Across Asia: Sri Lanka

'Removing differences'

Sri Lanka's president called yesterday for minority ethnic Tamils to work with the government to settle their differences but indicated there will be no self-rule for them, as the country celebrated its first Independence Day since the end of a 25-year civil war.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was re-elected last month by a wide margin, largely because of support from the country's Sinhalese majority, said Tamil leaders should not "misguide" people or harbor political ambitions based on ethnicity or region.