Colombo (AsiaNews) - Sri Lanka is moving toward a very critical phase in its history, the civil war and terrorist attacks are leaving the people breathless, while the economic crisis is strangling entire families, and young people can see no future ahead of them.  These are the impressions gathered by AsiaNews among the inhabitants of Colombo, the day following the bombing at the train station of Dehiwela, on the outskirts of the capital.

The explosion, which took place yesterday afternoon at peak travel time, killed nine people and wounded another 70.  There were a number of women among those killed, one of whom was pregnant.  The army is accusing the Tamil Tiger rebels (LTTE), but they have released no statement on the attack.  The government forces and the LTTE are going through a bloody new chapter of the civil war that has been underway for 25 years and has killed more than 70,000 people. The latest explosion comes as the army carries out an offensive to reclaim the last stronghold of the Tigers, in the northern part of the country. According to some theories, yesterday's attack was a retaliation for the killing of 16 civilians by Sinhalese forces, in Kilinochi last May 23.

"Killing each other", complains Gajadheera Sirimewan, aged 57, a Buddhist, "will never stop this conflict. The government and rebels must understand this". "We need a political solution", suggests Thimbiriagama Mahindapala, aged 50, "not a military one.  Otherwise we can never put an end this massacre of innocents".  And he adds that "all over the country, people no longer feel safe, no matter where they are, and many people are suffering because of the crisis in food prices.  The population has reached the breaking point.  The government must end the war".