Sri Lanka's cornered Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran will not be eligible for amnesty, having “spurned” an offer to surrender, the island's president said as two key Tamil Tiger officials surrendered Wednesday. Sri Lankan troops pressed a final offensive against the rebels despite a global outcry over the fate of civilians trapped in the war zone. Among the senior rebels who turned themselves in was the Tigers' main mouthpiece to the outside world, chief spokesman Velayudam Dayanidi, who is better known as Daya Master. Another official, who once served as an aide to the late head of the Tigers' political wing, S.P. Thamilselvan, also surrendered. President Mahinda Rajapakse said the guerrilla leader, whose Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are fighting to prevent complete defeat after being pushed to a narrow stretch of coastal jungle, would not be pardoned. “The LTTE leader has spurned the possibility of pardon by us,” the president's office quoted him as saying. “He must now face the consequences of his acts.” The defense ministry spokesman said more than 100,000 people had fled the shrinking patch of territory still controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), adding troops were “rescuing” civilians caught up in the war. “Our operations to rescue civilians are continuing,” Keheliya Rambukwella told reporters, describing the Tigers as a spent force with just 12 square km of land left. “The LTTE has lost all its military capabilities. They are fighting a losing battle,” he said, adding the government also “strongly believes” that Tamil Tiger leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran, 54, was still in the area. The Tigers, who have been fighting for an independent Tamil homeland since 1972, have acknowledged losing ground, and have accused the government of killing 1,000 civilians in recent days. The military insists it has aided the escape of tens of thousands of men, women and children this week – and has found 3,000 suspected LTTE members among the refugees. It says some fleeing non-combatants were fired on by the rebels, who are alleged to have kept villagers as human shields. The rival claims are hard to verify as independent reporters are not allowed near the conflict zone, but aid agencies have painted a grim picture. “The situation is nothing short of catastrophic,” said Pierre Kraehenbuehl, operations director for the International Committee of the Red Cross. “What we are seeing is intense fighting in a very small area overcrowded with civilians who have fled there.” He estimated there could be thousands more people still inside rebel-held territory, while facilities for those who had reached relative safety were overstretched. The United States and other nations have urged both Sri Lankan troops and Tiger rebels not to fire indiscriminately, and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has asked that UN staff be allowed to enter the area.
