Black flags went up in northern Sri Lanka on Saturday to honor three Tamil Tiger weapon smugglers who blew themselves up in an act that shows the deep mistrust despite talks to end the island’s ethnic war. Witnesses said the flags were displayed not only in rebel-controlled areas but also in government areas, at the demand of the Tamil Tiger rebels. The three set their boat on fire and blew themselves up on Friday after truce monitors boarded the vessel to check for weapons. The monitors jumped overboard to escape the blast. “The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has requested the public to fly black flags to mark the day of mourning, to pay respects to the fallen cadres and to play somber music,” the pro-rebel Tamilnet Web site reported. The incident came just hours before the start of a fifth round of peace talks to end 19 years of civil war that has killed 64,000 people. The talks began in Berlin on Friday as planned. Full Story
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