Norwegian Tamil new LTTE leader?

The alleged new leader of the LTTE visiting Stortinget. Photo: private. Source: Aftenposten.no.

A Tamil resident on the west coast of Norway is alleged to be one of the most powerful leaders of the militant wing of The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The unnamed man, who is referred to as “dangerous”, has lived in Norway since 2005. He is now being viewed by several sources as the likely successor to LTTE leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran, who was killed in May during the final phase of the civil war in Sri Lanka.

LTTE is a terrorist organization that has been banned by a number of nations, including the U.S., the EU and India. Norway, which long had a role as a mediator in the ongoing peace process between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government, maintained contact with the Tamil Tigers until the final battle was fought in May.

“We have seen the reports, but we don’t yet know what’s true or not,” said Erik Solheim, Minister of the Environment and International Development, to Aftenposten. He added that there is “zero appetite internationally” for the LTTE to continue its violent struggle for independence.

Tamil activists, living in Norway, held a long series of demonstrations last winter. They also broke into the Sri Lankan Embassy in Oslo.

Source: Aftenposten