As Lanka closes in on Tigers, boat with refugees lands in Tamil Nadu

As Sri Lankan troops advanced on the last redoubt of the Tamil Tigers and the exodus of people trapped in a coastal strip crossed 62,000, a boatload of starving Tamil refugees landed on the Tamil Nadu coast this morning. Refugees claimed that over 80 boats carrying civilians were headed for the Indian mainland but officials said intelligence inputs pointed to only four boats making the journey.

Nineteen refugees, including eight women and two children, reached Arcothurai near Point Calimere in Nagapattinam this morning after sailing for nearly 24 hours in a small fishing boat. Police officials said the refugees had no food or water. They were taken to the Mandapam camp in Rameshwaram where a large number of Lankan Tamil refugees are housed.

“Now that the battlefield has shifted to north-east Lanka, people in former LTTE-controlled areas like Mullaithivu and Puthukkudiyiruppu are trying to flee the war by escaping to the Indian mainland,” an official said. As a result, Nagapattinam

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Two top Tigers surrender, Lanka says Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam end near

Two top Tamil Tiger leaders today surrendered be-fore the rapidly advancing Sri Lankan forces, signalling an imminent collapse of the LTTE as troops closed in on Vellamullivakkal, the possible hiding place of rebel chief Vellupillai Prabhakaran.

Velayutham Dayanidhi, better known as Daya Master, a former media coordinator of the Tigers, and George, a close aide of slain LTTE political wing head S P Thamilchelvan, gave themselves up to the army at Putumathalan in the no-fire zone (NFZ) where the battles are raging, Defence spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said.

This is the first time that LTTE cadres have surrendered as Tigers are known for swallowing cyanide pills than giving themselves up. The two leaders are likely to be flown to Colombo to be produced before a court, the spokesman said.

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Tigers cornered in Lanka, Tamil Nadu parties make it a poll issue

Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, which account for 40 seats in the Lok Sabha, will vote only in the last phase of the elections on May 13 but as news of the imminent fall of LTTE trickles in from across the Palk Strait, not many in the fray are willing to take a chance. Almost all political parties in Tamil Nadu have announced protests for the sake of Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka, the more virulent ones like MDMK’s Vaiko even warning of a “bloodbath” if LTTE chief V Prabhakaran is harmed.

The ruling DMK, while declaring thatit will not go back on its alliance with the Congress over the issue, is organising a protest rally tomorrow, demanding immediate ceasefire in Sri Lanka. Chief Minister M Karunanidhi has sent a telegram to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh — it is also addressed to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Home Minister P Chidambaram — urging the Centre to intervene and “save theTamil race” from annihilation. Karunanidhi will himself lead the “Tamil’s rally” in Chennai and “all like minded parties” are expected to participate.

The DMK move seems to have been prompted by protests by the MDMK and PMK, among the most active parties campaigning on the issue.

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