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Colombo warned of another war

By V.S. Sambandan

COLOMBO, JUNE 5. Expressing dismay over the deteriorating situation in eastern Sri Lanka, a human rights group has warned of looming war prospects and cautioned against giving democracy a second place in the island's search for peace.

The University Teachers for Human Rights-Jaffna (UTHR-J), in its latest assessment of the eastern situation after the March 2 rebellion by the former special commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), V. Muralitharan (`Col.' Karuna) said the region ``began slipping into anarchy'' after the ``routing of Karuna's forces'' by the LTTE, following the Good Friday offensive by the Tigers.

Blaming the Government for remaining silent, the human rights group said ``the attempt to make peace here giving second place to democracy and human rights is having its logical consequences.''

In addition to the rising incidence of killings, the UTHR says that the LTTE leader, V. Prabakaran, ``is today almost exclusively dependent on his intelligence chief Pottu Amman and a handful of other northern cronies backed by 500 or so northern cadres, to restore his control in Batticaloa.''

Striking an ominous note, the report said ``given Prabakaran's proclivity to provoke a war whenever he feels cornered, the prospect of one is nearer now.''

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