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| Tamil Tigers urged to surrender | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The UN Security Council has called on Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka to lay down their arms and let the UN help evacuate civilians from the war zone. | |
| The council's president branded the Tigers a terrorist movement and said they should join a political process. | The council's president branded the Tigers a terrorist movement and said they should join a political process. |
| Sri Lanka's army says it has closed in on the last area of rebel resistance in the island's north-east. | Sri Lanka's army says it has closed in on the last area of rebel resistance in the island's north-east. |
| The military says more than 100,000 civilians have escaped from the rebel-held area, but many remain trapped. | The military says more than 100,000 civilians have escaped from the rebel-held area, but many remain trapped. |
| On Wednesday, Sri Lanka's government said the rebels' media co-ordinator, Daya Master, had given himself up, along with a top interpreter. See map of the region | On Wednesday, Sri Lanka's government said the rebels' media co-ordinator, Daya Master, had given himself up, along with a top interpreter. See map of the region |
| Correspondents say the surrenders will be a major setback for the rebel leadership if they are proved to be true. | Correspondents say the surrenders will be a major setback for the rebel leadership if they are proved to be true. |
| Tamil Tiger leaders have insisted that rebels should commit suicide by swallowing cyanide capsules rather than be captured. | Tamil Tiger leaders have insisted that rebels should commit suicide by swallowing cyanide capsules rather than be captured. |
| Human shields | Human shields |
| The stern message to Sri Lanka's rebels was delivered by the Mexican president of the Security Council, ambassador Claude Heller, after an informal meeting in New York. | The stern message to Sri Lanka's rebels was delivered by the Mexican president of the Security Council, ambassador Claude Heller, after an informal meeting in New York. |
| View satellite images showing area in northern Sri Lanka where refugees have gathered on the beach.In pictures | View satellite images showing area in northern Sri Lanka where refugees have gathered on the beach.In pictures |
| "We strongly condemn a terrorist organisation for the use of civilians as human shields and for not allowing them to leave the area of conflict," he said. | |
| Mr Heller called on the Sri Lankan government to allow aid agencies in to help those affected by the fighting. | Mr Heller called on the Sri Lankan government to allow aid agencies in to help those affected by the fighting. |
| Sri Lanka had not formally been on the Security Council's agenda for Wednesday. But it has faced criticism from advocacy groups for failing to act in the face of the escalating violence. | Sri Lanka had not formally been on the Security Council's agenda for Wednesday. But it has faced criticism from advocacy groups for failing to act in the face of the escalating violence. |
| Diplomats say countries like China and Russia see the situation in Sri Lanka as a civil war rather than a threat to international peace and security, which is the threshold for the council to act, reports the BBC's UN correspondent Laura Trevelyan. | Diplomats say countries like China and Russia see the situation in Sri Lanka as a civil war rather than a threat to international peace and security, which is the threshold for the council to act, reports the BBC's UN correspondent Laura Trevelyan. |
| Because the UN meeting was informal - and held in the UN building's basement - nothing binding was agreed which has to be followed up with action, our correspondent adds. | Because the UN meeting was informal - and held in the UN building's basement - nothing binding was agreed which has to be followed up with action, our correspondent adds. |
| But Western diplomats say a strong statement of concern has been sent from New York which will be closely followed by both the Tamil Tigers and Sri Lanka's government. | But Western diplomats say a strong statement of concern has been sent from New York which will be closely followed by both the Tamil Tigers and Sri Lanka's government. |
| France and Britain are talking separately about whether it might be possible to send boats to rescue people who remain trapped on beaches in north-eastern Sri Lanka. | France and Britain are talking separately about whether it might be possible to send boats to rescue people who remain trapped on beaches in north-eastern Sri Lanka. |
| Conflicting reports | Conflicting reports |
| Earlier on Wednesday the head of the Tigers' Peace Secretariat, Seevaratnam Puleethevan, told the BBC he had heard media reports two Tamil figures had handed themselves in. | Earlier on Wednesday the head of the Tigers' Peace Secretariat, Seevaratnam Puleethevan, told the BBC he had heard media reports two Tamil figures had handed themselves in. |
| Daya Master gave himself up at Puthumathalan, the army says | Daya Master gave himself up at Puthumathalan, the army says |
| He said that the pair had not been active because of illness and old age. | He said that the pair had not been active because of illness and old age. |
| The army said the number of Tamil civilians who had escaped from rebel-held areas had risen to 77,000. That figure was later raised to 100,000. | The army said the number of Tamil civilians who had escaped from rebel-held areas had risen to 77,000. That figure was later raised to 100,000. |
| The US state department released satellite images of civilian camps consisting of 25,000 tents in a government-designated safe zone - which the army says will not be attacked by heavy armaments - in the dwindling amount of territory still held by the rebels. | The US state department released satellite images of civilian camps consisting of 25,000 tents in a government-designated safe zone - which the army says will not be attacked by heavy armaments - in the dwindling amount of territory still held by the rebels. |
| The images show the area before the camps were established and after displaced people moved in. | The images show the area before the camps were established and after displaced people moved in. |
| The state department says 120,000 people remain in the war zone. | The state department says 120,000 people remain in the war zone. |
| Conflicting figures | Conflicting figures |
| Amid conflicting claims from the ongoing conflict, the Sri Lankan government says that about 30 civilians have been killed in recent days, including 17 in a rebel suicide attack. | Amid conflicting claims from the ongoing conflict, the Sri Lankan government says that about 30 civilians have been killed in recent days, including 17 in a rebel suicide attack. |
| There is no confirmation of either side's claims, but the UN estimates that more than 4,500 civilians have been killed in the past three months. | There is no confirmation of either side's claims, but the UN estimates that more than 4,500 civilians have been killed in the past three months. |
| TAMIL TIGER DEFENCES BREACHED BY SRI LANKA ARMY 1. 12km-long defensive earthworks constructed by Tamil Tigers using mechanical diggers2. Sri Lankan army uses explosives to destroy a 3km section3. Gap allows thousands of refugees to flee Tiger-held territory | TAMIL TIGER DEFENCES BREACHED BY SRI LANKA ARMY 1. 12km-long defensive earthworks constructed by Tamil Tigers using mechanical diggers2. Sri Lankan army uses explosives to destroy a 3km section3. Gap allows thousands of refugees to flee Tiger-held territory |
| The head of the Sri Lankan army, Lt Gen Sarath Fonseka, told the BBC that troops knew the "general area" of Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and that "action will be taken to destroy him". | The head of the Sri Lankan army, Lt Gen Sarath Fonseka, told the BBC that troops knew the "general area" of Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and that "action will be taken to destroy him". |
| Prabhakaran was hiding near the coast, Lt Gen Fonseka said. | Prabhakaran was hiding near the coast, Lt Gen Fonseka said. |
| The general said only 300-400 Tamil Tiger fighters remained, but there may be 700 "forcibly armed" people in rebel bunkers. | The general said only 300-400 Tamil Tiger fighters remained, but there may be 700 "forcibly armed" people in rebel bunkers. |
| The government has said that a pause in fighting is not necessary because additional consignments of food, medicine and other essentials have been dispatched to the war zone. | The government has said that a pause in fighting is not necessary because additional consignments of food, medicine and other essentials have been dispatched to the war zone. |
| It says that the rebels are a "spent force" confined to an area no bigger than 12 sq km (five square miles). | It says that the rebels are a "spent force" confined to an area no bigger than 12 sq km (five square miles). |
| MAP OF THE REGION Click here to return | MAP OF THE REGION Click here to return |