How many of the 294,000 Tamils rescued by Sri Lanka Security Forces in May 2009 were really CIVILIANS?
Posted on April 21st, 2014

 Shenali D Waduge

Several developments of late require us to raise some pertinent questions and the questions lead back to May 2009. We are aware that 11,000 LTTE fighters were either caught or surrendered themselves to the Sri Lankan security forces. We are told that the Security Forces saved 294,000 Tamils. What we are not told is how many of these ‘civilians’ were actually civilians or could have been LTTE fighters posing as civilians. The question is important because Gobi who was shot dead did not surrender but posed as a civilian in May 2009 and enjoyed being treated as a civilian in the Ananda Coomaraswamy internally displaced persons camp in Chettikulam. This same ‘civilian’ became a fugitive after shooting a policeman on search operations and was killed by security forces on 11 April 2014. Gobi was not a civilian but a LTTE cadre.

Gobi was killed alongside Appan and Theiveegan/Deiveegan in the jungles of Vedivaithakallu.

The three are accused of attempting to revive the LTTE. Of course they cannot do so on their own which is why the ban on the LTTE/LTTE fronts and naming of 424 individuals/organizations become poignant.

The deaths were a sigh of relief to many including Tamils themselves for they have been recipients of goodwill ever since 2009 with the North seeing development of a scale they would not have even imagined for which the people of the North need to be thankful to the GOSL and in particular to the taxpaying public who will have to foot the bill for the loans taken. Nothing comes free.

A factor that is slowly making its presence is that the ORDINARY Tamil civilians were helping the armed forces against the LTTE revival campaign. This is poignant for numerous reasons because it was the ORDINARY Tamils who actually suffered. It was from the ORDINARY Tamils that the LTTE picked its cadres, the foot soldiers, the child soldiers while the high castes and the rich Tamils were able to either claim asylum and live overseas or make their way to Colombo and elsewhere to escape from the frictions up North. Therefore, throughout 3 decades we need to remember that it was the ORDINARY Tamils who suffered and who are likely to suffer again if the LTTE managed to raise its ugly head. It is therefore not surprising that the ORDINARY Tamils have chosen to go against the general Tamil elite/caste order and help the security forces and this is one reason to carry a campaign against the removal of the Governor and the closure of military camps and military from the North. There are many factors who do not wish the security forces and the ORDINARY Tamils to reconcile.

Anti-Terrorism Arrests

The arrests of 65 persons 19 of whom are now released show that investigation sleuths have done their job and those rounded up for questioning were in deed involved in some form of anti-activity.

The anti-terror investigators were correct about the 3 members of the LTTE attempting to revive the LTTE. What the finger pointers will not like to admit is that these three were not attempting to revive the LTTE single-handedly. That the 3 had been in foreign countries since 2009 smacked a mission. The next question was who was ordering the mission given that Prabakaran and the main ground leadership was no more. Obviously, the zigsaw was fitting together and it is now time to admit that LTTE was being steered by entities based abroad. These entities were made up of both locals and foreign players.

