Tamil Eelam

The Takeaway looks at the increasingly violent civil war and humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka, with BBC Correspondent Charles Haviland and Manivanna Thirumalai of the BBC’s Tamil Service.

Today, Tamil separatist fighters ignored an ultimatum issued by the Sri Lankan government. Joining us with details is Somini Sengupta, South Asia Bureau Chief for the New York Times.

Sri Lanka marks its 61st Independence Day today, but the celebrations have been muted by ongoing skirmishes between the government and separatists. For more we are joined by Somini Sengupta, the South Asia bureau chief for the New York Times.

Caught in the Sri Lanka civil war crossfire are an estimated 250,000 civilians who live in the area. For a closer look at these troubling events, we turn to Somini Sengupta, the New Delhi bureau chief for the New York Times.

For more than 25 years, the Tamil rebels have been fighting for independence from the government of Sri Lanka. Today the Sri Lankan army is continuing a massive military assault to force the rebels to give up much of the territory they have won.