Two Tamil Tiger leaders surrendered to the Sri Lankan military as the mass of distraught Tamil civilians fleeing the war zone crossed the 100,000 figure Wednesday, the authorities said. Stunned by the continuing human avalanche out of Puthumathalan area in Mullaitivu district, the government hurriedly sent 25,000 food packets by helicopter from Colombo to feed the hungry civilians, whose welfare has raised global concern. “We have suffered enough at LTTE hands,” one woman said, referring to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which is now left with a small strip of land along the coast in Mullaitivu where its leaders are said to be in hiding. “We now feel relieved,” the woman said. By Wednesday evening, more than 100,000 had left the area, mocking LTTE claims that the people did not want to cross over. The civilian suffering coincided with the dramatic surrender – for the first time – by two middle rung LTTE leaders to a military that has vowed to crush the insurgent group and kill its leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. There was no word on the whereabouts of the elusive LTTE chief, who faces possible death as troops close in on him in the coastal zone. The two LTTE leaders who surrendered were identified as its media coordinator Velayutham Dayanithi alias Daya Master and VK Pancharatnam, better known as George, who was the English translator to the late LTTE political wing head SP Thamilselvan.