  • Theiveegan (Deiveegan or Suntharalingam Gajatheeban as well as Thevian, Navaneethan, Vallan and Devan) was a suicide cadre and body guard of Prabakaran and wife Mathivathani. He was also a trained pilot and was a member of the LTTE air tigers and had taken part in the air attacks on Kerawalapitiya and Anuradhapura. That Theiveegan travelled clandestinely to India and established contact with Nediyavan in Norway and shuttled from Europe to South East Asia reveals complicity of officials on all sides of the borders given the complexities involved in ordinary people applying to obtain a simple tourist visa. The travels to and fro from India to Sri Lanka using clandestine boats also exposes the likelihood of other LTTE cadres using the same mode and entails the need for security to increase presence all along the coast to ensure such clandestine movements do not take place. Let us no forget that it was after transporting Tamil unemployed youth to India in the 1970s by the Indian Government that first started armed militancy in Sri Lanka. India has much to account for an apologize to Sri Lanka.
  • Gobi or Ponniah Selvanayagam Kajeepan from Pachilaippalli division Kilinochchi is said to have been in the LTTE for over 15 years serving in the Kittu Artillery unit and under LTTE intelligence commander Pottu Amman. Gobi is said to speak Sinhala fluently and had been stationed in Colombo doing intelligence gathering. Gobi had posed as a civilian and had been in the IDP camp in Chettikulam along with his pregnant wife. Gobi is said to have gone to Saudi Arabia as a driver and then proceeded to Europe and numerous other countries as well and linked up with Theiveegan through Irumporai the de facto leader of Nediyavan LTTE faction. This again exposes and questions the manner LTTE members have been able to travel freely using forged passports throughout Europe and should alert the External Affairs Ministry, the Defence Authorities and the Intelligence Units on the need to activate terror network channels against such clandestine forged passports being used by LTTE members. That Gobi returned to Sri Lanka and posed as a tractor driver and travelled freely from Colombo to the North recruiting people should send alarm bells on the free movement of LTTE members around us. Everyone is quick to selfishly insist on removing checkpoints in view of their personal inconvenience forgetting there remains a demon ready to be re-activated and still lurking very much in our midst.
  • Appan or Navaneethan Navaratnam/Thiru/Abishan from Oorani had been with the LTTE for over 15 years. Initially he was supervising LTTE prisons and detention camps and later moved to work under Pottu Amman. Appan was also in Colombo involved in intelligence gathering. He was also in Qatar and thus the 3 made contact with each other and between them divided intelligence gathering, propaganda and targeting military.

If the threesome went about recruiting people and setting up safe houses, we now need to ask who are the people they recruited and how many have been included into the 65 arrested for questioning and how many others are still out there who are posing as civilians, tractor drivers etc? More importantly how many LTTE members remain living as ordinary Tamils and are ordinary Tamils aware that these are LTTE members?

If the threesome had established safe houses – where are these located, is it in the North only or are there safe houses elsewhere and in particular Colombo? Are there hidden weapons that are yet to be discovered and if so should the military not conduct an immediate search operation throughout the north combing areas to locate these hidden weapons. The possibilities of the clandestine travels on boats and smuggling arms and ammunition cannot be ruled out as well. With scores of foreign elements bringing in ‘goods’ as ‘donations’ we need to also now wonder how much of these items could be illicit as well. Let us not forget that plenty of arms and ammunition passed through Sri Lanka Customs during the conflict and many officials who have not been netted in have only their conscience to show their guilt.

The most poignant aspect of the situation is that alongside the killing of the 3 in the jungles, the GOSL has banned LTTE/LTTE fronts and named 424 individuals and organizations.

The ban on LTTE fronts exposes numerous leaders operating from overseas many of whom have close ties to foreign parliamentarians. It also highlights the money transfers taking place through money transfer agents and even reputed banks and exposes countries involved – Switzerland, France, Germany, Canada and Great Britain. This insists that the External Affairs Ministry come out of slumber and stop waiting for orders from the President who appears to end up involved in all activities in Sri Lanka while Ministers are making merry doing nothing. This is no time for heroics, everyone enjoying taxpayers hard earned money need to pull up their socks and start working for the country. No one is elected to office to enjoy a term of leisure wasting people’s hard earned money.

Tied to the forged passports, clandestine travelling is the possibility that the numbers being thrown against Sri Lanka as ‘dead’ are those very much alive and kicking in foreign shores and very much known to the very foreign parliamentarians throwing stones at Sri Lanka. The scale of the fund raising and the names involved necessitates the public to realize the seriousness of the possibilities of these same people brainwashing more Gobi’s to take up arms for it is what helps those pulling the strings from abroad to thrive. It is in this context that the ban of LTTE/LTTE fronts that should have come immediately following the LTTE defeat is relevant. This enables Sri Lanka to demand the very foreign governments keeping these LTTE operatives to take legal action against them.

It is now that the real war minus gun has begun. It cannot be a 9 to 5 job for those in the External Affairs Ministry or others in the line Ministries. They must show the same passion of commitment that the forces showed to end terror.

