Former Prabhakaran aide supports moderate Tigers

Karuna Amman, a former lieutenant of slain Liberation Tiges of Tamil Eelam chief Velupillai Prabhakaran and now a federal minister favours tapping of moderates among the Tamil Tigers who are "sincerely interested" in a just and peaceful solution to the ethnic problem in Sri Lanka.

The former right hand man of Prabhakaran said the success of prevailing over any militant or terror group lay in engaging the moderates amongst its ranks to enable them to reform and burst the outfit.

"Having been a part of a terrorist group myself in my youth, I may truthfully state that in every terrorist group there are the moderates, like myself who are sincerely interested in a just and peaceful solution," he said.

"The relevant governments and authorities should make a genuine effort to recognise such moderates and create an opening for them to work in collaboration with the Government in finding a just solution to the crisis," he said.

Addressing an international conference titled 'Engaging the Tamil Tigers: Lessons from a failed peace process' in Colombo, the rebel turned minister noted that though being an member of Parliament for just around a year, he had been able to achieve much identifying the needs of the people who were recently liberated.

Amman alias Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan, who is now the National Integration and Reconciliation Minister in the Rajapaksa government also said the focus should be on resettlement of the internally displaced persons and eradication of poverty, the state owned Daily News reported.