Tuesday, 10 April 2007 - The Former LTTE Eastern Commander, Vinyagamurthy Muralitharan alias Karuna in an up-close interview with one of Sri Lankan media stated that LTTE had plans of strengthening their aerial attacking system since the Government of United national Party (UNP) in 2002.

"Ever since Jaffna was captured, Prabhakaran planned to purchase several small planes known as light aircraft from Thailand and other countries in the east to be assembled here," stated Karuna.

The breakaway Former LTTE Leader is now the head of a political party, Tamileela Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP).

According to him, after 1994, after the Riviresa operation, Prabhakaran started on a plan to purchase light aircraft. When the Cease-Fire Agreement (CFA) was signed between Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prabhakaran, the interim period was used to purchase light aircraft.

As per the CFA, the LTTE was allowed access to and use of the sea for training and fishing after five months, the LTTE commenced smuggling weapons, ordnance and dismantled light aircraft by ship, aided by the clauses in the CFA.

Karuna explaining about the role played by Jeyakumar in Australia in purchasing air crafts stated that "We heard that he has died. Jeyakumar was close to Prabhakaran and played a key role in fundraising. Though he played an important role in purchasing aircraft, his main role was fundraising. Those who played important roles in purchasing aircraft are K. Pathmanathan, better known as KP, and one Pradeep Master. Weapons, ordnance and aircraft are purchased from countries such as Ukraine. Even artillery is purchased from Ukraine. There are many brokers assisting the LTTE to purchase arms".

He also stated that the LTTE also smuggled artillery during the CFA, "Some six 130 mm artillery guns, four 152 mm guns and more than 20 122 mm guns and Multi Barrel Rocket Launchers (MBRL) were smuggled in. They were brought by ship and unloaded off Challai near Mullaitivu".

Karuna stated that the LTTE's air capability is not that great. He stated that there are only five or six small planes, which isn't much. "My advice is that three steps should be taken. Firstly, the LTTE strongholds on the ground should be captured, starting with securing the A9 route. Next, the Sri Lankan Government should strengthen the Sri Lanka Navy to be able to effectively prevent the smuggling of weapons and ordnance by sea, which is the main supply route for the arming of the Tigers. Thirdly, LTTE fundraising overseas should be stopped. Funds are raised in many ways, including illegal money laundering. If these are stopped, automatically, Prabhakaran's organisation would come to a standstill. However, the capture of the ground level strongholds should be the primary objective. Then, LTTE activities will automatically come to a standstill. Then, the organisation won't even have a runway for their small planes."

He also stated that the recent targets taken by the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) was accurate. "Many Sea Tiger bases and Forward Defence Lines (FDL) have been destroyed, with many commanders and cadres killed. But air raids alone would not help to completely destroy the strength of the LTTE. For example, a gravel road could be used as a runway for light aircraft. Hence, my suggestion is to first capture land and their strongholds, thereby destroying the LTTE."