As for intelligence units on ground in Sri Lanka there is a need to align with the Central Bank to investigate how money is coming to Sri Lanka illicitly, who are involved and where the money is going. The entire money supply chain needs to be now exposed. If equipment like cameras, computers, leaflets are being printed those that are involved in providing the facilities need to also be investigated and their units sealed.

That the intelligence units of the state, military and terrorism divisions have been working in synergy has enabled numerous exposures of late. The public need to be included into this network so that they may provide key inputs to gather the remainder of the LTTE stooges now lying low. Obviously, the LTTE operatives were not aware or possibly had miscalculated or perhaps would have thought as is often the case bribes and handouts could silence investigators. That Tamil informants were providing information to the intelligence is something that many would like to keep hushed up though it reveals that the ordinary Tamils are now moving away from following the lies of the upper caste/rich and the TNA. It is also worthy to mention the Tamil military intelligence soldier who died in the operation and who has been promoted posthumously as Lance Corporal and the army instructed to construct a house for the dead soldiers family in Kurunegala.

The 40,000 ‘dead’ likely to be living overseas

We are yet to know still how many of the close to 300,000 Tamils the security forces saved were actually civilians. The UN Secretary General and international agencies are quoted appealing to the LTTE not to use civilians in combat operations. This is a clear indication that civilians were used by the LTTE either voluntarily or by force. Civilians that help terrorists in terrorist activity have no legal basis to demand rights and privileges as a civilian. How many of the 300,000 we would like to know lost this legal right for in losing that right they cannot be termed as a civilian (dead or alive). This is a fact that people need to accept whether they like it or not. It has legal provision and is something the authorities have not argued upon in responding to the allegations of ghost numbers being thrown at the GOSL. Moreover, the authorities need to next ask from the foreign governments how many forged passport holding Tamils are living in their countries for these numbers could easily provide for the ghost figures they are quoting especially since none of the 40,000 or even 200,000 dead families have even come forward to name the dead.

With the continued chirping of ‘reconciliation’ by quarters that currently allow banned LTTE fronts to prevail while quoting ghost figures knowing that scores of LTTE members are living clandestinely in their territory the whole post-conflict peace scenario is looking a farce and one-sided to say the least.

What needs to be categorically stated is that reconciliation cannot come from one party alone and with the proven ground realities of LTTE revival lurking amidst us it behoves the state apparatus not to commit anything before the foreign governments come through on concrete action against the LTTE diaspora members holding portfolios in the LTTE fronts being banned and the GOSL itself does not ignore the links to LTTE of people living in Sri Lanka irrespective of whether they belong to the TNA, the Tamil polity, the Sinhalese, Muslims, NGOs, Media, diplomats. If we are to ask foreign governments to take action against these LTTE and LTTE fronts as well as individuals and organizations we now demand that all those directly and indirectly who had been linked to LTTE terror, LTTE separatism and LTTE ideology should all be roped in, investigated and charges filed against them under the country laws very much in place.

13 Responses to “How many of the 294,000 Tamils rescued by Sri Lanka Security Forces in May 2009 were really CIVILIANS?”

  1. Lorenzo Says:

    “hitha onha gaani emathama budding!!”

    Our fools accepted all Vanni losers. LTTE terrorists were among them.

    They KNOW our fools are MERCIFUL fools.

  2. Nanda Says:

    “hitha onha gaani emathama budding!!” – Wrong – “Hitha Honda Gaeni Hemadaema Budding” Tamils living in Canada like me know Sinhala and Buddhism well.

    “our fools are MERCIFUL fools” – also wrong.

    This foolishness has nothing to do with innocence or feeling sympathetic, similar to hitha honda gaeni who either collect money or too much desire.
    Our fools are full of greed and pretend they do these things to show the world they are fair people to keep in power to eat until size of pigs with no neck.

  3. Nanda Says:

    “Following the accident of a hand tractor trailer with passengers toppling into an irrigation canal and drowning 10 people, Sri Lanka Police has banned the unsafe transport of people in these vehicles. The police say the hand tractors are vehicles used only for transport of goods and not vehicles for transporting passengers, but in villages hand tractors are being used to transport people.”

