Lanka army commander warns Tamils to be wary

Colombo, Apr 14: A top Sri Lankan Army commander has warned the Tamil people in the country's north to be wary of elements attempting to undermine the hard-earned peace. Speaking to the local people after distributing grants to former LTTE combatants for their rehabilitation, Jaffna Commander Maj Gen Mahinda Hathurusinghe invited the Tamil diaspora to help the needy rather than undermining normalcy.

"Various groups in Tamil Diaspora are now in the process of undermining the hard-earned peace in the country. Instead of disturbing peace now being enjoyed by people of Sri Lanka, those groups must come forward to help destitute people to make their life better using money being wasted on creating dissension among communities in Sri Lanka," he said.

Hathurusinghe said as all communities in the island had suffered irrespective of ethnicity by the LTTE's campaign for a separate state, now it was the time to forget the dark era of the past and unite as one nation that is Sri Lanka.

The civil war in Lanka ended in 2009 with the defeat of the LTTE and killing of its top leadership.

In the first phase, each of some 25 of the ex-LTTE combatants released after rehabilitation were offered rupees 50,000. The balance rupees 200,000 will be granted in future.

The army also handed over a house built by the troops to a war widow. Some 84 kids of four pre-schools in Alaveddy area were given school uniforms, shoes and exercise books as New Year gifts. Another 50 students were given parcels of exercise books.

Sri Lanka is wary of the pro-LTTE Tamil diaspora domiciled in the West who the government claims are looking for an opportunity to revive the LTTE activity.

PTI