4.7.2008
LTTE
leader Prabhakaran (L) with Karuna
Happier times: Karuna says he was following LTTE leader's
orders
The government forces are on the
verge of defeating the Tamil Tigers, the former deputy
commander of the LTTE said.
In
an exclusive interview with BBC Sandeshaya, Vinayamurthi
Muralitharan known as Karuna Amman said the Tamil Tigers
are 'very weak' in the face of continuous military offensive.
"The
LTTE are now only maintaining a defence line. They can't
launch any offensive. They are very weak now," col.
Karuna said.
However,
it will take some time for the military to defeat the
LTTE.
"It
will not happen in the next few months. We have to work
together to win this war," he told BBCSinhala.com.
Karuna
Amman was deported from UK, where he served a prison sentence
for immigration offences, to Sri Lanka on Wednesday.
It
was his first media interview since arriving in Colombo
on Thursday.
Replacing
Chief Minister
He
appealed to all communities, Sinhala, Muslim and Tamil,
to help the government to defeat the LTTE which he described
as a 'brutal terrorist group'.
The
leader of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP) said
he is 'very happy' that his deputy is appointed as the
Chief Minister of the Eastern Provincial Council. (EPC)
Col.
Karuna insisted that he has no plans to replace TMVP deputy
leader, Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan known as Pillayan,
as the new Chief Minister.
"We
are not only representing the eastern Tamils. We represent
all Tamils in Sri Lanka," he said.
Mr.
Pillayan earlier told BBC Tamil service that he would
offer the post to Karuna Amman, if he returns to the country.
Meeting
President Rajapaksa
Karuna
also revealed that he would meet President Rajapaksa and
the ministers in his administration in the near future.
"We
are a party in the government alliance. Everybody knows
that," he said.
International
human rights groups urged British authorities to charge
Karuna for war crimes while he was in British custody.
Human
Rights Watch (HRW) has strongly criticised decision by
the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) that there was no
sufficient evidence to charge him.
Director
General of Amnesty International (AI) earlier told BBC
Sandeshaya that Sri Lanka government should charge him
for alleged gross human rights violations.
Karuna
and TMVP are accused of serious rights violations committed
while he was a senior leader of the LTTE and later with
working as a paramilitary supporting Sri Lanka military.
Karuna
says he was only following orders by LTTE leaders, Velupillai
Prabhakaran and Pottu Amman.
Courtesy - BBC