Calls intensify for ceasefire in Sri Lanka

In the latest unrest at the weekend, tens of thousands of civilians were forced to flee after troops broke through a fortification into the Tigers’ last stronghold. International pressure is growing on the government to halt fire long enough to let the civilians trapped by the conflict out – their numbers are estimated at between 60,000 and 100,000. Sri Lanka’s separatist war, Asia’s longest-running conflict, is nearing its end with the Tamil Tigers making a last stand on a tiny strip of coastline. The government has urged them to either surrender or face a final showdown. Life for the civilians caught in the conflict has become a nightmare, with both sides accusing the other of ignoring their plight. Of those who were able to flee, thousands are now living in camps outside the conflict zone.