53 Civilians Murdered In Sri Lanka Killing Fields

Colombo, Sri Lanka (AHN) - Extra judicial killings claimed 53 civilians in Sri Lanka in October alone, the Asian Human Rights Commission said Tuesday, adding that "none of those responsible have been investigated or prosecuted" even while the killings and disappearances were continuously reported since last year. The Hong Kong-based rights group urged the government to cooperate with the United Nations Human Rights Council in stopping the killings and disappearances.

International rights groups blame the killing and abduction of civilians on government troops, their armed allies and separatist Tamil Tiger rebels of abducting and killing civilians in a conflict that has claimed more than 70,000 lives.

In continuing violence Tuesday, troops overran two Tamil Tiger rebel bunkers in northern Sri Lanka and beat back insurgents who attempted to breach a defense line, killing five rebels, The Associated Press reported.

Perceived discrimination by majority Sinhalese-controlled governments has led the Tamil Tigers to fight since 1983 for an independent homeland for ethnic minority Tamils.

In recent months, firefights increased in the northern rebel stronghold which the government wants to crush after clearing the Eastern Province of Tamil Tiger bases. The military insists rebels were behind the extra-judicial killings.