations to protest against Sri Lanka's military offensive in areas held by the Tamil Tiger separatist group, in Geneva, Switzerland, Wednesday. The number of civilians killed in the offensive to crush the Tamil Tiger separatist group continued to rise, with the U.N. saying at least 52 were killed in one area of the war zone Tuesday. (AP Photo/Keystone, Martial Trezzini)

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) - Sri Lanka's prime minister rejected calls for a cease-fire Thursday from donor countries worried by reports of growing civilian casualties in the South Asian nation's civil war, instead demanding the Tamil Tiger rebels' unconditional surrender.

Sri Lankan forces captured the rebels' biggest sea base, effectively cutting off their supply point and pushing them to the brink of defeat.

"No force can stop this operation. Government forces have already achieved significant victories against the terrorists," Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake told Parliament.

He said the government will only accept an unconditional surrender by the Tamil Tigers, who are facing defeat after a fruitless 25-year war for a separate Tamil homeland.

"We are ready to accept anyone who will embrace democracy by giving up arms," he said.

Hundreds of civilians have reportedly been killed in recent fighting in the Vanni region in the north, where government forces have squeezed the rebels - and an estimated 250,000 trapped civilians - into a rapidly shrinking 30-square-mile (85-square-kilometer) coastal war zone.

Overall, some 70,000 people have died over the years in the conflict, which began because of discrimination by the majority Sinhalese against the minority Tamils.

"Our forces have now surrounded the last stronghold of the terrorists," Wickremanayake said. "The last moment of Tigers will be painful as well as decisive."

His strong words effectively rejected a call Wednesday by the U.S., Britain and Canada for both sides to temporarily cease fire to allow civilians and the wounded to leave the area.

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