    More people die travelling in Indian made Bajaajs than these tractors. Our fools ban these but collect bribes from Indian mosquitos and keep these deadly Bajjajs. EXCESSIVE GREED driving our land towards destruction.

  4. SA Kumar Says:

    Nanda
    is that call ?- Thanakkada Chiinhalam Than piradikku setham !( if you don’t know proper Sinhala it would damage your back head)

    now days almost all Sinhalese know at least basic Tamil not like our time (before 1983).

  5. Fran Diaz Says:

    Re : The 300,000 Tamil ‘civilians’ rescued. How many were truly civiians ? How many were LTTE fighters ? How many were Tamil ILLEGAL MIGRANTS ?

  6. Ananda-USA Says:

    Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka speaks for ME AS WELL on this Issue. Jayawewa!

    ……………………..
    ‘Persons promoting separatism should be firmly dealt with’

    By Nadira Gunatilleke
    DailyNews.lk
    April 22, 2014

    The government should ban all separatist movements and persons involved in promoting separatist agendas, Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) General Secretary and Technology Research and Atomic Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said adding that according to clause 157 of Sri Lanka’s constitution any action could be taken against separatist movements.

    Ranawaka said those who submitted supporting documents to the UNHRC to show the world that in Sri Lanka there is no religious harmony, no women’s rights, no independence of the judiciary, no democracy etc were widening and broadening the charge sheet made against Sri Lanka. “We have to identify these treacherous elements within Sri Lanka. No matter they are politicians, political parties or NGOs we have to taken stern action against them and they should be held responsible for their acts,” he said.

    Minister Ranawaka said if these elements are tolerated, there will be chaos.

    “Politically we should have a broad political alliance to face this foreign political intervention. All patriotic forces in political parties and other institutions should unite to face this challenge because this is not anything against the President or his family. This is completely against this country. We should protect our heroic soldiers and commanders at any cost,” he said.

    Minister Ranawaka stressed that the so called Northern Provincial Council’s resolution on ‘genocide’ has failed to note that 259,000 Tamils were living in Colombo right in the middle of the Sinhala community without any problem.

    “There is a 2.5 million Tamil population in Sri Lanka and only 300,000 were living in the North. The rest of the Tamils were living in other areas in Sri Lanka with the Sinhala majority without any trouble.

    Therefore, this ‘genocide’ is an utter lie and on the other hand the ethnic cleansing carried out by the LTTE during the past has still not been rectified. In 1971, 21,000 Sinhalese were living in the Jaffna district alone.

    Now it is only 674. The other 20,326 Sinhalese had been possibly chased away or killed by the LTTE. Over 150,000 Sinhalese were forcibly chased away by the LTTE from the Northern and Eastern Provinces. They were not allowed to settle down in their original homes,” Ranawaka said.

  7. Ananda-USA Says:

    Fran Diaz,

    You and I have been pointing out the MASSIVE INFLUX of Illegal Tamil Immigrants from Tamil Nadu into Sri Lanka during the years the LTTE controlled the North and East of Sri Lanka.

    It came as a SHOCK to me when the last CENSUS revealed that DESPITE MASSIVE EMIRGRATION of about 1.0 million Sri Lankan Tamils OUT of Sri Lanka, that the Tamil population of Sri Lanka has increased by over 0.5 million, indicating a net influx of over 1.5 million ILLEGAL TAMIL IMMIGRANTS INTO Sri Lanka.

    It is bad enough that a vociferous Eelamist Tamil Diaspora, beyond the reach of Sri Lankan Law, has been created by the exodus of Sri Lankan Tamils, but even the BENEFIT to Sri Lanka of the DEPARTURE of these troublesome dissatisfied group has now been NEGATED by the INFLUX of EVEN MORE Illegal Indian Tamil Immigrants!

    The GOSL seems to be STRANGELY SILENT on this problem, as are the PATRIOTIC Political Parties of Sri Lanka.
    I have no explanation WHY it is being ignored, despite bringing it to their attention, not only by us but by the OPA (Organization of Professional Associations) of Sri Lanka as well.

