Lanka accuses LTTE of executing its eight tax collectors

Colombo, Aug 28 (UNI) Sri Lanka's Defence Ministry today claimed that the Tamil Tiger rebels have executed eight of their own tax collectors accusing them of misappropriating funds collected from civilians in rebel-held areas.

Sri Lanka's Defence Ministry citing civilian sources said in a report today that all these '' eight LTTE tax collectors had been executed publicly by the supporters of Pottu Amman," the intelligence wing head of the LTTE, at Vattakachchi in Kilinochchi two weeks ago.

'' However, a civilian who had managed to escape to government controlled areas recently told defence authorities that the actual reason for the killing was because they criticised the LTTE leaders who used funds for their personnel end," the Defence Ministry said.

'' Those victims were educated youth. They were unhappy about the extortion of poor civilians, and what is being done to the money so collected. They dared to criticize the LTTE leaders those who misuse funds for their personal ends," the unnamed civilian was quoted as saying by the Defence Ministry.

Meanwhile, the LTTE in a statement claimed that they have killed three soldiers and wounded five more in a fresh clash in the northern district of Vavuniya yesterday evening.

Pro-LTTE websites quoting LTTE sources reported that the fighting broke out when the military allegedly tried to advance from their Forward Defence Lines (FDLs) at Palamoddai area towards the rebel-held areas Monday evening.

There was no immediate reaction from the military in this regard.

UNI