Thousands of Sri Lankans flee violence

TRINCOMALEE, Sri Lanka, April 19 (UPI) -- About 1,000 residents of the Sri Lankan port town of Trincomalee have fled their homes after a recent series of violent attacks.

With more than 30 people in the area killed in the last 12 days in attacks blamed on the Tamil Tiger rebels, hundreds of residents have taken shelter in local schools and churches, the BBC reported Wednesday.

Several non-governmental organizations that have been disbursing tsunami aid have pulled out of the area.

Police have enforced a curfew to quiet the town, after fighting between the Sinhalese and Tamil communities and Sinhalese mobs burning Tamil homes.

The Tamil rebels have postponed their participation in peace talks scheduled to be held in Switzerland next week, saying they need to meet with their eastern commanders before the talks resume. Some analysts say this is just a delay tactic.

The Tamil Tigers want a separate state in the north and east of Sri Lanka for the minority Tamils. More than 60,000 people have lost their lives in fighting for autonomy during the last two decades.