KARUNA SAYS THE CIVILIAN MASSACRE AT KEBITHIGOLLEWA WAS DUE TO THE EUROPEAN UNION BAN OF THE LTTE AND THEY WARNED ON IT
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles
The breakaway LTTE leader Colonel Karuna Amman alias Vinayagamurthi Muralidaran said in an interview that the vicious attack on civilians at Kebithigollewa was very definitely the handiwork of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Speaking over the Tamil Service of the BBC, The Thamil Osai, Karuna said clear warnings of the terrorist attack came from the group, just before the European Union banned them in which they alarmed of dire consequences of such a proscription.
The LTTE has repeatedly denied any hand in the massacre of 64 civilian bus passengers including 15 children by remotely detonating two claymore bombs while the United States said the killings had all the hallmarks of the terrorist group. Many other groups also claimed that claymore mines used in the incident were similar to those the Tamil Tigers have used against the Sri Lanka Army in a series of attacks and counter attacks that had left about 700 dead since last December.
In the ‘Thamil Osai’ interview Karuna said he should not be referred to as a ‘paramilitary’ since he was making preparations to get into active politics to represent the people of the North and the East.
He admitted in the interview it was true the government had requested not to get involved in violent activities but said on all such action were taken in self defense as the LTTE was on a manhunt for him and his troops.
But he denied of receiving any kind of support or blessing from the Colombo government. Karuna Amman said it was a well known fact that he had to seek the permission of the government to open a political office in Batticaloa.
Under the Ceasefire Agreement even the LTTE is allowed to open political offices in the Sri Lanka government controlled areas.
Apart from that, Karuna said he denied all other alleged connections with the Sri Lanka government and assured the interviewer that he had never received any help or protection from the country’s army.
Karuna Amman said on several occasions he had to take action to protect the lives of his followers from the Wanni Tigers. He reminded the interviewer that it was he who declared a ceasefire with them but said he was left with no other choice but to counter attack in self defense when the Wanni Tigers attacked his troops.
He called LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran a convicted criminal and terrorist absconding from law. But when the interviewer asked whether he had not contributed to the terrorist group over twenty years, Karuna Amman said it was true he had contributed heavily for the advancement of the group until he changed his view that the rights of the Tamils could be won only by a political solution opposed to a military one.
He said he had told this to LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran himself and asked him to lead negotiations for a solution but he alleged Prabhakaran only wanted a
Ceasefire Agreement to physically eliminate all his Tamil political enemies and consolidate his power.
