|
 "In
2002, after the
Cease Fire Agreement had come into force, the United States
Pacific Command carried out a comprehensive assessment of the LTTE and the Sri
Lankan Armed Forces at the request of the US Department of Defense.
The result of this study was a top secret report, which was signed by Peter
W.Rodman on behalf of the International Security Affairs desk of the US
Department of Defense. Copies of this report were given only to the then Prime
Minister, Ranil Wickremasinghe, the Defense Minister Tilak Marapone, and the
Secretary Defense Austin Fernando. The then President Chandrika Kumaratunga, and
the cabinet were kept in the dark about this study. What follows are verbatim
extracts from this report....
The leader and founder of the LTTE, Velupillai Prabhakaran, is
often described as a megalomaniac.
Comment by tamilnation.org
Megalomania (from the Greek word μεγαλομανία) is a
psychopathological condition characterized by delusional
fantasies of wealth, power, or omnipotence - often generally
termed as delusions of grandeur. A comparison of two leaders -
'delusion and grandeur' -
"I have always believed that this land was
placed here between the two great oceans by some divine
plan. It was placed here to be found by a
special kind of people
� people
who had a special love of freedom and who had the
courage to uproot themselves and leave hearth and homeland
and come to what in the beginning was the most
underdeveloped wilderness possible.." US President
Ronald Reagan,
Remarks at the Opening Ceremonies of the Statue of Liberty
Centennial Celebration in New York, New York July 3, 1986
quoted in Place: A Short Introduction - T. Cresswell 2004)
"Pirabaharan is not a small man.
He is the leader, a charismatic leader of the LTTE.
His life is very precious. And a very simple man.
No bullshit about him. His
wife lived with three saris - one she wore, one she washed
and one was ready to wear. That is all. They never drank
Coca-Cola. They offered us Coca-Cola, but never drank it
themselves. They drank that goliwala soda...
Pirabaharan spoke to me in English many a time. He appeared
well-read.... they [the LTTE] were very cordial.
They would take me anywhere. I had lot of time for them..."
Major
General Harkirat Singh, Indian Peace Keeping Force's First
Commander in Jaffna
He is practically worshipped by Tiger cadres, who have been
inculcated with Tamil nationalist propaganda.
Comment by tamilnation.org
"Inculcated"
with Tamil nationalist propaganda...
"..We
have for the last 25 years made every effort to secure our political rights
on the basis of equality with the Sinhalese in a united Ceylon. It is a
regrettable fact that successive Sinhalese governments have used the power
that flows from independence
to deny us our fundamental rights and reduce us to the position of a subject
people. These governments have been able to do so only by using against
the Tamils the sovereignty common to the Sinhalese and the Tamils. I wish to
announce to my people and to the country that I consider the verdict at this
election as a mandate that the
Tamil Eelam nation should exercise the sovereignty already vested in the
Tamil people and become free."
Statement by Gandhian Tamil leader S.J.V.Chelvanayakam
after winning the by-election for the Kankesanturai Parliamentary seat, held
belatedly on 7 February 1975, two years after he had resigned the seat to
seek a mandate for Tamil Eelam
"He died like Moses himself without reaching the promised
land but the vision he saw, he leaves behind as the heritage and challenge
to his people."
- Rt.Rev D.J. Ambalavanar at the funeral of
Gandhian Tamil Leader S.J.V.Chelvanayagam, April 1977
Prabhakaran has insisted that all LTTE soldiers wear a cyanide
capsule around their necks, maintaining that it is better to commit
suicide than be captured alive by the enemy.
Comment by tamilnation.org
"As far as I can tell most ordinary Tamils
support the Tigers, not necessarily because they like them,
but because they like the Sri Lankan - or Indian - armies
less.
