Colombo, July 28: After making a series of unsuccessful attempts to revive its political and smugglers' network in Tamil Nadu for the past few years, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has reportedly began shifting its overseas bases to Burma, Laos and Cambodia in view of the ``relentless'' crackdown on LTTE and its sympathisers in India following the Rajiv Gandhi assassination in May, 1991.

Sources among the moderate Tamil parties who were in constant touch with scores of civilians and LTTE sympathisers leaving the LTTE-held northern Vanni region, due to harsh living conditions, said the LTTE was under pressure specially for medical supplies and treatment for over 500 injured cadre in make-shift hospitals.

There were several senior leaders, including some women cadre who badly needed medical facilities.

``There was a sense of remorse sweeping the ranks of the LTTE for burning the bridges with India by assassinating Rajiv Gandhi,'' they said adding that a number of senior members of the organisation, openly acknowledged this.

The LTTE was not only feeling the loss of Indian and especially patronage of the Tamil Nadu politicians and public, but was suffering because of loss of access to medical and food facilities. LTTE cadre still frequent Tamil Nadu but in very small numbers due to the crackdown launched on them.

In view of the ban imposed against it, the rebels were not able to take full advantage of the clandestine political and smugglers' network in that state, they said.

``As a result of this, the LTTE was now forced to look for safe bases in Burma, Laos and Cambodia,'' they added. LTTE specially established the bases there so that it can send its injured for treatment to begin with and rest of the activities follows, they said.

But these bases were no match to the back-up facilities the rebels enjoyed in Tamil Nadu as it was just a 20-minutes fast boat ride from Sri Lanka's north-west coast.

Already speculation was rife about Prabhakaran shifting his wife and two children to a safe place in Cambodia after the army moved close to his secret bases in North-East Oddusuddan in the rebel-held Vanni.

After beginning its offensive in June this year, the army managed to capture the Tamil town Nedunkeni, which is hardly 25 km from Oddusuddan. Several heavy attacks by the LTTE at Nedunkeni has so far failed to dislodge the army.

``My feeling is that the Rajiv Gandhi assassination was a turning point in Tamil Nadu. It was like an awakening. The fact that it happened in Tamil Nadu, made the Tamil masses wake up to the reality that the LTTE was not a body to be engaged and nurtured because they were unreliable and have an agenda of their own,'' Sri Lankan foreign minister, Lakshman Kadirgamar said.

Also there was a feeling of resignation among the LTTE about the increasing isolation of their struggle in the international arena.

The LTTE was banned in India after the assassination in 1991 but lost a substantial ground even before that as it fought the Indian Peace Keeping Force.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.