The 10th anniversary UTHR publication has been issued before an LTTE suicide bomber killed brigadier Wijeratne, posthumously promoted to the rank of Major General on May 14.

"Vadamaratchchy had become a sore point for the LTTE, which once considered its main support base, had under the command of brigadier Wijeratne come to enjoy markedly good relations with the army. People referred to Wijeratne with the kind of endearment ordinarily reserved for a popular member of parliament who is about the place solving their problems and keeping life going. The LTTE therefore had a huge stake in disrupting what prevailed," states UTHR while indicating that LTTE wanted to mount a sensational attack near Valvettiturai, birthplace of Velupillai Prabakaran to mark the National Heroes Day in late November last year.

There was evidence to suggest that the dozen terrorist infiltrators killed in December were in the Vadamaratchchy area to mount a spectacular attack, probably on brigadier Wijeratne.

According to UTHR, 'lieutenant colonel' Archunar [Rathinam Vasanthakumar of Jaffna], 'major' Thenamuthan [Jothy Cruz Prabakaran of Jaffna] 'lieutenant' Arunan [Aruthathy Jeyakanthan of Jaffna], 'lieutenant' Mehendran [Balasubramanium Chandrakumar of Jaffna], 'major' Elilarasan, 'captain' Illavarasan, 'lieutenant' Vanan, 'second lieutenant' Karuvelan, 'second lieutenant' Banugopan, 'lieutenant' Kanthasamy and 'captain' Maran of the LTTE were killed between December 11 and 19 in the peninsula.

Of them, Archunar or Arjun was perhaps the senior most terrorist to die in the peninsula last year. Vadamaratchchy troops killed him at Pulavarodai, Irumpu-mathavady on December 16 last year. According to UTHR, Archunar, a senior Sea Tiger had been deputy to Sea Tiger commander, Soosai.

Archunar and three others including 'major' Thenamuthan who first found the safe house were all killed on that day. Troops were able to recover armaments including rocket propelled grenades.

UTHR states that both 'lieutenant colonel' Archunar and 'major' Thenamuthan had stayed in another safe house at Nelliady before moving to Pulvarodai, Irumpumathavady where they died on December 16.

late brigadier Wijeratne's troops on December 18 raided the Nelliady safe house where five more infiltrators died in action.

Military officials said that LTTE believed that information provided by the people of Vadamaratchchy allowed troops to conduct successful operations.

UTHR, in its 10th anniversary publication, blames both the LTTE and security forces for human rights violations. It claims that more than 300 people disappeared in the peninsula as a result of an operation conducted after the overrunning of the Mullaithivu army camp and the killing of popular Jaffna Town Commandant brigadier Ananda Hammangoda in July 1996.

UTHR had also accused the military and groups assisting the security forces of torture.

UTHR also reveals the involvement of former LTTE cadres in operations against the infiltrators." A large number of LTTE cadres who deserted, or were captured by the army became the mainstay of military intelligence. Among them are at least one leading intelligence operative, Oppi-lamani and a former leading Sea Tiger, Mohan," UTHR states. Among the Jaffna victims were many former LTTE cadres." Currently a significant number of the LTTE's targets for assassination are former members of the group and often those who still have connections with it. In Vadamaratchchy itself, the number of LTTE killings in this category from early 1996 number more than a dozen," UTHR states. [SF]

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