COLOMBO: The LTTE on Tuesday said it had started transmitting radio programmes via satellite to audiences in “South Asia”.

The Voice of Tigers (VOT) radio began the new service on Monday using the Eurostar satellite, the pro-rebel Tamil Net website said.

Tamil Net said the Asia radio service was being launched to commemorate the 69th birth anniversary of the late LTTE theoretician and chief peace negotiator, Anton Balasingham.

Two years ago the LTTE launched the TV channel called the National Television of Tamileelam (NTT) using Eurostar satellite, aimed at the expatriate Sri Lankan Tamil community in Europe.

Analysts say the audience the LTTE is mainly catering to through the new radio service to South Asia is Tamil Nadu in India which has many rebel sympathisers.