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TIGERS CONFIRM THAT BALASINGHAM CHANGED FLIGHT PATH ON SECURITY GROUNDS AND GIVE CREDENCE TO HIS FEAR OF INDIA

By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles

The official LTTE organ published in London gave some credence to unconfirmed Indian newspaper reports that Anton Balasingham's fear of an Indian Air Force interception made the seaplane carrying him to the Maldives change course.

The LTTE organ, the Tamil Guardian said the aircraft's flight path was changed on security considerations.

The official newspaper of the LTTE said, in its May 1 , 2002 issue, "…Mr. Balasingham who arrived in London late Thursday (April 25) told the Tamil Guardian that the Canadian pilots selected the Norwegian-sponsored plane's flight path based on security considerations."

Anton Balasingham's flight to the Maldives en route London from Sri Lanka's Iranamadu irrigation tank, near Kilinochchi in the Tiger held Wanni in a Maldives Air Taxi twin otter sea plane was engulfed in controversy when the aircraft avoided its approved flight path over the Western coast of Sri Lanka and instead flew over Trincomalee and the island nation's Eastern coast, April 24.

Unconfirmed reports appearing in the Hindustan Times said the seaplane bound for the Maldives with Balasingham and wife Adele on board avoided Sri Lanka's Western coastline and flew down the Eastern coast "to avoid detection and interception by the Indian Air force."

The newspaper said in a Colombo datelined news story, April 28, that over a month ago when Balasingham came to Wanni for consultations with Velupillai Prabhakaran his Maldivian Air Taxi seaplane flew over the sea between India and West Sri Lanka and entered through the North Western coast.

Some reports say LTTE leaders live in mortal fear of India as was exhibited by the extraordinary security arrangement made at the April 10 press conference held by Velupillai Prabhakaran. At least two high rankers of the terrorist group, including its Supremo are wanted for the murder of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

In an earlier report , the Island newspaper said Balasingham's five seat plane suddenly changed course and flew the other way and the plane had nearly been shot down because Air Force Eastern command had been taken unawares.

Newspapers said a major crisis was only averted after the High Command of the Air Force in Colombo intervened.

Balasingham seeked permission of the Sri Lanka government for a Western coast route to go to the Maldives but did not inform the Sri Lanka government about the change of the approved route.

Sri Lanka's Air Force Commander Air Marshal Jayalath Weerakkodi told a local television station, "It is still not known to us why Balasingham flew via Trincomalee instead of the agreed route. But I can say that it was not to be done."

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