Ex-LTTE cadres forced to join TMVP

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 February 2008, 11:24 GMT]
Pillaiyan group Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) members are alleged to be forcing former members of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Batticaloa district who had opted to leave the LTTE and lead a normal life after Sri Lanka Army (SLA) took LTTE area in Paduvaankarai last year, to join the TMVP, sources in Batticaloa said.

When SLA took over LTTE territories in Batticaloa district last year some of the LTTE cadres chose to remain and some moved to LTTE controlled Vanni.

The youths and young women who remained had got married and returned to normal life.

TMVP members have allegedly forced several of the former LTTE cadres in villages including Ki’n’naiyadi, Kiraan, Chanthivea’li, Murakkoddancheanai and Ciththaa’ndi, to join them.

TMVP threatened to inform the SLA Intelligence Unit of their whereabouts if the youths fail to comply, according to complaints mad to the police.

Meanwhile, armed men who abducted a student in January at Kommaanththu’rai in Ea’raavoor police division in Batticaloa district handed him over to Ea’raavoor police 14 February, sources in Ea’raavoor said.

The 10th grade student, Chithiravel Theesan, 14, was abducted on his way to a private education centre in Kommanththu’rai.

The police handed him over to his parents who had earlier lodged a complaint when Theesan was abducted.