Senior LTTE commanders and officials paid tribute to Lt. Col. Veeramani, a former Commander of the Charles Antony Regiment, who succumbed to his wounds in an accidental explosion on May 25. LTTE officials in Kilinochchi said. Lt. Col. Veeramani, who recovered from earlier wounds in the battlefield, has been in charge of FDL points in Nagarkovil.

Amidst increasing accusations against Colombo of Sri Lankan troopers alleged involvement in extra-judicial killings and the terror-campaign let loose on Jaffna islets, Dr. Palitha Kohona, the Head of Sri Lanka Peace Secretariat, said last week that he suspects there might be contacts with the paramilitary cadres and the lower rank Sri Lankan troops.

The European Union resolution on May 18, the first step towards proscribing the Liberation Tigers, also marked the EU’s transition from observer to a partisan participant in Sri Lanka’s conflict. There are a number of controversial aspects to the resolution, including, for example, the directive to the LTTE to go for talks with the Sri Lankan government “without delay” and “be prepared to decommission weapons.”

The international community has miscalculated Sri Lanka’s dynamics. But it is unlikely to reconsider.

Desperate people do desperate things.

“We are unable to go home while the military people are there.”

At least 2000 Tamils have already reached India and several hundred more are believed to be ready to leave Sri Lanka, official sources told PTI.

In a wide ranging interview, the Liberation Tigers’ theoretician and chief negotiator, Mr. Anton Balasingham elucidated the LTTE’s view on the recent controversy stirred by the international ceasefire monitors comments on the Sea Tigers, on the performance of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) and on the escalating cycle of violence.

The coalition of Sri Lanka’s four largest political parties, criticizes the European Union’s stance on the ethnic conflict.

“Article 29 represents the solemn balance of rights between the citizens of Ceylon, the fundamental conditions on which they accepted the constitution and these are unalterable under the constitution.”

The US has said it was engaged in an “active dialogue” with India on the developments in Sri Lanka, where the stepped up attacks by Tamil Tigers were particularly “very troublesome,” but stressed that it was up to New Delhi to decide the kind of role it wanted to play.

“There is no proposal for deployment of United Nations forces.”

'We believe that the Sri Lankan army and Tamil armed groups are operating behind LTTE lines.''

“[Meanwhile] the Co-Chairs call on both parties to take immediate steps to reverse the deteriorating situation and put the country back on the road to peace.”