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<span style='font-size:25pt;line-height:100%'>LTTE hints at resumption of hostilities </span>
PK Balachanddran
Colombo, June 17

Frustrated with the shifting stand of the Sri Lankan Government on the issue of discussing the Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) for the Tamil North Eastern Province (NEP), and the undercover attempts to drive a wedge between Eastern and Northern Tamils, the LTTE has hinted that it may have to resume hostilities.

In an interview to the Sudar Oli daily on Thursday, the LTTE's political wing leader, SP Tamilselvan, said that Prabhakaran was determined to realise the aspirations of the Tamil people.

He had taken some steps to achieve this goal, (meaning agreeing to hold peace talks with Government). But if these efforts did not bear fruit, Prabhakaran would at the appropriate time take the right decision.

In political circles the threat to take the "right decision" is interpreted as a threat to return to war or terrorism. In fact, Tamil MPs who had met Tamilselvan recently, say that the impression they got was that some kind of a military action or a bomb blast could be on the cards.

Some defence experts fear that a high profile military person or military camp could be targeted.

"The LTTE will not intend to start a full scale war, but they will indicate through limited violent action, their displeasure with the Government's actions, especially the role of the armed forces in the Eastern district of Batticaloa," a Tamil MP told Hindustan Times.

"The attack will be like a wake up call," said a leading military analyst.

"The LTTE will leave its visiting card behind, by doing this," said a Tamil MP.

The LTTE is angry with President Chandrika Kumaratunga for reneging on an undertaking to take up the ISGA for discussions first before going on to the core political issues related to a long term, final settlement.

She had told 20 Tamil MPs that she would discuss the ISGA first. But within a day or two, she touted a different line altogether.

"There had been no agreement on the talks agenda", she said in a national TV address.

The LTTE, on the other hand, is adamant about putting the ISGA in place first before starting talks on the "core" constitutional issues.

Its argument is that priority must be given to economic rehabilitation, and for that the ISGA must be set up immediately.

The LTTE is blaming Sri Lankan armed forces for the killings in the East, including the killing of senior journalist A Nadesan of Virakesari.

The armed forces are trying to portray it as the work of the henchmen of the LTTE renegade Col Karuna. But the LTTE says that Karuna has been neutralised and the work is that of Tamil groups aligned with the army.

The LTTE also alleges that the Sri Lankan state is using the Karuna factor to drive a wedge between the Tamils of the East from those of the North. This has made the LTTE livid.

The LTTE leaders also point out that the state media have an understanding with the Tamil Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) of London, which is run by the anti-LTTE elements and supporters of Karuna.

State media broadcasts anti-LTTE and pro-Karuna material sent by the TBC.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_831...31,00050002.htm