The Tigers are ruthless and
authoritarian but they are not corrupt - they don't tolerate
stealing, bribery or rape, things other armies are famous
for. In fact they are perceived as being single
minded in their defence of Tamils. They are so
disciplined that when captured, they swallow cyanide
capsules that they carry with them at all times, rather than
risk revealing anything
under torture."
Professor Marshall Singer before US Congress Committee on
International Relations Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific
Hearing on Sri Lanka November 14,1995
Though Prabhakaran is aware that the United States publicly
condemns the LTTE's terrorist campaigns, he continues his efforts to
win sympathy from the United States. For this reason, the United
States has some leverage with him. However, if the perception of the
United States as a direct supporter of Sri Lanka's armed forces
against the LTTE persists, Prabhakaran's susceptibility to US
influence will decrease or vanish completely.
Velupillai Prabhakaran is the unchallenged dictatorial leader of
the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) terrorist organization.
Prabhakaran exerts tight control and discipline over the LTTE, which
fights for the establishment of an independent homeland, referred to
as "Eelam," carved out of the northern and eastern portions Lanka.
He is worshipped as a cult-like figure because of successful
indoctrination processes and effective political propaganda
campaigns.
Comment by tamilnation.org
"..
I was left with the impression that the
LTTE was the expression of
popular Tamil sentiment and could not be destroyed, so
long as that sentiment remained... Our unit and
formation commanders too came under the mental hypnosis of
the LTTE. They would graphically explain how well entrenched
the LTTE was in the minds of the people, how ungrateful
people were to us, how elusive the LTTE was, how perfect it
was in the midst of the people and in its actions, how
effective was its grip over the public and so on - virtually
admitting that it was an impossible task and all our
endeavours were pointless.
Lieutenant General S.C. Sardesh Pande, IPKF Divisional
Commander, Jaffna
Prabhakaran's mind-set, personality, ideology, objectives, and
outlook dominate and resound through the structure and organization
of the LTTE. Prabhakaran's call sign is Hotel Alpha, his location is
referred to as "one-four," and his nom de guerre is Karikalan.
Prabhakaran, born on 26 November 1954, comes from a typical
middle-class Tamil family with four children, including a brother
and two sisters. He and his family reside in the northern town of
Valvettithurai (referred to as VVT). VVT's inhabitants were servants
(Prabhakaran's father was one), traders, fishermen, or simply
smugglers because of the winding seacoast and close proximity to
India, Prabhakaran's parents currently live in Tamil Nadu, India,
and his siblings live overseas. In 1984, Prabhakaran met and
subsequently married a fellow activist, Madhivathini, who was on a
hunger strike protesting Sinhalese treatment of Tamils. They have
two children: a son, Charles Anthony, who is named after a former
LTTE leader and a daughter, Dwaraka, who is named after one of his
bodyguards.
When Prabhakaran was a child, his father demanded absolute
discipline from him and his siblings. Prabhakaran was a quiet boy
who was devoted to his family and friends, assisting family during
religious functions and dutifully running errands for neighbours and
relatives. He earned average grades in school. As a teenager,
Prabhakaran was shy with girls and was known to be always restless.
Prabhakaran's introduction to politics and to the Tamil-Sinhalese
conflict came from listening to his father's oft-repeated discourses
on the worsening ethnic relations in the country and laments on the
fate of Tamils. Prabhakaran subsequently became fascinated with
Subash Chandra
Bose, the Indian nationalist who preferred to resist British
rule through 'Militancy' rather than subscribe to Gandhi's doctrine
of nonviolence. His favourite of Bose's slogans was "I shall fight
for the freedom of my land until I shed the last drop of blood."
Prabhakaran was also intrigued with the military exploits of
Napoleon, the teachings of
Swami
Vivekananda, the Hindu epic of the Mahabharata, Tamil history
books, and Phantom comics, often imagining himself to be a legendary
warrior.
