The government forces are on the verge of defeating the Tamil Tigers, the former deputy commander of the LTTE said.
In an exclusive interview with BBC Sandeshaya, Vinayamurthi Muralitharan, better known as Karuna Amman, said the Tamil Tigers are 'very weak' in the face of continuous military offensives.
"The LTTE are now only maintaining a defence line. They can't launch any offensive. They are very weak now," Col. Karuna said.
However, it will take some time for the military to defeat the LTTE. "It will not happen in the next few months. We have to work together to win this war," he told BBCSinhala.com. Karuna Amman was deported from UK, where he served a prison sentence for immigration offences, to Sri Lanka on Wednesday.
It was his first media interview since arriving in Colombo on Thursday. He appealed to all communities, Sinhala, Muslim and Tamil, to help the government to defeat the LTTE which he described as a 'brutal terrorist group'. The leader of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP) said he is 'very happy' that his deputy was appointed Chief Minister of the Eastern Provincial Council. Col. Karuna insisted that he has no plans to replace the TMVP deputy leader, Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan known as Pillayan, as the new Chief Minister. "We are not only representing the eastern Tamils. We represent all Tamils in Sri Lanka," he said.
Mr. Pillayan earlier told BBC Tamil service that he would offer the post to Karuna Amman, if he returns to the country.
Karuna also revealed that he would meet President Rajapaksa and the ministers in his administration in the near future. "We are a party in the government alliance. Everybody knows that," he said.
International human rights groups had earlier urged British authorities to charge Karuna for war crimes while he was in British custody. Human Rights Watch (HRW) has strongly criticized the decision by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), that there was insufficient evidence to charge him. Director General of Amnesty International (AI) later told BBC Sandeshaya that the Sri Lankan government should charge Karuna for alleged gross human rights violations.
Karuna and the TMVP are accused of serious rights violations committed while he was a senior leader of the LTTE and later while he was working as a paramilitary leader supporting the Sri Lankan military. Karuna says he was only following orders given by LTTE leaders, Velupillai Prabhakaran and Pottu Amman.
In an exclusive interview with BBC Sandeshaya, Vinayamurthi Muralitharan, better known as Karuna Amman, said the Tamil Tigers are 'very weak' in the face of continuous military offensives.
"The LTTE are now only maintaining a defence line. They can't launch any offensive. They are very weak now," Col. Karuna said.
However, it will take some time for the military to defeat the LTTE. "It will not happen in the next few months. We have to work together to win this war," he told BBCSinhala.com. Karuna Amman was deported from UK, where he served a prison sentence for immigration offences, to Sri Lanka on Wednesday.
It was his first media interview since arriving in Colombo on Thursday. He appealed to all communities, Sinhala, Muslim and Tamil, to help the government to defeat the LTTE which he described as a 'brutal terrorist group'. The leader of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP) said he is 'very happy' that his deputy was appointed Chief Minister of the Eastern Provincial Council. Col. Karuna insisted that he has no plans to replace the TMVP deputy leader, Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan known as Pillayan, as the new Chief Minister. "We are not only representing the eastern Tamils. We represent all Tamils in Sri Lanka," he said.
Mr. Pillayan earlier told BBC Tamil service that he would offer the post to Karuna Amman, if he returns to the country.
Karuna also revealed that he would meet President Rajapaksa and the ministers in his administration in the near future. "We are a party in the government alliance. Everybody knows that," he said.
International human rights groups had earlier urged British authorities to charge Karuna for war crimes while he was in British custody. Human Rights Watch (HRW) has strongly criticized the decision by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), that there was insufficient evidence to charge him. Director General of Amnesty International (AI) later told BBC Sandeshaya that the Sri Lankan government should charge Karuna for alleged gross human rights violations.
Karuna and the TMVP are accused of serious rights violations committed while he was a senior leader of the LTTE and later while he was working as a paramilitary leader supporting the Sri Lankan military. Karuna says he was only following orders given by LTTE leaders, Velupillai Prabhakaran and Pottu Amman.
