Sri Lanka keeps state of emergency

The Sri Lankan government will maintain its state of emergency, including sweeping powers to arrest and detain suspects, after the defeat of the separatist Tamil Tigers, according to a statement posted online.In order to prevent a resurgence of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the state of emergency will remain in effect, Nimal Siripala, Sri Lanka's health minister, told the parliament on Tuesday.Last week the government declared an end to its 25-year war against the Tamil Tigers after a military campaign to recapture a region in the north and east that had become a de facto LTTE state.Under the state of emergency, police can arrest, enter homes and seize evidence without warrants and hold those they arrest for 18 months without trial.