Comment by tamilnation.org
"..The pocket money that my parents gave
me I spent on books. I got a lot of satisfaction and
pleasure in reading new books. There was a book shop in my
village. It became my habit somehow or the other to buy all
those valuable books there and read them. It is through
books that I learnt of the heroic exploits of Alexander and
Napoleon. It is through my habit of reading that I developed
a deep attachment to the Indian Freedom struggle and martyrs
like
Subhash Chandra Bose,
Bagat
Singh and Balagengadhara Tilak... The Indian Freedom
struggle stirred the depths of my being and roused in me a
feeling of indignation against foreign oppression and
domination.The racial riots which erupted in Sri Lanka
in 1958 and the agonies that the Tamils had to endure as
a result were the factors that impelled me to militancy..."
How I
became a Freedom Fighter - Velicham Interview,1994
Though Prabhakaran was quiet and was regarded as a good listener,
he was easily excitable and found it difficult to contain himself
when discussions arose over Tamil politics, the ancient Tamil
kingdoms in India and Sri Lanka, and the possibility of an armed
struggle like that of Bose. He soon became involved in student
activist groups. His political activism eventually forced him to go
underground in 1973 and to cut off family ties.
Prabhakaran cites
Sinhalese discrimination against Tamils and the
1972 constitution (which declared Sinhala the only official
language of the country and Buddhism the state religion) as factors
that inspired him to become a rebel at age 18. As Tamil militancy
emerged in the 1970s, Prabhakaran began to prepare himself for the
battles that he perceived lay ahead. It is said that he had a
natural ability with firearms and as a marksman; in any case his
skills in these spheres were self-taught. As a measure of physical
endurance, he would tie himself up, get into a sack, and lie under
the sun the whole day. Prabhakaran also was known to insert pins
into his fingernails. He and his fellow activists relied on temple
offerings for food and at times would go hungry, sometimes taking
sleep-inducing tablets to ward off their hunger.
Prabhakaran and his gang began robbing banks to help finance their
militant quest for a Tamil homeland. Though other rebels robbed
banks to amass personal wealth, Prabhakaran's intentions were purely
political. He was a meticulous planner, placing banks under
surveillance for weeks and sometimes months before robbing them.
He gradually began to take the leading role in discussing
operations, but shared information only on a need-to-know basis.
Prabhakaran was very suspicious of new Tamil militant recruits. As a
security measure, he kept his meetings with outsiders to a minimum
and sometimes did not reveal his identity. Prabhakaran reportedly
was very tense and nervous about operations and could not accept
defeat. He developed a reputation for losing control if things did
not go his way. Even when engaged in friendly physical contests, if
Prabhakaran felt he was losing, he would resort to viciously biting
his opponents.
Prabhakaran enjoyed skyrocketing popularity in July 1975 after he
allegedly assassinated Alfred Durraiappah, the mayor of Jaffna, as
the latter paid his respects to a local Hindu temple. Durraiappah
was the chief organizer of the northern region, for the SLFP, the
current Sri Lankan ruling party, but was regarded by many Tamils as
a government stooge. Following the assassination, Prabhakaran became
obsessed with his personal security. By 1976, Prabbakaran and a
handful of hard-core militants formed the LTTE, a name derived from
its, precursor, the Tamil New Tigers, founded a couple of years
earlier.
Prabhakaran networked with other Tamil militant groups and leaders,
but later eradicated them in order to promote the LTTE as the only
true representative of Tamil nationalism that seeks to establish an
independent homeland, referred to Eelam. This constitutes
Prabhakaran's sole ideological justification for existence.
Comment by tamilnation.org
"We launched our struggle for self
determination and political independence because of the
systematic oppression of our people by the Sri Lankan state...
