Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

Karuna seeks asylum in London
Pillaiyan takes over leadership of Karuna Group
Douglas demands extradition of Thavarajah
Dr Rajaratnam back in Sri Lanka

Former leader of the Sir Lankan government sponsored Karuna paramilitary group, Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna has sought asylum in London, according to Tamil media reports.

Karuna's departure from his last hideout in Colombo has followed public threats made against him by the EPDP paramilitary group leader Douglas Devananda.

Paramilitary sources say that Karuna feared that he will be murdered by the EPDP and the blame would be shifted to his junior rival Pillaiyan.

Pillaiyan who has been at odds with his leader Karuna for over six months has taken over full leadership of the Karuna Group, according to paramilitary sources.

Accordingly, all Karuna group camps have been ordered to replace framed photos of Karuna on the walls with that of Pillaiyan.

Meanwhile, EPDP group leader Douglas Devananda has demanded that London extradites Sinnathurai Thavarajah who sought asylum there last month.

Thavarajah, a former senior member of the EPDP fled the island claiming Douglas was plotting to kill him.

Since then Sri Lankan media have been reporting that Thavarajah had been working as a double agent for the LTTE, helping many cadres from the Intelligence Wing navigate around Colombo and its suburbs.

In a twist of events, the similarly accused Dr TC Rajaratnam is being given wide publicity in Sinhala media.

Dr Rajaratnam was widely accused by the Sri Lankan media of aiding the suicide bomber who killed Neelan Thiruchelvam in Colombo in 1999.

It was then claimed that Rajaratnam was at odds with Neelan over family property disputes. Rajaratnam is the cousin of Neelan.

Following the accusations and subsequent threats Rajaratnam fled to Australia where he was offered asylum.

However, reports now say Dr Rajaratnam has sneeked back to Sri Lanka with the aid of senior Ministers in the Rajapaksa regime.

Neelan Thiruchelvam was a close associate of former Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga. Rajapaksa and Kumaatunga have been publicly at odds for a number of years.