03-29-2004, 11:29 AM
Renegade Tamil rebel leader says rival group infiltrating his territory
Associated Press, Mon March 29, 2004 01:24 EST . DILIP GANGULY - Associated Press Writer - COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - (AP) A renegade Tamil Tiger commander on Monday accused the rebel movement's leadership of sending fighters to infiltrate his territory, boosting the danger of factional fighting. The rebel schism comes on top of a power struggle in Sri Lanka - 's government. The rivalry between the president and her political rival the prime minister culminated in her call for early elections, taking place Friday.
Varathan blamed the Tigers' northern-based leadership for two shootings in the breakaway leader's eastern territory during the past week including of a key supporter of Muralitharan and predicted more such violence.
``Our information is that the infiltrators and assassins will first target those prominent civilians who back our leader,'' Varathan said.
Last Wednesday, university professor Thevanayagam Thiruchelvam was shot and seriously wounded. He was shaping up as a theoretician of Muralitharan's group in recent weeks.
On Sunday, gunmen shot and seriously wounded Varathan Monaguruswamy, an assistant election commissioner, on Sunday while he drove through a village close to the eastern city of Batticaloa, which is the main base of the renegade leader.
Muralitharan split from the main movement arguing that fighters from his eastern region were treated as second-class.
The Tigers' northern-based leadership at first sought to play down the schism, and denied Muralitharan's allegation that he had been marked for assassination because of the split. But their tone changed dramatically on Friday, when they branded him a traitor and threatened his supporters.
Associated Press, Mon March 29, 2004 01:24 EST . DILIP GANGULY - Associated Press Writer - COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - (AP) A renegade Tamil Tiger commander on Monday accused the rebel movement's leadership of sending fighters to infiltrate his territory, boosting the danger of factional fighting. The rebel schism comes on top of a power struggle in Sri Lanka - 's government. The rivalry between the president and her political rival the prime minister culminated in her call for early elections, taking place Friday.
Varathan blamed the Tigers' northern-based leadership for two shootings in the breakaway leader's eastern territory during the past week including of a key supporter of Muralitharan and predicted more such violence.
``Our information is that the infiltrators and assassins will first target those prominent civilians who back our leader,'' Varathan said.
Last Wednesday, university professor Thevanayagam Thiruchelvam was shot and seriously wounded. He was shaping up as a theoretician of Muralitharan's group in recent weeks.
On Sunday, gunmen shot and seriously wounded Varathan Monaguruswamy, an assistant election commissioner, on Sunday while he drove through a village close to the eastern city of Batticaloa, which is the main base of the renegade leader.
Muralitharan split from the main movement arguing that fighters from his eastern region were treated as second-class.
The Tigers' northern-based leadership at first sought to play down the schism, and denied Muralitharan's allegation that he had been marked for assassination because of the split. But their tone changed dramatically on Friday, when they branded him a traitor and threatened his supporters.
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