LTTE condemns use of its name

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
"Some Tamil parties contesting the local government polls in Jaffna are using our name to their advantage to woo the people. We strongly condemn this. We have nothing to do with anyone contesting this election" said Veeman, the deputy leader of the political wing of the Liberation Tigers for the Jaffna district during an interview with the TamilNet correspondent.

Veeman was interviewed in Vadamaradchi east, in the Jaffna peninsula, where the Sri Lankan army is not present currently. He was with his colleagues Thushyanthan and Kokulan.

Veeman told TamilNet that if the Sri Lankan army were to exert pressure on the people to vote it was left to them (the people) to decide what to do under such circumstances and that the LTTE will not compel the people into doing anything against their wish in Jaffna.

He further said that the severe restrictions imposed by the army on the supply of food, medicine and other essential items to Vadamaradchi east affects the people there and not the LTTE.

Veeman told the TamilNet that the ICRC in Jaffna should make arrangements to hand over to the LTTE the bodies of the Tigers who are killed in confrontations with the SLA in Jaffna.

He said that the manner in which the bodies of his colleagues killed in action are disposed now by the government in Jaffna is despicable.