Sri Lankan government wants to extend emergency rule

The Sri Lankan government today asked parliament to extend an emergency rule decree imposed after the assassination of the country’s foreign minister by suspected Tamil rebels, as European peace monitors held talks with guerrilla leaders.

“There can be no room for murder, intimidation, extortion and child conscription and therefore we need to bring a strong legal framework in order to investigate these crimes,” National Security Minister Ratnasiri Wickremenayake told members while presenting the bill.