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LTTE, allies to blame: Colombo

B. Muralidhar Reddy

Abductions, killings are aimed to defame the Government

COLOMBO: Colombo on Thursday accused the LTTE and its allies of involvement in abductions and killings across the island to defame the Government.

The charge came in the wake of confirmation by the police that the five persons killed in execution style and dumped in a village close to Colombo three days ago were members of the Karuna faction.

"A bloody plot to tarnish the good image of the Government before the international community is getting bared as the bodies of five Thamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal members found in the Muthurajawela swamp were identified by one of their comrades," said the Defence Ministry in a statement.

Growing concern

The statement comes amid growing concern on the rise in killings, abductions and disappearances of people from various backgrounds.

According to the police, the victims, under threat from the Tamil Tigers, had come here a few weeks ago hoping for an overseas employment. They were allegedly abducted in February but the TMVP did not file a police complaint.

The Defence Ministry blamed conditions created by the 2002 Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) for the state of affairs. "It is a well known fact that after the CFA was signed in year 2002 [and] the LTTE terrorists were given complete freedom to move into the South and to establish their tentacles all over the island." It said though stringent security measures had been able to make the South safe, the Tiger activities had not ended.

"Now, it is being revealed that the LTTE along with its allies in the media have launched a bloody coup to win international sympathy towards them by putting down a harrowing picture on the country's human rights situation." The Ministry said the escalation of abductions and assassinations had a clear correlation to the United Nations Human Rights Council, which will be held on March 12, in Geneva.

Meanwhile, the U.S. has criticised both the Government and the LTTE for human rights abuses last year most notably since the breakdown of the CFA and the failed assassination attempt on Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa.

As per Tigers, more than 7000 persons from 2000 families have displaced so far through Paddiruppu to SLA controlled areas. Further, the LTTE claimed that the military's another attempt to move towards the LTTE area of Koduvamadhu was thwarted.

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