It is the Sri Lanka government which has failed to learn the
lessons from the
emergence of the struggles for self determination in several
parts of the globe and the innovative structural changes
that have taken place... We are not warmongers who love
violence. We want a permanent, stable and honourable
peace.... One day, when our enemy knocks at our doors for
peace, we will extend the hand of friendship." -
Velupillai Pirabaharan, leader of Tamil Eelam, 1992
In the early years Prabhakaran dabbled with Marxist ideas, but he
later became intent on basing the movement purely on Tamil
nationalism rather than on Marxist ideology which he views as
contributing to the downfall of other Tamil militant groups. Other
than Tamil nationalism, no other ideology or military theory has a
compelling appeal to Prabhakaran.
Although most LTTE cadres (including Prabhakaran himself) are
nominally Hindu the issue of religion plays a negligible part in
Prabhakaran's ideology. Prabhakaran believes that Eelam should be a
casteless society,
a concept that runs counter to the
Hindu
perspective.
Comment by tamilnation.org
"On an occasion in London,
in 1989, at a discussion with
Sathasivam
Krishnakumar
(for whom the
struggle for Tamil Eelam was his life) the conversation turned
to the Gita Upadesam. Kittu, as he was affectionately known,
commented: "Annai, in the Maha Bharatham, it was Karnan who truly
knew his duty. He was stead fast in his commitment to his
friend Duryodhana - he had no doubts about his 'Nanri Kadan' and in
the end Karnan willingly gave away all his 'punyam', knowing that by
doing so, he would die. Karnan knew well his dharma - he did
not need a 'Upadesam' to clarify his doubts - and so, in the Maha
Bharatham, there is no 'Gita Upadesam' for Karnan."
Spirituality and the Tamil Nation - Nadesan Satyendra, 10 May
1998
In addition, a number of LTTE cadres, hail from Christian
backgrounds. Prabhakaran quietly worships Lord Subramania (or Lord
Murugan) a prominent god in the Hindu pantheon. Nevertheless,
Prabhakaran is a pragmatist and generally relies on his own will and
ability.
Prabhakaran's local propaganda and recruitment efforts are directed
at children and adolescents. Prabhakaran has shown a
fondness for children and often engages them in conversation.
This sincerity may encourage the younger generation to be future
recruits in the LTTE. Prabhakaran believes that the second
generation, of youth exposed to the war will fight better than the
first. Of the second generation, he has greater faith in the
northern population because it has been subjected to more LTTE
indoctrination than its eastern counterparts, who are constantly
exposed to Sinhalese and Muslim influences.
Tamil youths, in particular, are attracted to Prabhakaran's image as
a folk hero. A supernatural image has been created of Prabhakaran,
and tales abound of the numerous instances where he narrowly escaped
death. These escapades and the fact that he has never seen the
inside of a jail cell continue to impress youths who stand in awe of
Prabhakaran's achievements in the Tamil struggle for independence.
The mysticism surrounding Prabhakaran, reinforced with massive
propaganda campaigns, has endowed him with a god-like status and a
cult-like following.
Prabhakaran's emphasis on iron discipline has contributed to the
successes of the LTTE. His tight control over the organization, the
severe punishments (including execution) he metes out to violators,
and his indoctrination of cadres (including the use of a cyanide
capsule rather than submit to capture) have made the LTTE's
organization and strategy difficult to decipher.
In terms of self-discipline, Prabhakaran sets an example that other
cadres must abide by. He does not consume liquor or smoke tobacco.
Tea, coffee, and carbonated drinks are also considered taboo. Sex
outside marriage is forbidden and those cadres who violate this code
are executed irrespective of seniority or personal loyalty. Gambling
and financial dishonesty are also punishable by death.
Homosexuality, interestingly, is not; however, it is dealt with by
public humiliation.
Prabhakaran emphasizes rigorous training and rehearsals of
operations. By the end of the training regimen, a cadre is
physically and psychologically, ready for the most demanding combat.
Relentless indoctrination is a powerful tool utilized by Prabhakaran
to ensure that a cadre is not forced into battle, but willingly
chooses to enter the fray and very likely lay down his or her life
for the sake of Tamil Eelam. Prabhakaran rarely visits training
bases, but studies videos to improve the curricula. Prabhakaran
thoroughly examines military successes and defeats so that he may
repeat the successes and develop new mechanisms for overcoming
failures.
