Sri Lanka extends state of emergency by another month

Jul 7, 2009, 12:38 GMT

   Colombo - Sri Lanka's Parliament Tuesday extended a state of emergency by another month, claiming it was still needed to maintain law and order.

   The extension was supported by 103 members while the main opposition boycotted the voting in the 225 seat Parliament, and 11 members of the minority Tamil National Alliance voted against.

   The main opposition parties accused the government of misusing the state of emergency to suppress political opponents, the media and rights activists.

   The military is still searching for weapons and ammunition left behind by the defeated Tamil rebels, and needs the protection of the emergency, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake told Parliament.

   But opposition United National Party MP Joseph Michael Perera accused the government of misusing the regulations 'to destroy democracy in the southern part of the country.'

   Opposition members criticized the government for arresting an astrologer last week on allegations that his prediction was unfavourable to the government.

   The emergency regulations have been in force from August 2005, after then-foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was assassinated by Tamil rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

   The government officially declared the LTTE defeated after army troops killed the leadership including top commander Velupillai Prabhakaran on May 18, ending the 26-year insurgency.