Topic: Sri Lanka

Istanbul bomb attack kills 4; Kurdish PKK rebels fingered

The Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), which is engaged in an escalating conflict with the military that has killed at least 13 soldiers since Friday, is suspected of coordinating Tuesday's Istanbul bomb attack.

Supreme Court upholds controversial part of Patriot Act

On Monday, the Supreme Court upheld a statute – part of the Patriot Act – that outlaws the provision of 'material support' to terror groups. Such support includes assistance that might nudge a group toward nonviolence.

Burma tops 'worst of the worst' list of human rights violators

Libya, just elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council, also appears on Freedom House's 'Worst of the worst' list of human rights violators.

India, Pakistan PMs highlight ancestral ties at SAARC meeting

The prime ministers of India, Pakistan met at the annual meeting of SAARC, a notoriously ineffective regional bloc. But it offered a rare opportunity to highlight the shared ancestry of eight South Asia nations that make up one-fifth of humanity.

India, Pakistan leaders may meet on sidelines of SAARC summit

Officials in India and Pakistan have indicated that their prime ministers will meet on the sidelines of the SAARC summit in Bhutan this week, though it is unclear if the meeting will go beyond handshakes.

'Jihad Jamie' and the 'black widows': Why women turn to terrorism

Statistically, women are far less violent than men. But the case of Jihad Jane's alleged conspirator, Jamie Paulin-Ramirez, and the resurgence of the black widows in Chechnya suggest that when it comes to terrorism, men and women have much in common.

Opinion: Sri Lanka elections: Will Tamil rights be upheld?

Parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka April 8 could mark progress for the whole country – if the government ends discrimination and embraces the rights of war-weary Tamils.

Sri Lanka's Rajapaksa asserts power with Sarath Fonseka's court martial

Sarath Fonseka, Sri Lanka's former military commander turned political challenger turned prisoner, appeared at a closed-door court martial on Tuesday. Protesters calling for his release were dispersed with tear gas.

Sri Lanka: ambitious plan to rebuild 'ground zero' in war with Tamil Tigers

After 26 years of civil war, Sri Lanka has an ambitious $1 billion plan to revive the city of Jaffna, long isolated by the rebel Tamil Tigers.

Talk to the Editor for Feb. 25: Southeast Asia

Talk to the Editor: Southeast Asia security

Join us for an update from the Monitor's Simon Montlake on the Filipino battle against Muslim insurgents -- as well as on Sri Lanka after the government's defeat of the Tamil Tigers.

Restored library in Sri Lanka signals hope for Tamil minority

In the heartland of Sri Lanka’s minority, Jaffna’s newly restored Tamil library is a potent symbol of decades of ethnic strife.

Sri Lanka opposition, in tight corner, rallies for leader Fonseka

Sri Lanka police fired tear gas Wednesday at protesters demanding the release of defeated presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka. The factionalized opposition faces dim prospects in just-announced April elections.

Sri Lanka crackdown goes beyond arrest of Sarath Fonseka

The arrest of Sri Lanka’s former Army chief Sarath Fonseka, who challenged the president in recent elections, comes soon after the detention of former military members tied to him.

As Tamil refugees resettle, their well-being could determine Sri Lanka’s

Almost 200,000 Tamils have left Sri Lanka’s postwar refugee camps – some for tin-roof shelters or relatives' homes. Their resettlement is seen as key to national reconciliation after decades of war against Tamil rebels ended last May.