Prabhakaran does not favour democratic processes. Though there is a
central committee of the LTTE on paper, Prabhakaran's word is
decisive. Prabhakaran continues to neutralize all competing Tamil
groups and individuals, both moderates and militants, who pose any
challenge to his leadership and to the LTTE as the sole
representatives of the Tamils. When the importance of politicizing
the population before taking to the gun was proposed to him,
Prabhakaran commented with undisguised contempt, "You intellectuals
are afraid of blood. No struggle will take place without killings."
Comment by tamilnation.org
"..Ages
ago there was a priest of Baal who thought himself
commissioned by the god to kill all who did not bow the knee
to him. All men, terrified by the power and ferocity of the
priest, bowed down before the idol and pretended to be his
servants; and the few who refused had to take refuge in
hills and deserts. At last, a deliverer came and slew the
priest and the world had rest. The slayer was blamed by
those who placed religion in quietude and put passivity
forward as the ideal ethics but the world looked on the
slayer as an incarnation of God. A certain class of mind
shrinks from aggressiveness as if it were a sin...Love is a
sacred name, but it is easier to speak of love than to love.
The
Gita is the best answer to those who shrink from battle as a
sin, and aggression as lowering morality...Justice and
righteousness are the atmosphere of political morality, but
the justice and righteousness of a fighter, not of the
priest. Aggression is unjust only when unprovoked; violence,
unrighteous when used wantonly or for unrighteous ends. It
is a barren philosophy which applies a mechanical rule to
all actions, or takes a word and tries to fit all human life
into it."
Sri
Aurobindo in The Morality of the Boycott, May 1908
The Liberation Tigers of Eelam (LTTE), or the Tamil Tigers as
they are commonly known, is considered one of the most ruthless
terrorist organizations in the world.
Comment by tamilnation.org
"The most problematic issue relating to
terrorism and armed conflict is distinguishing terrorists
from lawful combatants, both in terms of combatants in
legitimate struggles for self-determination and those
involved in civil wars or non-international armed conflicts.
In the former category, States that do not recognize a claim
to self-determination will claim that those using force
against the State�s military forces are necessarily
terrorists. In the latter, States will also claim that those
fighting against the State are terrorists, and that rather
than a civil war, there is a situation of �terrorism and
counter-terrorism activity"....The controversy over the
exact meaning, content, extent and beneficiaries of, as well
as the means and methods utilized to enforce
the right to self-determination
has been the major obstacle to the development of both a
comprehensive definition of terrorism and a comprehensive
treaty on terrorism. The ideological splits and differing
approaches preventing any broad consensus during the period
of decolonization still persist in today�s international
relations. ...
Terrorism and Human Rights Final Report of the Special
Rapporteur, Kalliopi K. Koufa, 25 June 2004
Established in 1972, the group went underground 3 years later,
after assassinating the mayor of Jaffna city. The LTTE is known for
its network of contacts with various terrorist groups around the
world.
The militants' choice of the tiger as their symbol represents not
only the ferocity of the animal but also a deliberate contrast with
the lion, which has traditionally been a symbol of the Sinhalese
people and is depicted on the Sri Lankan flag.
Comment by tamilnation.org
"The
Chola bronzes are products of the Tamil creative genius
during the period that the great Chola dynasty ruled Tamil
Nadu during the 9th to 12th Century. The four centuries of
Chola rule, is regarded by many as the age of grandeur in
the history of the Tamil people. The
Tiger emblem of the
Cholas inspired both the name of the Liberation Tigers
of Tamil Eelam as well as the LTTE flag. Renowned for their
harmony of form and content, the Chola bronzes speak across
centuries - in silence."
