Six villagers killed in restive eastern Sri Lanka

Spesial News Sunday March 6, 3:38 PM: Tamil Tiger rebels blamed a breakaway faction Sunday for the murder of six villagers in eastern Sri Lanka, but the military said the main guerrilla group was responsible for the killings.

TamilNet, a Web site backing the main Tamil Tiger group, said the renegade faction on Saturday killed six supporters of the main group who had provided intelligence information about the breakaway group.

But military spokesman Brig. Daya Ratnayake said the six were murdered by 10 Tamil Tiger fighters armed with rifles who stormed Sevanapitiya village bordering the restive Batticaloa district, 220 kilometers (135 miles) east of the capital, Colombo. Ratnayake said four ethnic Muslims, one Tamil and a Sinhalese were killed in Saturday's attack, and that three other villagers were wounded.

Scores of people have been killed in eastern Sri Lanka since senior Tiger leader Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan, also known as Karuna, left the group a year ago with about 6,000 fighters. The Tigers accuse the military of using the renegades to attack the mainstream rebels.

"They (the Tigers) could have suspected that these people were helping the Karuna faction," Ratnayake said. "But we are still investigating to establish the real motive."

In three other shooting incidents Saturday in Batticaloa, a Tiger rebel and a civilian were killed and a member of another group opposed to the rebels was injured.
European cease-fire monitors said they have started investigations into the violence and warned they threaten a three-year truce.

"We have been repeatedly saying that these incidents could have such negative impact on the cease-fire agreement," said Helen Olafsdottir, spokeswoman for Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission. "We are of course really concerned that this could develop into much more."

The Tamil Tigers have fought a civil war since 1983 to create a separate state for ethnic minority Tamils, accusing the majority Sinhalese of discrimination. About 65,000 people were killed before the Norway-brokered cease-fire was signed in February 2002.

Peace talks broke down a year later when the Tigers withdrew, demanding wide-ranging autonomy in the Tamil-majority northeast.

-AP-

Overseas Tiger offices and officials.

Colombo, 06 March, : The international dimensions of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the Sri Lankan rebel movement fighting for a separate Tamil state in north and east of Sri Lanka, was explored in an in-depth cover story published in the Asiaweek of July 26, 1996.

This investigative report exposed the key links of the LTTE’s global network. Labelling it as“LTTE International Inc”, Anthony Davis, the author of the article, described it as a complex shadowy network of commercial companies and small businesses, informal banking channels, a fleet of ships, political offices, arms dealers and foreign mercenaries and fronts disguised as aid and human rights organizations.

Quoting a former Tamil militant, Anthony Davis said “The LTTE functions like a multinational corporation with resources all over the world”. He said LTTE International Inc. functions on three distinct levels:

More.http://www.asiantribune.com/show_news.php?id=13631

-Asian Tribune-

Tension in PULMUDAI now eased.

A group of about 200 Muslims have gathered in the general area of PULMUDAI on 05 March 2005 in protest against migrant Sinhaleses fishermen.

They have further expressed their discontent for taking legal action against a suspect who kept a T-56 weapon belonging to the Army in his possession. This weapon had gone missing during the tsunami incident last December. However, the military authorities and the Police after having discussions with the agitators have solved the matter.

Fifteen murders in three days

Fifteen assassinations have been committed by Wanni tiger organization and Karuna faction of the tiger organization during the last three days say security sources.

Thirteen of these murders have been committed by Wanni tigers while the other two by Karuna faction.

Meanwhile, a civilian who participated in attacks on the bunkers of forward defense lines of the security forces in Jaffna was shot dead by security forces when action was taken to restrain the disturbance. Civilians were instigated by the Wanni tiger organization to attack the security forces.

SLMM has not taken any step to prevent these murders as they have limited their activities to writing down complaints in their offices say the relatives of those who have been murdered.

Sources in the Eastern Province say the Wanni tigers commit these murders to safeguard their authority being challenged by the emergence of Karuna faction. Security sources say they have received information that Wanni tigers have decided to step up murdering those sympathetic to Karuna faction in the Eastern Province to gain control over the province.

-LT-

Five Murdered by Wanni Tigers

Four Muslims were shot dead near Kolakanawadiya, an area between Kduruwella and Polonnaruwa and Manampitiya last night.

Seven Muslims had come to Kolakanawadiya to reap their harvest when members of Wanni Tiger organizations set upon them and shot down four while three others fled.

Meanwhile, a former member of the Tiger organization was shot dead near “Siripala paddy mill”, Manampitiya last evening. The dead person had been a member of PLOTE as well as a member of Wanni tiger organization before Karuna Amman defected. Security sources believe that the murder had been committed by Wanni tiger organization as a punishment for defecting.

Wanni tigers had distributed leaflet in the area demanding that people exhibit banner declaring them opposition to Karuna Amman faction.
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Member of Wanni tiger organization also had shot at the house of soldier of SLA. The children of the soldier had been injured and are receiving treatment in Polonnaruwa hospital.

-LT-