06-23-2004, 03:15 PM
Rebels warn Sri Lanka peace prospects at risk
Associated Press, Tue June 22, 2004 09:11 EDT . - - COLOMBO, June 22 (Kyodo) Sri Lanka - 's ethnic Tamil rebels accused the government Tuesday of introducing a ''potentially explosive component'' to the fragile peace process as internationally backed efforts to get stalled negotiations back on track continued.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam repeated allegations that the military is covertly assisting renegade LTTE eastern commander Vinayagamurthy Muralitheran, best known as Karuna, who broke away in March and has gone underground for the past several weeks.
The Karuna rebellion was swiftly quelled by the Tigers who killed scores of cadres loyal to the battle-hardened eastern commander and persuaded others to rejoin LTTE ranks. But Karuna has retained a hit-and-run capability that has infuriated Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.
The pro-LTTE TamilNet website said Tuesday that ''revelations'' of military assistance to Karuna to leave his stronghold in the eastern Batticaloa district and travel to Colombo have introduced a potentially explosive component to the prospects for peace.
Four senior women commanders who broke ranks with Karuna and rejoined the LTTE have publicly claimed that they traveled with him to Colombo under military auspices.
But Defense Secretary Cyril Herath has flatly denied any military role in sheltering Karuna, saying these are ''just allegations.''
''If the LTTE can provide evidence, the government will investigate the matter,'' he told the BBC's Sinhala service.
Herath stressed that the Colombo government is committed to peace talks and added that ''already some dialogue'' is underway.
''Under these circumstances, it is wrong to think the government will start a war,'' the secretary said, describing local media reports of recent fighting between the two LTTE factions as ''gross exaggerations.''
Associated Press, Tue June 22, 2004 09:11 EDT . - - COLOMBO, June 22 (Kyodo) Sri Lanka - 's ethnic Tamil rebels accused the government Tuesday of introducing a ''potentially explosive component'' to the fragile peace process as internationally backed efforts to get stalled negotiations back on track continued.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam repeated allegations that the military is covertly assisting renegade LTTE eastern commander Vinayagamurthy Muralitheran, best known as Karuna, who broke away in March and has gone underground for the past several weeks.
The Karuna rebellion was swiftly quelled by the Tigers who killed scores of cadres loyal to the battle-hardened eastern commander and persuaded others to rejoin LTTE ranks. But Karuna has retained a hit-and-run capability that has infuriated Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.
The pro-LTTE TamilNet website said Tuesday that ''revelations'' of military assistance to Karuna to leave his stronghold in the eastern Batticaloa district and travel to Colombo have introduced a potentially explosive component to the prospects for peace.
Four senior women commanders who broke ranks with Karuna and rejoined the LTTE have publicly claimed that they traveled with him to Colombo under military auspices.
But Defense Secretary Cyril Herath has flatly denied any military role in sheltering Karuna, saying these are ''just allegations.''
''If the LTTE can provide evidence, the government will investigate the matter,'' he told the BBC's Sinhala service.
Herath stressed that the Colombo government is committed to peace talks and added that ''already some dialogue'' is underway.
''Under these circumstances, it is wrong to think the government will start a war,'' the secretary said, describing local media reports of recent fighting between the two LTTE factions as ''gross exaggerations.''
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