South Indian Bronzes - Chola, Pallava & Nayak Periods
The organization has an elite squad known as the Black Tigers,
who conduct suicide missions against military and civilian targets.
The Black Tigers have assassinated not only prominent political
leaders in Sri Lanka but also the
former prime minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi.
Previously, the LTTE was viewed by most Tamil civilians as the
legitimate defender of the Tamil cause. Much of its funding came
from Tamil expatriates as well as the Indian government. However, in
recent years, the LTTE has lost much support from Tamil civilians
and has resorted to tactics that instil fear in order to control the
Tamil community. External support from Tamil expatriates and the
Indian government has also waned and as a result, the LTTE has
engaged in drug trafficking to finance its operations.
Ideologically, the LTTE has at times
employed Marxist rhetoric to characterize its struggle. However,
irrespective of ideology, the creation of an independent Tamil state
has remained the movement's only goal. In pursuit of this objective,
the LTTE has been prone to use direct and violent action rather than
to formulate principles on which the desired independent state would
operate. The LTTE as a whole tends not to be susceptible to US
influence, especially given the perception that the United States is
actively supporting the Sri Lankan armed forces against the LTTE.
Prabhakaran has not groomed a successor. There are rumours that he
is preparing his son to replace him, but there is no meaningful
intelligence on his family. He deals harshly with any challenge to
his leadership. He has eliminated many LTTE members who have either
questioned his authority or have been perceived as a threat. He has
always felt that the biggest threat to his survival comes from
within the organization.
Since Prabhakaran feels that the main threat to his survival comes
from within the LTTE, he is obsessed with his personal security. He
is known to sleep with a revolver under his pillow. In addition, the
only member of the LTTE allowed to carry a firearm in Prabhakaran's
presence is Soranam, the trusted commander of his bodyguard
contingent. When Prabhakaran plans to visit a place, he ensures that
extensive preparations are taken for his protection. Over a hundred
bodyguard cadres (who do not interact with other cadres) are
assigned to protect him. It is reported that there are three rings
of 40 bodyguards each surrounding Prabhakaran upon his arrival at a
particular destination.
Prabhakaran has gradually created a culture where dissent is absent.
His close associates are Thamil Chelvam, head of the political
branch; Pottu Amman, head of intelligence; Karuna, head of
Batticaloa-Amparai commands; Balraj, military commander,
Soranam, bodyguard commander, Shankar, head of Air Tigers;
Soosai, head of Sea Tigers; Jeyam, special group commander; -and
Kumaran Padmanathan, head of procurement. They all merely hold
executive posts and carry out Prabhakaran's dictates. Although
Anton Balasingham is considered the ideologue and spokesman of
the LTTE, Prabhakaran often sidelines him as well. No one is close
enough to Prabhakaran to significantly influence his final
decisions. Blind loyalty is the criterion for a close association
with him. Prabhakaran's authority is based on fear and respect.
Prabhakaran is an innovator, improviser, and a technophile. His
macabre creativity is reflected in the human bombs, suicide boats,
projectiles, and mines the LTTE has been producing over the years.
Comment
by tamilnation.org
"...The concept of tiyakam, abandonment (of life), i.e. a rather
specific Indian form of martyrdom, is cultivated by both male
and female fighters. A martyr of the LTTE has not chosen like
the Christian martyr to suffer in the mind the slings and arrows
of outrageous fortune. He has taken up arms against the sea of
troubles trying to end them by opposing them. The concept of
tiy�kam that has its roots in the last section of the
Bhagavadgit� was revived in the struggle for independence of
India..."
On the sacrificial ideology of the Liberation Tigers - Peter
Schalk, 1993
Irrespective of the cost, he orders the best equipment for
himself and his men. LTTE cadres have used night vision goggles and
rocket- propelled grenades (RPGs) to engage Sri Lankan troops. If
the desired equipment cannot be procured, Prabhakaran will order
improvisation using existing equipment for the designated purpose.
