Colonel Pathuman speaks to TamilNet

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 March 2004, 14:25 GMT]
"I am keeping fine," Colonel Pathuman, Trincomalee district military commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) told TamilNet Tuesday evening by telephone from Vanni. He appealed to Tamil people not to believe in rumours spread through State media. His comment followed the news report of the State run Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) that he had been killed in Vanni.

"I usually meet our national leader once in every three months and discuss several things. As a part of my routine visit I have come to Vanni," Colonel Pathuman told TamilNet.

Meanwhile the Trincomalee district political section of the LTTE said in a statement issued Tuesday appealed to Tamils "not to believe stories and news by some media and anti-social elements which are bent on to create rift in the Tamil national leadership and the unity of Tamils utilizing the current crisis in the Batticaloa and Amparai districts."

"We inform the Tamils that the news reported by State media about Colonel Pathuman is completely untrue. Tamils should be on alert that they are not to be misled by such mischievous and malicious reports," said the LTTE statement.