French journalists arrested in Sri Lanka

At least two French journalists have been arrested in Sri Lanka's south for filming a detention camp without permission, police said Tuesday.
The police at Ratgama, about 104 km south of Colombo said that the two French men belonging to "France 24 TV" were arrested Monday evening for filming the area surrounding the Boossa detention camp.
Police spokesman Jayantha Wickramarathne confirmed the arrest of two French men, but said the authorities are not sure whether they are journalists or not.
"They were arrested by the Army because they didn't get permission to film the area," said Wickramarathne, adding that they are still under custody.
The Boossa camp, just 4 km away from the Ratgama police station, drew attention late November when a large number of Tamil minority were rounded up in Colombo and its suburbs on suspicion of links with the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
The arrested were sent to the Boossa camp. Similarly in June this year Tamils rounded up in Colombo on suspicion were also sentto Boossa.
The authorities say the roundups are important to ensure national security as Tamil Tiger rebels infiltrate the capital to carry out attacks.
The LTTE has been fighting more than two decades to set up a separate homeland for the minority Tamils in the north and east, resulting in the killing of about 70,000 people.
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