Srilanka

Karuna wants war on Prabhakaran
Monday, 4 December 2006 - 1:43 PM SL Time

The leader of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) and former LTTE eastern commander, Karuna Amman says the government must stop wasting time trying to talk peace with the LTTE and instead pursue a military solution.

In an exclusive telephone interview with the Daily Mirror a rough voiced Mr. Amman said he knew the mindset of the LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran all too well and achieving peace is not part of his final agenda.`As a man who knows Prabhakaran really well (laughs) and one who knows how he operates I can assure you no one could draw him to a political negotiated solution. That is because right now he is enjoying several luxuries in the Wanni jungles which he wouldn`t want to give up plus there is also the threat from his many enemies if he comes out into the open to enter democracy. Right now it is unthinkable to get him to agree on a peaceful settlement. He has also made his intentions clear through his heroes` day speech and by carrying out a black Tiger attack on the defence secretary. The government and the international community must realise that the Tamil people in the north and east who are under Prabhakarn`s grip must be set free and I believe this could be done only through a war,` Mr. Amman told the Daily Mirror.

Mr. Amman, who operates a political and military wing organisation aimed at taming his former leader admits the Tamil people in LTTE controlled areas will be the victims of a war but notes that it will only be a `temporary consequence` they will have to face as opposed to a better future.

The man who has strong ambitions to enter active politics one day also sidelines Anton Balasingham as being the one Tiger committed to a negotiated solution and that his absence in future peace talks owing to poor health will be a severe setback.

`In fact after one of the Oslo talks when Norway announced we were ready to consider devolution and the agreement was signed

by Balasingham and G. L. Peiris who headed the government delegation at the time Prabhakaran summoned us in Wanni and asked how the agreement was signed without his consent. Balasingham really believed the problem could be solved through negotiation but it was in vein because Prabhakaran had other ideas. Both of them had several arguments and Balasingham most often ended up cutting short his trips to the Wanni because of the arguments he had with Prabhakaran,` Mr. Amman said.

On the recent Norwegian denial of Karuna Amman`s allegation that Norway offered money and a six foot TV home- theatre system to LTTE, Karuna says there is evidence to prove that.

He maintains that the documents related to the television set was handled by one Abeyratne at the Katunayake airport and after the airforce refused to airlift it to Wanni with the LTTE delegation returning from talks in Thailand, it was sent by road by the Norwegian authorities.

The money, he said was given to Balasingham in Oslo, by Erik Solheim himself just prior to the Oslo donor conference.

Karuna Amman also alleges that former President Chandrika Kumaratunga turned down a request to provide security to his cadres at the time he split from the LTTE forcing him to carry arms for self defence but stressed he would lay down arms if security guarantees are given when he enters politics.

Mr. Amman is also of the view although India has a responsibility towards the Tamils of this country they cannot be expected to play a direct role because of how they were treated in the past and most importantly the killing of Rajiv Ghandhi which he claims was masterminded by Prabhakaran.

Source(s)
• Daily Mirror
• Easwaran Rutnam