He also uses satellite communications with LTTE ships and LTTE cells
around the world.
Prabhakaran uses deception as an integral part of his modus
operandi. In many cases, he has arranged to visit subordinates or
has extended olive branches to political targets to lull them into a
false sense of security just prior to their assassination. In
tactical operations, Prabhakaran would conduct deception manoeuvres
to draw attention away from an intended target. LTTE duplicity often
factors into the organization's public posture. Deceptive guidelines
are given to LTTE cadres on how best to answer questions posed by
the public and media. Carefully worded guidelines are even provided
to the Tamil diaspora over the Internet on how best to respond to
questions on the conflict posed by non- Sri Lankans. These
guidelines are designed to portray LTTE cadres as freedom fighters
pitted against a hostile and ruthless government.
Comment by tamilnation.org
"All
warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack,
we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem
inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe
we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we
are near. Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign
disorder, and crush him. If he is secure at all points, be
prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade
him. If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to
irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.
If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces
are united, separate them. Attack him where he is
unprepared, appear where you are not expected...."
Sun Tzu on the Art of War,
One of the oldest Military Treatises in the
World
Prabhakaran's mind-set has always been proactive and rarely
reactive. Prabhakaran realizes the advantage of seizing the
initiative in battle, always exploiting the element of surprise.
Retaining the initiative in battle has often favoured the LTTE, both
militarily and psychologically.
Prabhakaran is masterful at
executing pre-emptive strikes against his enemies. When he perceives
a future threat-whether emanating from an individual or a
group-Prabhakaran takes the initiative to eliminate it through
assassinations, terrorist bombings, or battlefield attacks. Some
analysts believe that his actions are also driven by a desire for
revenge. The ordered
assassination of former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi is a
case in point. Most analysts feel that Prabhakaran perceived a
future threat emanating from Gandhi (the redeployment of Indian
troops to Sri Lanka to disarm the Tigers) and therefore had him
assassinated as a pre-emptive measure. However, Prabhakaran also
felt a deep sense of betrayal from Gandhi for reversing India's
policy toward the LTTE, which points to revenge as a motive.
Another example of revenge as a possible motive is the January 1998
bombing of a revered Buddhist shrine in Kandy. This LTTE action was
rumoured to be Prabhakaran's retribution for the Sri Lankan Army's
mass destruction of LTTE gravesites. Prabhakaran's long-term goal is
to break the will of the Sinhalese-led government and thus lead it
to accede to his demand for a Tamil homeland. To achieve this end,
any and all means are justified in his mind. Prabhakaran is likely
to continue assassinating political and military leaders as well as
bombing key targets in the economic infrastructure. He views the
high political and economic costs his actions impose on the
government as doors that lead to negotiations. Prabhakaran uses
negotiations as a ploy for the LTTE to rearm and regroup, especially
after a series of battlefield defeats.
Prabhakaran's key
strengths:
a) Ability to provide highly effective military training and
impart discipline-both physical and psychological-to his cadres;
b) Highly successful propaganda campaigns-both local and
international;
c) Image as a folk hero;
d) Meticulous (and
effective) preparation for battles and campaigns;
e) Ability
to innovate and make use of limited resources;
f)
Compartmentalization of information within the organization; and
g) Emphasis on security.
Prabhakaran's vulnerabilities:
a) Increasing alienation of moderate Tamils;
b) Negative public image as a megalomaniac extremist rather than
a freedom fighter;
c) Use of tactics that increasingly instil fear among his Tamil
subjects rather than earn him support and sympathy;
Comment by tamilnation.org
"... the army seems not to have
studied too well the capability of their main opponent -
Velupillai Pirabaharan.
Pirabaharan is a
'military genius' and his political power has given him
an advantage to combat our political and military
leaders. He has often outwitted, outmanoeuvred and
outclassed our military and political leaders.
