Paramilitaries stirring communal tension through crimes - LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 February 2002, 16:09 GMT]
Agent provocateurs under the guise of being members of the Liberation Tigers are engaged in criminal activities in the Batticaloa district in a bid to provoke communal tension and undermine the ongoing Norwegian peace efforts, the LTTE's political section for the Batticaloa and Amparai districts said Sunday. In a Tamil-language statement issued in the eastern districts, the LTTE said paramilitary groups working with the Sri Lanka armed forces were responsible for a string of thefts, forcible removal of property from Muslim homes and businesses and extortion. The LTTE appealed to all Tamil speaking people in the region to be united against such efforts to spread alarm.

"Many abhorrent acts are occurring in the Army controlled areas by persons using the name of the LTTE," the statement said. "Many incidents, such as taking of money, theft from homes, appropriation of jewellery, removal of goods without paying from the stores of our Muslim brothers are taking place.

"Claims of being Tamil Tigers are being made when queried and letters asking for funds purported to be from the LTTE are being issued," the statement said.

"Members of Tamil paramilitary groups who benefited from the war are behind this calculated campaign with the intention of disrupting this period of peace and turning our Muslim brethren against the LTTE and thereby create trouble for the government."

"Organisations who are dismayed that the LTTE is advancing in its political goal and is popular among the people are attempting to smear the LTTE's name," it said.

Appealing to the districts' Tamil speaking people to "be wary of paramilitary groups working with the Sri Lanka armed forces and youths working under the cover of the CID who summon you for inquiries in order to rob your homes," the statement declared that "No member of the Liberation Tigers will obtain money or goods from shops or houses. We wish to categorically state that such actions are not permitted."

"In order to develop our successful liberation movement into a robust one, we need to behave with honour towards all Tamil people," the statement said further.

"We ask that the people be extremely cautious of puppets of the enemy who will not hesitate to destroy the economic well-being of their own people for their own personal gain," the statement further said.

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