Col.Bhanu, Col.Sornam meet with Batticaloa residents

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 April 2004, 12:24 GMT]
Senior military Commanders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Col.Bhanu and Col.Sornam, who played leading roles in the ouster of renegade commander Karuna from Batticaloa, visited several areas in Batticaloa and met with local residents Friday, reports from Batticaloa said.

Col. Theepan (left) and Col. Banu (right) with a SLA officer

They told residents that LTTE leader Pirapaharan instructed them to learn from the Batticaloa residents the difficulties suffered during the last five weeks of uncertainty, sources said.

Meanwhile, Head of LTTE's Batticaloa-Amparai Political Section, Kausalyan met with reporters and businessmen at Kokkadichcholai District Secretariat and announced that all taxation in the district will be suspended until the LTTE completes its investigations of the finanacial irregularities alleged to have taken place under the deposed commander, sources added.

Sources also said that military commanders Jim Kelly Thatha, Sutha and Thirumal, who operated with Karuna's group, have expressed their desire to rejoin the LTTE.