Why is this so? Today after 18 years of battle, most of
the victories, sadly, belong to the Liberation Tigers of
Tamil Eelam and we are continuing to fool ourselves...
the man behind the weapon is always more important than
the weapon itself and that this has been repeatedly
proved by the LTTE forces....Pirabaharan has virtually
beaten our forces on land and sea...."
Sri Lanka Major General Prasanna Dahanayake in an
interview reported in the Sinhala owned Sunday Leader, 6
December 1998
d) Insecurity and lack of trust in his comrades in struggle;
e) Willingness to place innocent civilians (Tamil, Sinhalese,
and foreign) in harm's way; and
f) Intransigence toward accepting anything less than an
independent homeland.
So far, Prabhakaran has been careful not to target Americans. At
times, he seems favourably disposed toward Americans and has even
invited the United States to act as a third party mediator in the
conflict.
Though there is no evidence suggesting that Prabhakaran will
change this posture, the United States should tread carefully and
sceptically in any dealings with Prabhakaran. In the past,
Prabhakaran has been known to extend olive branches before striking
at unsuspecting targets.
If Prabhakaran views US aid to the Sri Lankan government as
making a difference on the battlefield to the detriment of the LTTE,
his policy toward the United States could change to one of
hostility. In the event of such a policy shift, US military
trainers, American diplomats, and American businessmen in Sri Lanka
would be likely LTTE targets for assassination. US businesses and
property would be likely LTTE targets for destruction. However, any
harm to US personnel or property would further tarnish Prabhakaran's
image among western countries and moderate Tamils.
Ultimately, Prabhakaran's raison d� etre and legitimacy are
predicated on Tamil dissatisfaction with and alienation from the
government. As government-Tamil relations improve, Prabhakaran's
popularity among Tamils will fade.
Comment by tamilnation.org
"..After
a kidney transplant in Oslo, Bala and Adele settled in
London. From there, Bala was much freer to conduct
negotiations through Norwegian mediators, and the ground was
prepared for peace talks culminating in the
full-blown agreement of 2002 negotiated by the new Sri
Lankan prime minister, Ranil Wickremasinghe. I recall
telling Bala a year before, of Wickremasinghe's boast
to me: "They want government? I'll
bog them down with government."
Barry Gardiner M.P.
on Anton Balasingham: Chief negotiator for the Tamil Tigers
- in the UK Guardian, 2 January 2007
As long as Prabhakaran is alive, any peace offers proposed
by the LTTE will not be genuine; negotiations will be used as a
short-term tactic for the LTTE to rearm and regroup as battlefield
defeats increase.
Comment by tamilnation.org
" The US and India may find
common cause in weakening the LTTE - but they seek to weaken
it in such a way that thereafter each of them may
successfully secure their own strategic interests. And
herein lies the conflict - and the difficulty. New Delhi
will not support a resolution of the conflict which secures
US hegemony in the island. And so it will seek to create
Tamil dissidents and build support among them as a way of
keeping its foothold in the island. It sought to do so with
TELO, it sought to do so with EPRLF and Varadarajah Perumal,
it sought to do so with EROS, it sought to do so with
Amirthalingam, and now it seeks to so so with Karuna and
Anandasangaree. It is within the interstices of this
international frame that the struggle of the people of Tamil
Eelam to be free from alien Sinhala rule continues
under conditions of excruciating agony and suffering .
And it is this same international frame which Sinhala Sri
Lanka seeks to use to continue its
genocidal onslaught on the Tamil people."
Sri Lanka - Tamil Eelam: Getting to Yes - Nadesan Satyendra,
26 October 2006
If LTTE manpower and resources become severely depleted,
Prabhakaran may, as a measure of last resort, publicly accept a
seemingly long-term political arrangement short of secession, so
long as he is able to retain some semblance of power. Again, this
would be viewed by Prabhakaran as a temporary situation until he
could position himself to confront the government and revert to
violence for, the sake of creating an independent Tamil homeland."
|
