Oslo, March 31 (compiled from reports on the Internet)
LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran is to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for the year 2002.

According to well-informed sources, the committee for this prestigious award has decided on the Sri Lankan rebel leader for his commitment and dedication to peace. His move to declare a unilateral ceasefire that led to the cessation of hostilities in the island nation had made the committee to decide in his favour, sources said.

Sri Lankan peace councils, that are being heavily funded by Scandinavian NGO, have been behind this move, sources said. They have pointed out to Prabhakaran’s commitment to welfare of children by freeing them from domestic labour and recruiting them as freedom fighters.

Among those who were in the running for the Nobel peace Prize this year were: President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Jonas Savimbi,who was assasinated last month, and Osama bin Laden. Western human rights groups had made strong objections to these names on the grounds that they were racists, chauvinists and fascists, but strongly supported the Sri Lankan.