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| Wednesday, 19 January 2005 |
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Prabhakaran makes first post-tsunami appearance The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam said their leader Velupillai Prabhakaran made a rare public appearance Monday, his first since tsunamis devastated the island, and urged Tamils in areas under his control not to depend on handouts. Prabhakaran made the appearance in the town of Kilinochchi, the LTTE said, ending weeks of speculation he may have died in the December 26 disaster. The LTTE, known for their trademark suicide bombings, posted pictures on their website of Prabhakaran, 50, meeting aides handling relief operations in LTTE held areas. "Let this disaster not turn our people into a community dependent on relief aid and I request you in earnest to formulate plans that would provide them the impetus to build a future of their own," Prabhakaran was quoted as saying. Two days ago, senior LTTE official S. Puleedevan discounted reports in media Prabhakaran had been killed and said Prabhakaran would be meeting with the visiting Norwegian Foreign Minister Jan Petersen. "He is going to meet the Norwegian foreign minister next week," Puleedevan, head of LTTE's peace secretariat," told AFP. Scandinavian monitors observing a truce between the two sides since February 2002 have said increased violations and the absence of talks could jeopardise the entire peace process and plunge the country back into war. - AFP |
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