Norway gave money to the LTTE: Karuna
 

Bandula JAYASEKARA

It was April 2004. LTTE's renegade leader Karuna retreated after clashes with Prabhakaran. It happened two days after Karuna gave his final face-to-face interview to this writer who was then at "The Island" newspaper.

The interview was published in The Island on 9th April. However, in 2002 the writer predicted that both Karuna and Prabhakaran would split and the article was published in "The Island" in May 2002 and subsequently in India's "Frontline" magazine.

Many violent incidents have taken place since then and we questioned if Karuna was also adopting Prabhakaran's tactics and who would survive. It seems that they both have survived rightly or wrongly while the country is yearning for peace.

One time deputy of Prabhakaran and LTTE's most dreaded 'colonel' Karuna, now the most wanted man of the LTTE speaks to the Daily News face-to-face for the first time in his Eastern stronghold.

Q: Your faction is accused of recruiting child soldiers. Aren't you ashamed of it? Right-thinking Sri Lankans and the world is of the view that it must be stopped immediately.

No. It is not true. I deny it. It is not necessary for us to do so. We already have enough cadres. We don't need any more cadres. We are keen to do our political work. We have weapons only to defend ourselves from the LTTE.

Q: You say, you have enough cadres. What is your strength?

No comments. I cannot give those details out

Q: UN's Allan Rock went on record saying that the Army helped you to recruit child soldiers. Did the Army help you to recruit children?

No. We don't work with the Army. Allan Rock's statement is misleading. Allan Rock is an LTTE sympathizer and a supporter. He helped the LTTE in Canada earlier.

Q: The SLMM and others have accused your group of working closely with the Army. Is it correct or do you get some sort of protection from the Army?

No. Politically we are working with the people. We do not need it. But, it is the responsibility of the government to protect all political parties. We don't work with the Army. But, I say it again; the government must protect us and all the political parties. They give protection to TNA. Don't they?

Q: Your group is also accused of carrying out abductions, extortions and killings. You are no better than the LTTE though you broke away from them. You have become another menace. Haven't you added to the woes of the suffering people?

It is not true. It is all done by the LTTE. After I broke away Prabhakaran killed over 400 people including my own brother. We now work openly and everyone knows about it. Even Rock met my Secretary. I ask people not to believe LTTE propaganda.

LTTE does everything and puts them in my account. The world must know it. We are keen only to do political work.

Q: You have threatened the TNA MPs. You have said that you will kill them if they do not resign. How could you order them like that? You are no better.

It is not true. But, I say to them kindly please resign because it is better for them to resign.

We are not going to kill them. I am the one who selected them in the East. Today the people of the East are not with them. They have lost faith in them. There is no TNA. Those MPs represent the LTTE, not the TNA.

Q: But, why do you want them to resign? They are elected Members of Parliament.

I say it because they cannot do anything today. They are not accepted by the people.

Q: Did you kill Joseph Pararajasingham?

No. We totally deny that. It is to disgrace us. It is the LTTE. They also killed Raviraj.

Q: Come on. How could you say that? Aren't you trying to put the blame now on LTTE's account?

No. Because Raviraj was openly critical of the LTTE among his friends.

He was critical of Prabhakaran's family. We all know what happened to Amirthalingam, don't we? This is what happened here also.

Q: Who killed Lakshman Kadirgamar? Who killed Kethesh Loganathan?

It is the LTTE. There is no doubt. Lakshman Kadirgamar was Prabhakaran's biggest problem because the world accepted what Kadirgamar said.

Do you know that Prabhakaran watch many films and he used the method in the movie 'Day of the Jackal' to kill Kadirgamar.

He got the idea from the film. I must also tell you that Erik Solheim gifted a 6 ft TV screen to Prabhakaran to watch films.

But, former Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgessen was totally against it. But Solheim went ahead and gifted the screen. About Kethesh. He was an intellectual. Tamil people liked him and he was never against the Tamil people. Kethesh was against Prabhakaran and that's why he was killed.

Q: How do you look at Anandasangaree today?

He is one man totally working against the LTTE. He is a brave man. His receiving the UNESCO prize means the international community must totally reject Prabhakaran now.

Q: Coming back to Norway, Did they give only a TV screen? Did they provide any other support?

