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Sri Lanka holding over 9,000 ex-rebels
The Sri Lankan government said Tuesday it was holding 9,100 suspected former Tamil Tiger rebel fighters, most of whom were being sent for "rehabilitation and vocational training."Media Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said, however, that 1,600 were still being questioned about their alleged links to "terrorist attacks" committed during the island's decades-old civil war. The government proclaimed victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) last week, with the army killing the entire leadership of the separatist guerrillas. "We have sent 7,500 of those who surrendered for rehabilitation and vocational training, while the balance, 1,600, are still being questioned for their involvement in terrorist activities," Abeywardena told reporters. He said the government was unable to relax tough emergency laws - which allow terrorism suspects to be held indefinitely without charge - even though the war has been declared won. "We can't relax these laws right now because we are in the process of questioning the 1,600 suspects," the minister said. He did not elaborate what form of rehabilitation was provided and for how long the surrendered Tiger cadres would be held. Posted by: Fred 2009-05-27 |
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