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Civilian dies in blast

B. Muralidhar Reddy

COLOMBO: A civilian was killed and four soldiers were injured on Tuesday in a claymore explosion allegedly by the LTTE in Jaffna. The military said, "This criminal act committed in broad daylight regardless of ordinary lives in the Jaffna peninsula itself bears witness to the inhuman attitude of the terrorists who claim themselves to be the `sole representatives of the Tamil people." The Trincomalee district political secretariat of the LTTE in a statement appealed to Tamil people not to give room for the "enemy to forcefully occupy" their lands by leaving to other areas and countries fearing violence. "We appeal to all Tamil people in the Trincomalee district not to flee to other countries frightened by the ongoing brutal attack on them by the enemy, leaving their own traditional land in the district." Observers are intrigued at the content and timing of the statement. The Government has repeatedly charged the Tamil Tigers with coercing people in parts of the East to flee to India. It says this is part of the LTTE's political strategy to build pressure on New Delhi for a more active role in the island nation and attract international attention. It is against this backdrop that the appeal made by the Tamil Tigers is being watched with interest.

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