News and Politics, In Sri Lanka, a 'Final Push' to Defeat Rebels

In Sri Lanka, a 'Final Push' to Defeat Rebels

This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

The Sri Lankan army has been leading what it called a "final push" against Tamil Tiger rebels. A military spokesman told VOA that the army hoped to free all civilians trapped in rebel territory by Sunday. The military said troops were moving in from the north and the south on the narrow area of coastline still held by the rebels.

On Friday, the United Nations human rights office called for an investigation of possible war crimes in Sri Lanka. The office said the behavior of the military and the rebels could meet the legal meaning of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

A UN spokesman expressed concern about reports that government shelling has killed civilians. He also expressed concern over reports of rebels shooting those trying to flee too safety.

This week, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sent his top aide to press for an end to the Sri Lankan conflict.

Almost two hundred thousand Tamil civilians in the north have been displaced since fighting intensified in January. Some people have been able to escape across the waters of a lagoon to a government-controlled area. But thousands of civilians reportedly have been killed and many thousands more wounded.

The International Red Cross has described the humanitarian situation as "unimaginable." The Red Cross has been unable to bring in food or remove the wounded and sick from the area of fighting.

Sri Lanka has been seeking a two billion dollar loan from the International Monetary Fund to help its economy. American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said this week that this was, in her words, "not an appropriate time to consider" the loan. But IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn said Friday that Sri Lanka clearly needs help. Reuters news agency reported that he said the IMF is working to find a solution in the next few weeks.

Sri Lanka is an island of twenty-one million people in the Indian Ocean. Three-fourths are ethnic Sinhalese. The conflict began more than twenty-five years ago, when minority Tamils began fighting for an independent homeland.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam once controlled a large area of the north and east. But now, military officials say the area held by the Tamil Tigers has been reduced to just a few square kilometers of beachfront.

The government says the military offensive is also a hostage rescue operation. It says the rebels are hiding among civilians. On Wednesday, President Obama deplored the rebels' use of civilians as human shields. But he also called on the Sri Lankan government to act responsibly.

In Sri Lanka, a 'Final Push' to Defeat Rebels |||||||yenmek| У|||||||| In Sri Lanka ein "letzter Versuch", die Rebellen zu besiegen Στη Σρι Λάνκα, μια "τελική ώθηση" για να νικηθούν οι αντάρτες En Sri Lanka, un "último esfuerzo" para derrotar a los rebeldes Au Sri Lanka, un "dernier effort" pour vaincre les rebelles In Sri Lanka, una "spinta finale" per sconfiggere i ribelli スリランカで、反乱軍を倒すための「最後の一押し」。 In Sri Lanka, een 'laatste poging' om de rebellen te verslaan Na Sri Lance "ostateczny impuls" do pokonania rebeliantów No Sri Lanka, um "empurrão final" para derrotar os rebeldes В Шри-Ланке "последний рывок" к победе над повстанцами Sri Lanka'da İsyancıları Yenmek İçin 'Son Bir Hamle' У Шрі-Ланці "останній поштовх" для перемоги над повстанцями 在斯里兰卡，击败叛军的 "最后一搏在斯里兰卡，击败叛军的 "最后一搏

This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

The Sri Lankan army has been leading what it called a "final push" against Tamil Tiger rebels. |||||||||||last||||| |||||||||||最終||に対して||| L'armée sri-lankaise a mené ce qu'elle a appelé une "poussée finale" contre les rebelles des Tigres tamouls. A military spokesman told VOA that the army hoped to free all civilians trapped in rebel territory by Sunday. |||||||||||||||isyançı|bölgesinde|| Un porte-parole militaire a déclaré à la VOA que l'armée espérait libérer tous les civils piégés en territoire rebelle d'ici dimanche. The military said troops were moving in from the north and the south on the narrow area of coastline still held by the rebels. |||||||||||||||||||||||反乱者 L'armée a déclaré que les troupes avançaient depuis le nord et le sud sur l'étroite zone côtière encore tenue par les rebelles.

A UN spokesman expressed concern about reports that government shelling has killed civilians. |||||||||topçuluk||| Un porte-parole de l'ONU s'est dit préoccupé par les informations selon lesquelles les bombardements du gouvernement auraient tué des civils. Bir BM sözcüsü hükümetin bombardımanında sivillerin öldüğüne dair haberlerden endişe duyduğunu ifade etti. He also expressed concern over reports of rebels shooting those trying to flee too safety. |||||報告|||||逃げようとして||逃げる|| Il a également fait part de son inquiétude concernant les informations selon lesquelles les rebelles auraient tiré sur les personnes tentant de fuir pour se mettre à l'abri.

This week, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sent his top aide to press for an end to the Sri Lankan conflict. |||||||||||yardımcısı|||||||||| |||||||||||補佐||圧力をかける|||||||| Bu hafta BM Genel Sekreteri Ban Ki-moon, Sri Lanka'daki çatışmaların sona erdirilmesi için baskı yapması amacıyla en üst düzey yardımcısını gönderdi.

Almost two hundred thousand Tamil civilians in the north have been displaced since fighting intensified in January. ||||||||||||||şiddetlendi|| ||||||||||||||激化した|の| Près de 200 000 civils tamouls ont été déplacés dans le nord depuis l'intensification des combats en janvier. Some people have been able to escape across the waters of a lagoon to a government-controlled area. ||||できた|||横断して|||||||||| But thousands of civilians reportedly have been killed and many thousands more wounded. ||||iddia edilenere|||||||| Mais des milliers de civils auraient été tués et des milliers d'autres blessés.

The International Red Cross has described the humanitarian situation as "unimaginable." |||Hilali|||||||hayal edilemez The Red Cross has been unable to bring in food or remove the wounded and sick from the area of fighting.

Sri Lanka has been seeking a two billion dollar loan from the International Monetary Fund to help its economy. ||bir|||||||kredi|-den|||||||| |||||||||||||国際通貨基金||||| Le Sri Lanka cherche à obtenir un prêt de deux milliards de dollars du Fonds monétaire international pour aider son économie. American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said this week that this was, in her words, "not an appropriate time to consider" the loan. La secrétaire d'État américaine Hillary Clinton a déclaré cette semaine que ce n'était, selon elle, "pas le moment d'envisager" le prêt. But IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn said Friday that Sri Lanka clearly needs help. Reuters news agency reported that he said the IMF is working to find a solution in the next few weeks.

Sri Lanka is an island of twenty-one million people in the Indian Ocean. Three-fourths are ethnic Sinhalese. ||||Seylanlı The conflict began more than twenty-five years ago, when minority Tamils began fighting for an independent homeland.

The government says the military offensive is also a hostage rescue operation. |||||harekâtı||||rehine|| |||||||||人質|| Le gouvernement affirme que l'offensive militaire est également une opération de sauvetage d'otages. It says the rebels are hiding among civilians. Elle affirme que les rebelles se cachent parmi les civils. On Wednesday, President Obama deplored the rebels' use of civilians as human shields. ||||kınadı|||||||| ||||非難した|||||||| Mercredi, le président Obama a déploré l'utilisation par les rebelles de civils comme boucliers humains. Çarşamba günü Başkan Obama isyancıların sivilleri canlı kalkan olarak kullanmasından üzüntü duyduğunu ifade etti. But he also called on the Sri Lankan government to act responsibly. |||||||||||責任を持って