Foreigners need approval before entering Sri Lanka's North

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka today barred foreigners from travelling to its former war zone in the Tamil-majority northern province without prior approval.

"Prior permission for the foreigners to visit North will be implemented and foreigners or relevant organisations have to write to Defence Ministry for approval," the government's information department said in a statement.

Last week during President Mahinda Rajapaksa's visit to the province, the military had imposed a ban on foreigners' entry to the Northern Province, where ethnic Tamils continue to accuse the government of human rights violations since the military crushed a separatist movement there in 2009.

Foreign nationals were turned back at Omanthai, the army controlled entry point to the North on the A9 highway.

During the height of the military battle with the LTTE, foreigners were not allowed to visit battle zone areas of north and east. However, the ban was lifted after the two-decade-old civil war ended in 2009 after Sri Lankan military defeated the Tamil Tigers.