Yes. They did. They helped us (the LTTE) immediately after the CFA was signed.

In Oslo Erik Solheim gave money to Balasingham. I saw it happening. Balasingham also told me later. If I remember right it was about 16 million Norwegian kroners.

Q: What did you do with that money?

LTTE bought arms using that money. We unloaded ammunitions 40 days after the CFA was signed. We unloaded shipments against the CFA.

Q: Is there a special connection between the LTTE and Norway?

LTTE also has given money to Solheim. LTTE looks after him. There is a talk that LTTE helped Solheim to buy his house in Oslo. Solheim always told Prabhakaran in my presence that they were with the LTTE.

Solheim advised Prabhakaran how to govern in the future. They showed us military bases, gave us transmitters, this support came mainly from Solheim.

Norway is well aware of Prabhakaran motives. But, they don't want to show it to the world that they are failing as a peacemaker. They only want to make a name for themselves in the world. They only think of their future.

Late SLMM chief Furhouvde once told me that the Tamils cannot win until Prabhakaran is alive.

Q: How do you asses the present strength of the LTTE?

The LTTE is weak now. They are getting weaker. Firstly due to our split, secondly because the Army is much stronger, thirdly due to the breakdown in the LTTE structure. They are all scattered now. Another important reason is that the Tamils have realised now how brutal the LTTE is and of their atrocities.

The Navy is doing a good job and the LTTE is facing a severe shortage of ammunition. They have two light aircraft and the Sea Tigers are dependent only on their suicide cadres, that's how they show their strength.

Earlier even Foreign Mercenaries worked with the LTTE and the training for the pilots were provided in Bangkok in private pilot training schools after the CFA.

Q: What are you? Why does the LTTE refers to your faction as a paramilitary group?

We are not a paramilitary group. We are the breakaway faction of the LTTE and we are also a registered political party now. Prabhakaran and the LTTE lost its support even from the Diaspora after I split.

Many Tamils are working against Prabhakaran openly now and rising against him, even the people in Jaffna. Before I split they were scared and I gave them strength to rise against Prabhakaran. He refers to us as a paramilitary group to discredit us.

What is the LTTE leadership up to now? All their children and their families are living and studying abroad. They are now eligible to join the LTTE.

But, they are not doing so instead recruiting other people's children. His son is 22 and the daughter is 20. But, he is not asking them to join the LTTE. Why?

Q: Aren't you the LTTE's most wanted man? Do you fear for your life?

Yes. I know his strategies and I know how to counter him. That is why I have survived so far. No. I don't fear for my life. I am concerned about the Eastern people. I want to be their voice against Prabhakaran and his cruelty to humanity

Q: What are your views on the recent judgment on the de-merger of the North/East?

We need a Referendum. Let the people decide. It is better. Even the Indo-Lanka accord says that there should be Referendum. We also accept N/E as the Tamil homeland.

Q: Do you think the solution to the problem is getting delayed and must be found soon?

President Mahinda Rajapaksa must offer a solution soon through the All Party Conference instead of waiting for the LTTE.

LTTE will never agree to any solution. If Prabhakaran agrees to any solution his security will become a problem, so he will never agree to any solution that is offered.

The President should offer the solution to the Tamil people and ask them to accept it and then once they accept he must make it a reality.

Q: Who helped you to leave Thoppigala when the battles between your faction and the LTTE broke out?

Ali Zahir Moulana, former UNP Member of Parliament. He is in the United States now. He was a good friend and he helped me. He helped me to come to Colombo and leave thereafter. Chandrika did not help me. She made a blunder. They would have helped me and accepted me because I have chosen the path of democracy now

Q: How do you see the United National Party and its present crisis?

UNP is trying to rally the Tamils round them but the Tamils who are opposed to the LTTE are rallying round the President.

But, if they eliminate Mahinda it will all collapse. Ranil and some sections of the UNP are trying to help the LTTE. They are trying to bring the LTTE and the Tamils together. Ranil does not realise that Prabhakaran is only using him.

Ranil kept on appeasing him but Prabhakaran did not help him during the last elections. Karu Jayasuriya is a good man. He is a patriot. Prabhakaran planned to kill Ranil but he never understood it.