Sri Lankan President Says Election Victory Is A Mandate For War Against Rebels

From the International Herald Tribune:

BATTICALOA, Sri Lanka: The Sri Lankan president on Sunday hailed his party's election victory in the country's tense Eastern Province as a mandate to push ahead with his war against Tamil Tiger rebels in the north.

"I note that the people of the east have given a clear mandate for peace through the defeat of terrorism, the strengthening of democracy and the development of the country," President Mahinda Rajapaksa said in a statement.

The opposition condemned Saturday's poll as irreparably flawed, saying it defied the government's promises to restore democracy to the region after 13 years of rebel rule. The military ousted the rebels from the east in July and is now trying to advance into the rebels' stronghold in the north.

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My Comment: The war continues. Peace talks are not going to happen. The suffering will continue.