LTTE cadres express desire to surrender

by Norman Palihawadena. Courtesy The Island 06-03-2007

The Defence Ministry has received credible information that over 50 per cent of LTTE cadres in the East have expressed their desire to surrender to the Police or security forces, in the wake of heavy casualties suffered by the Tigers, Army Commander Sarath Fonseka said yesterday.

Tiger leaders who got wind of this information, mounted loud hailers on vehicles, in LTTE controlled areas and appealed to their fighting cadres not to surrender.

This announcement was carried out on Saturday and Sunday in LTTE held areas in the East, mainly in the Thoppigala jungles. After capturing Sampur and Vakarai, security forces are now poised to capture Thoppigala and sensing imminent danger Tiger fighting cadres have expressed their desire to surrender.

A number of LTTE cadres in Thoppigala had died in attacks mounted during the weekend and some local leaders were also among those who died in the attacks, the Commander said.

The Defence Ministry, following credible information that a large number of LTTE cadres in the East were preparing to surrender is now planning a strategy as how best it could facilitate the surrender, high ranking Defence Ministry sources said. As a first step towards this the Defence Ministry is now in the process of printing handbills in Tamil to be air dropped in LTTE controlled areas to announce how they could surrender and what procedures they should adopt.

Meanwhile the LTTE has launched an investigation as to who leads this group contemplating surrender and a group of Wanni cadres have already arrived in the East to commence investigations. Another group of Wanni cadres have traveled to Thoppigala to persuade young LTTE fighting cadres not to surrender.

The Government is also in the process of drawing up an elaborate plan on how the surrendees should be accepted and rehabilitated.