Tamil Tigers expel rebel leader

The Tamil Tigers expelled Colonel Karuna (right) for acting traitorously

Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka have expelled a renegade commander in the east of the island.

They told reporters that Colonel Karuna had been dismissed because of his betrayal and stressed that he was a lone individual without supporters.

The rebel commander reportedly dubbed the move "ridiculous" because he said he had already left the movement.

One of his officials quoted him as saying that he would not relinquish control of his 6,000 troops.

It's very ridiculous to make a statement that I am expelled, when it was we who first decided to break away Colonel Karuna

The BBC's Frances Harrison says the split could be very disruptive to the island's already ailing peace process.

But the head of the Tigers' political wing, SP Thamilselvan, said they remained committed to peace and would ensure negotiations were not disrupted by the actions of a single individual.

Internal crisis

"Karuna has decided to break away ... at the instigation of forces who are opposed to the (Tamil) struggle," Mr Thamilselvan told reporters.

The Tigers declined to speculate about what might have motivated the colonel, or whether the Sri Lankan army might have been involved.

Reports have suggested that Colonel Karuna - whose real name is Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan - is unhappy that the bulk of the rebel fighters come from eastern Sri Lanka, and yet all the top leadership comes from the north.

One of his top officials, quoted by Associated Press, said he was refusing to give up his command.

"It's very ridiculous to make a statement that I am expelled, when it was we who first decided to break away and have our own administration," the official quoted Colonel Karuna as saying.

Our correspondent, reporting from the rebel headquarters in Kilinochchi, says it is not yet clear how serious this split within the Tamil Tiger force is.

She says it is too early to confirm assertions by the northern leadership that the rebel fighting force in the east is still fully under its control.

Thamilselvan (right) said the Tigers remained committed to peace

Some reports from the east say the rebel police and courts have stopped functioning, though the leaders in the north say that is just because of the current confusion.

A top defence ministry official said on Friday that the government could not agree to Colonel Karuna's request for a separate defence pact.

"When there is one ceasefire agreement signed between the prime minister and [rebel chief] Prabhakaran, how can we have another one with a member of one of the parties?" Defence Secretary Cyril Herath asked in remarks to AFP news agency.

But he said the government hoped that fighting would not break out between the two sides.