UN representative meets Lankan president

Colombo: The United Nations' humanitarian chief, John Holmes, asked Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa during a meeting in Colombo on Monday for a "humanitarian pause" in the fighting to allow the civilians to escape or at least to emerge from their bunkers to forage for food.

Sri Lanka agreed to stop firing heavy weapons into the northern war zone to safeguard thousands of civilians trapped there, but resisted growing pressure for a ceasefire in its war with the Tamil Tiger rebels.

The rebels accused the government of instantly violating its promise by launching airstrikes from three sides on a village in a densely populated no-fire zone, a pro-guerrilla Website reported.