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LTTE setting up auxiliary force of Thamil Eelam
By Chris Kamalendran in Kilinochchi
The Ceasefire Agreement notwithstanding, Tiger guerrillas have continued to embark on further measures to strengthen their military machine. The latest is a move to raise a 1,500 strong auxiliary force that will form part of an armed militia of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. More than 300 applicants have turned up for walk-in interviews held at the LTTE "Police Headquarters" here upto Friday.

For the first time guerrillas placed a formal advertisement in newspapers to invite applicants to join the newly-established auxiliary force where the applicants will be given a six-month armed training.

The move was aimed at strengthening the depleted forces of the LTTE after being hit by a large number of desertions from the movement following the departure of renegade LTTE's Batticaloa-Ampara leader Karuna who has also discouraged new cadres joining the movement.

"We will provide the military training and place them in various LTTE projects, but when the need arises we use them for fighting," LTTE 'Police Chief' Nadesan told The Sunday Times.

The interviews were open only for "citizens of Thamil Eelam" and strict screening procedures were to follow to prevent the infiltration of rival groups, including loyalists of Karuna.

The fresh recruitment drive came as the UNICEF yesterday accused the LTTE of continuing to conscript youth below 18 years and continuing to violate the agreements reached with the UN agency.

The UNICEF said that since April, 159 children had been recruited by the LTTE and such recruitment was continuing (see separate story on Page 6). This is the first time the LTTE is setting up an auxiliary force where cadres are being directly recruited with a salary of Rs. 8,500 a month.
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