In March 2004, Colonel Karuna officially announced in two letters that he sent to the LTTE leadership with copies to the international media that he was renouncing his LTTE membership, along with 5000 troops loyal to him in the districts of Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara. This was the biggest expression of dissension in the history of the LTTE, severely weakening the LTTE's fighting force and a clash within the factions in the LTTE seemed imminent. Karuna then formed his own political party, the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) and absorbed over 5000 troops loyal to him from the LTTE into his new party's paramilitary wing.