    This is a CRITICAL National Security Issue that requires IMMEDIATE ATTENTION, or else these ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS and their future PROGENY will cause a permanent shift in the demographics of Sri Lanka that will PROMOTE future separatism.

  8. Ananda-USA Says:

    “Birds of a Racist Feather, Flock Together” PECKING away at each other in the quest for Tamil votes in the Lok Sabha elections! Even on BASHING Sri Lanka, a PENALTY FREE activity for them, they can’t agree!

    Old demagogues never die, they don’t even fade away!

    ……………………..
    ‘Jayalalithaa shedding crocodile tears for SL Tamils’

    By K. Lakshmi
    TheHindu.com
    April 22, 2014

    DMK president M. Karunanidhi on Monday accused Chief Minister Jayalalithaa of shedding crocodile tears for the welfare of Sri Lankan Tamils.

    Addressing a public meeting in Chennai Central Lok Sabha constituency, Mr. Karunanidhi recalled the resolution passed by the AIADMK government led by her in the past in the Assembly, urging the Centre to take measures for the arrest and extradition of LTTE chief Velupillai Prabakaran.

    “She is now shedding crocodile tears for the welfare of Sri Lankan Tamils and Prabakaran,” he said, reacting to Ms. Jayalalithaa’s charges earlier in the day that the DMK had betrayed the Sri Lankan Tamils and Tamil Nadu fishermen repeatedly. He also recalled her statement in the past that the LTTE and its leader should never be allowed to set foot on Indian soil as it could endanger the security and sovereignty of the nation.

    “It is only the DMK that has raised voice for the welfare of the Lankan Tamils,” he said, claiming credit.

    The DMK withdrew support to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance after being convinced that the national party did not share the DMK’s concerns for the welfare of Sri Lankan Tamils. “Congress could not be trusted anymore,” he said.

    Responding to Ms. Jayalalithaa’s charge that she stalled only schemes benefiting the DMK, Mr. Karunanidhi said the new Secretariat-cum-Assembly complex, the Samacheer Kalvi scheme and Anna Centenary Library were all aimed at benefiting the people but opposed by the AIADMK government which relented only after the intervention of courts.

    Despite his ill-health, the DMK chief said he had come to seek votes for the party candidate and his grand-nephew, Dayanidhi Maran, in Chennai Central constituency, as party cadre had a special place in his heart.

  9. Lorenzo Says:

    Fonseka made these observations in his 2009 speech in Washington Buddhist temple.

    He said we have to FILTER the 294,000 to find Tamil terrorists, DESTROY THEM and repeat the process a few times.

    Unfortunately he became Gonzeka with political ambitions. The FOOLISH govt. didn’t follow his wise advise when he was still SANE.

  10. Ananda-USA Says:

    Shenali,

    Here is the Eelamist response to proscription of the 16 Tamil terrorist organizations: A demand for “{Self-Determination” which is a code word for a Separate State for Tamils, as a precursor to a Unilateral Declaration of Independence with UN concurrence.

    All those who collaborate in the Chavakachcheri May Day rally demanding “Self-Determination” should be TREATED AS TRAITORS.

    They should be ARRESTED, PROSECUTED and PUNISHED under Sri Lanka’s TREASON Laws. After they have served their sentence, their citizenship should be REVOKED and deported permanently from the country. All of their ASSETS should be CONFISCATED and become PROPERTY of the State.

    ……………………….
    Sri Lanka’s TNA seeks Tamils’ right to self-determination at Chavakachcheri May Day rally

    ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

    Apr 23, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s main Tamil party, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), will call for Tamils’ right to self-determination at its May Day rally scheduled to be held in Chavakachcheri.

    TNA Jaffna District parliamentarian Mavai Senathirajah has said the TNA would celebrate May Day this year under the theme of the right to self-determination as well as issues including the cost of living, unemployment, resettlement and land grabbing. He explained that the people in the North and East have been affected by these issues.

