In brief
Asylum-seekers
Eleven Sri Lankans were among 438 refugees in the Norwegian ship Tampa forced by Australia to the Pacific island of Nuaru, 2,050 miles north-east of Brisbane. Sixty four other Sri Lankan refugees, who arrived in boats are held in Cocos Island, 1,750 miles north-west of Perth.
Chemical weapons
Colombo newspaper Sunday Leader says Sri Lanka has acquired from Russia weapons with chemical warheads, which are banned by NATO and the US. At a meeting in Colombo on 18 August, Tamil and Muslim MPs decided to petition the UN.
Drought relief
The government has launched an appeal for drought relief in six districts in southern Sri Lanka. According to World Vision International, the food situation has deteriorated and children are suffering from malnutrition. Tamil MPs have appealed to the government to include the north-east districts in drought relief programmes.
Plane crash
An Airforce MIG27 bomber crashed near Katunayake airport, 16 miles north of Colombo on 18 August destroying houses and injuring seven people. The Ukrainian pilot was killed. A protest in Colombo on 21 August condemned an Airforce Officer’s attack on journalist Uthaya Wijesinghe, near the crash site.
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