A senior Defence Ministry official has told The Island that Rev Rayappu Joseph, the Bishop of Mannar, is pursuing the agenda of the LTTE and is pushing for external intervention, a day after a letter to the Human Rights Council, signed by over 200 members of the Christian clergy, called for an international investigation.
The official said that the bishop, who is a leading figure in the Tamil civil society, was “probably working with the […] Global Tamil Forum” and its president, Father SJ Emmanuel.
The international community would be briefed on the bishop’s “longstanding relationship with the LTTE”, the official added.
The Island further quoted the unnamed source as saying that the LTTE had been undermining reconciliation efforts since 2009.