    Mr. Senathirajah told the media that the TNA will also call on the military to release all privately owned land to allow farmers whose lands are under military custody to carry out their livelihoods.

    Members of the TNA, Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran, provincial ministers and councilors, and members of other local bodies will attend the May Day rally.

  11. Fran Diaz Says:

    Ananda,

    The ILLEGAL MIGRANT ISSUE ought to become an Election Issue.

    Various religious bodies are bringing illegal migrants into Lanka. For some unknown reason/s GoSL & the Jnt Opposition are BOTH strangely SILENT on this issue.

    What Laws govern religious bodies in Sri Lanka, especially re building of places of worship and illegal migrants ?

    Yes, it is indeed a SECURITY ISSUE. It must be brought up in PARLIAMENT. We hold both GoSL & the Jnt Opposition responsible. If action is not taken in a legal manner, we are all heading toward another serious problem in the country.

  12. Ananda-USA Says:

    Sri Lanka briefs diplomatic community on measures taken to subdue renewed threat of terrorism

    ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

    Apr 24, Colombo: Sri Lanka today provided a comprehensive briefing to the diplomatic community on the action taken by the government to counteract the recent attempts to revive terrorism in the country.

    Sri Lanka’s Minister of External Affairs, Prof. G. L. Peiris Thursday briefed the Ambassadors and High Commissioners accredited to Sri Lanka with the assistance of representative of the Ministry of Defense and Urban Development Major General K.H.G. Hendawitharana.

    The principal purpose of the briefing was to give the diplomatic community authentic information regarding action taken by the government against groups and individuals involved in terrorist funding and other activity connected with plans to revive terrorism, the Ministry said in a statement.

    Explaining Sri Lanka’s decision to ban 16 organizations and 424 individuals affiliated with the pro-LTTE Tamil Diaspora, the Minister said the UN Security Council Regulation1373 the government signed on April 01, allows the government to take measures to effectively curtail terrorist financing.

    Regulations had been framed for this purpose under Sri Lankan legislation, and timely action has been taken based on these Regulations, he said.

    He told the diplomatic community that there is compelling evidence regarding the remittance of substantial sums of money from overseas for planned terrorist activity.

    According to the Minister, as a result of extensive investigations in recent weeks, the government is aware of the sources of this funding in several instances and the bank accounts into which the money had been paid. The authorities have arrested 65 people, and 19 people have been released after questioning.

    The government says it has a massive amount of documentary evidence and primary evidence of communications between the “parties concerned”.

    Following questioning of detained operatives, the authorities have discovered weapons, documents and other material and have learned how the overseas networks have operated to finance the revival of the defunct terrorist organization and the individuals behind those attempts.

    “While the investigations are continuing, and further information is coming to light regarding the identity and role of other participants, the elaborate nature of the preparations revealed by the evidence already obtained, leaves no room for doubt that an intricate planning apparatus is sought to be established,” Prof. Peiris added.

    He has informed the diplomatic community that the government’s foremost duty is to nip in the bud any attempts to revive any form of terrorist activity.

    The Minister has said that timely and decisive action has been effective to repel the threat of growing activity, and the government will continue to watch the situation closely and not hesitate to adopt such further measures as may be required.

    He assured that the government is in total control of the situation, and there is no threat to tourism and investment.

    “The government has every confidence of eradicating at the very inception, any attempt to revive terrorism in any form in any part of the country,” the Minister asserted.

    While noting Sri Lanka’s significant contribution to maintaining the safety of sea lanes in the area and the control of a wide range of illegal activity including people smuggling and the proliferation of small arms, the Minister pointed out that eradicating terrorism in the country benefits from are by entire South Asian region.

  13. Fran Diaz Says:

    Bannig various organizations involved in terrorism is a good start. But they are like hydra heads – cut one and two may appear somewhere else.

    SECURITY is a matter for the masses of Lanka to undertake.

    * Neighborhood Watches ought to be formed to prevent terrorism and crime.

    * STOP Illegal migration. DEPORT all illegal migrants.

    * No more big ethnic or religious ‘ghettos’.

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