Karuna’s supporters protest in Valaichenai

[TamilNet, Sunday, 07 March 2004, 13:22 GMT]
Supporters of the renegade LTTE commander, Mr. Vinyagamoorthy Muralitharan (Karuna), Sunday held a protest in Valaichenai, 32 kilometres north of Batticaloa, amidst reports that more troops and military officers who were under his overall command were co-ordinating their operations in the east with Mr. T. Ramesh, the new commander for the Batticaloa-Amparai district. A senior LTTE military officer from the Batticaloa-Amparai district arrived in Kilinochchi Sunday evening to brief the Liberation Tigers’ high command about the latest developments in the eastern region, sources said.


Mr. Ramanan, the chief of LTTE's military intelligence for the Batticaloa Amparai district with Mr. Ram (in the background), a senior LTTE commander from the east. Mr. Ramanan's decision to leave Karuna is a major setback for the renegade LTTE commander's plans to hold his ground in the east, informed sources in Batticaloa say.

Meanwhile Mr. Karuna’s supporters burnt the effigies LTTE leaders and those of his deputies and colleagues who are in Vanni. A group of the renegade commander’s supporters held a protest in Thirukkovil too on Sunday. Thirukkovil is 76 kilometres south of Batticaloa.

An academic at the Eastern University told TamilNet that the situation on the campus was tense Sunday following threats by Mr. Karuna’s supporters. He said that many students, fearing for their lives, had left the campus.