Sri Lanka extends anti-terror laws to deal with Tamil Tiger remnants

Jun 9, 2009, 14:18 GMT

   Colombo - Sri Lanka's parliament Tuesday extended the state of emergency in the country to deal with the 'remnants' of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who were defeated in a major military offensive last month, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake said.

   The extension of the state of emergeceny by one month was supported by 102 lawmakers, mostly from the government parties, while seven MPs abstained and some others in the 225-seat parliament were not present at the time of voting.

   Wickremanayake said that though the LTTE rebels were crushed there were 'remnants' of the movement and that due to legal requirements the state of emergency was required.

   Sri Lanka has been under a state of emergency almost continuously since 1983. The tough anti-terror rules allow the goverment to arrest and detain suspects and keep them for indefinite periods without a trial.

   The Tamil rebel leadership was killed and the rebels defeted in a nearly three-year military operation which ended on May 18, ending almost 26 years of civil war in the country.

   Opposition members called on government not to misuse the state of emergency which gives wide powers to the government and the security forces.

   They also warned that the powers should not be misused to stifle media freedom.