Colombo (AsiaNews) – The drive of Sri Lanka's separatist rebels to recruit people to fight in their "final struggle" to attain a Tamil homeland in the north and east has become a "menace" as many Tamils are pressured to join their ranks in some capacity or other.

The rebel movement of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) pay lip service to achieving a negotiated peace settlement through Norwegian mediation to end their long-running civil war with the Sri Lankan authorities. But their intensive propaganda and military training strategies tell a different story.

Escalating hostilities confirm that Sri Lanka's peace hopes are fading fast: on 14 July, 12 soldiers of the Sri Lankan Army and three LTTE fighters were reportedly killed in clashes near Batticaloa in the east.

Reliable sources in Sri Lanka, who remain anonymous for security reasons, told AsiaNews the LTTE expected Tamils to contribute to what it described as the looming "final war" by joining the so-called "national army". "They say we will attain our separate country with the next war. This is very common propaganda here," the sources said.

To this end, the Tigers are ordering ex-fighters to re-train and are implementing an inflexible "one person per family" recruitment policy in their territory. Some Tamils are eager to sign up but many others are not. However it seems they have little choice: in the areas under its control in the north and east, the LTTE exerts considerable pressure on civilians to attend military training even against their will.

"Some people went willingly at first, thinking the training would protect them. But now this has become a menace here," the sources said. "In one village, farmers were prevented from doing rice cultivation for the minor season (April-July) because they were not willing to go for these exercises. In another village, fishermen were prevented from fishing unless they first took up training."

Those who "graduate" – in ceremonies of great pomp – from military courses are armed and stationed along the road for surveillance, which the LTTE badly needs, given the allegedly increasing number of "deep penetration" attacks by the army into its territory.

Some youth have fled to government-controlled areas to escape conscription so now their fathers must train and serve on the 'national army'. One father said: "What to do? In order to safeguard my young children, I am forced to take up arms. If I do not join the national army my son or daughter will have to go."

In one church, an old mother is reported to have prayed during the prayers of the faithful: 'Heavenly Father, protect our youngsters from the foes, who come to take them for military exercises'.

The LTTE has also ordered its former fighters, even those in army-controlled areas, to report for re-training. The sources said some men – many of who are now married with families to support – at first ignored the call but did not dare disobey the second summons.

Since then, they have been unable to return home for anything other than brief visits. "The wives of some ex-fighters visited the camp and said their husbands cried and wanted to be rejoined to their families," sources said. "These women told me that there were 100 to 150 men in that camp. The majority of them want to leave."

However, others, who were reluctant to go in the first place, have now been "brainwashed", said the sources, adding: "When they came home on leave, they started recruiting others to join the national army for the so called 'final assault'."