Balasingham downplays LTTE split

Tamil guerrilla theoretician Anton Balasingham has vowed to end a power struggle within the group without armed violence and bloodshed and declared that the rebellion staged by a regional military wing leader was a 'temporary aberration'.

Balasingham based in London speaking to a pro-Tamil guerrilla newspaper has said that be believed that the rebellion staged by the former commander for the eastern Batticaloa and Ampara districts, V. Muralitharan alias 'Colonel' Karuna was "not a major politico-military crisis in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE ).

Balasingham said while downplaying the divisions within the movement that Karuna's dissent would not seriously undermine the peace process or the 'Tamil national struggle' by the LTTE. "We have our strategy to overcome the situation without armed violence and bloodshed', Balasingham declared without elaborating how they hope to wrest control of the eastern province which is now under the commander of Karuna.

Balasingham made no mention about the decision of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran to move in cadres from the northern border of the eastern Batticaloa district, but another regional leader claimed that their cadres have been sent into the border to prevent Karuna's fighters infiltrating into the northern area.

But, other sources believe that the guerrilla leader was planning to wrest control of the region.
Balasingham said that as a person who has a deeper understanding of the evolutionary history of their liberation movement Karuna's estrangement from the leadership is not a major politico-military crisis in the LTTE as depicted by media in Colombo.

"Our organisation has faced similar problems of betrayals, treachery and disloyalty in the turbulent history of our freedom struggle. Our leadership has resolved them successfully.