Pro-LTTE supporters protest against Sri Lanka

Chennai, May 29 (ANI): Hundreds of pro-LTTE supporters under the banner of Viduthali Chiruthai Katchi, took out a mass rally in Chennai on Thursday to protest against Sri Lankan offensive on the ethnic Tamils in the island nation.

The protesters raised slogans against Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa and demanded that he be declared a war criminal for initiating military action against the LTTE.

"On May 16, 17 Sinhalese many Tamils were killed. LTTE leaders went for compromise but they were killed ... The party condemns action of Sri Lanka.

UN and international community should announce Mahinda Rajapaksa as a war criminal before a court. We urge the international community to give maximum punishment of hanging to Rajapaksa," said Thol Thirumavalavan, General Secretary, Viduthali Chiruthai Katchi, Chennai.

The Sri Lankan military declared victory over the LTTE after a climactic gun battle in which the separatist rebels' leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran was killed.

Sri Lanka is now completely under the control of the government for the first time since the LTTE waged a war in 1983 fighting for a separate nation for the minority Tamils in the Sinhalese-majority country. (ANI)