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| Monday, 8 March 2004 |
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Trinco Commander detained, Eastern Brigade held prisoner LTTE crisis worsened The LTTE Military Commander of Trincomalee, Pathuman was reported detained and the members of the Jayanthan Brigade from the East taken prisoner and held at the Tiger Headquarters in Killinochchi while effigies of Prabhakaran and Pottu Amman were burnt in demonstrations in support of Karuna at Valachchenai, as the crisis in the LTTE worsened over the weekend. Varanthan, spokesman for Karuna's Batticaloa and Ampara headquarters said expulsion of Karuna "lacks logic as we have already gone away from the organisation (LTTE)". "It is ridiculous since we have already made a public declaration that we would act as an independent unit," he said. He said the breakaway faction will obey the truce agreement though "we are not a party to the CFA". "We are now working on our own independent administration. We have taken steps to stop moving any soldiers from the East to the North," the spokesman said. He said the Jayanthan Brigade from the East - who were guarding the Forward Defence Line of the LTTE in Pallai, in the North, have been disarmed and are now being held prisoner. Eastern Chief Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan alias Karuna who broke away from the LTTE on Wednesday, has sacked the LTTE's military and political hierachy in the East and replaced them wih his own cadres. Karuna was the Eastern Commander, followed by Rabat and Jim Kelly. Vishu has been appointed the political head. Paduman, the LTTE Trincomalee Commander - who was summoned to Killinochchi for a meeting - is now under detention. "Paduman knows everything about the discrimination faced by the Eastern cadres. Vanni administration detained him for the fear that he would join us". He charged the LTTE intelligence wing of planning assassination bids on renegade LTTE leaders. "We have reports that killing squads have been dispatched to the East and that they have been escorted by the Monitoring Mission," he said, adding that the Norwegian Ambassador has been informed of the possibility of clashes between his fighters and intruding troops. "Pottu Amman is trying to disturb normalcy in the East." He said Eastern cadres have expressed their allegiance to Karuna and the new set-up. Karuna controls 5,000 - 6,000 fighting cadres. Asked about the LTTE leadership sending groups to collect weapons issued to the Eastern cadres, the spokesman said: "it is not like going shopping". He said the breakaway group is committed to the peace process. "One reason which originated the split was that we said we will not support the resumption of war for any reason." Meanwhile, Prabhakaran on Saturday appointed Karuna's former deputy Ramesh as the new Eastern Commander. A spokesman for the LTTE in Killinochchi quoted Ramesh as saying he will go back to Batticaloa and start work soon. |
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