US, Italian ambassadors injured by Tamils

THE US and Italian ambassadors to Sri Lanka were wounded today in an artillery attack by suspected Tamil Tiger rebels in eastern Sri Lanka.

US ambassador Robert Blake and Italian envoy Prio Mariani were hit by shrapnel from the attack at the Batticaloa airforce base as they got off a military helicopter, Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said.

Mr Mariani had a head injury and was taken to the main local hospital together with 11 others, hospital director Muruganathan Moorthy told AFP.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), also known as the Tamil Tigers, is a politico-military organization that has been waging a secessionist campaign against the Sri Lankan government since the 1970s in order to secure a separate state for the Tamil majority regions in the north and east of Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon). The LTTE is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by 32 countries (see list). The LTTE is headed by its founder, Velupillai Prabhakaran.

LTTE Sea Tigers off Mullaitivu in May 2004. The light fast attack fibreglass boats have proved highly effective against the Sri Lanka Navy. This boat has an all-female crew.Until the 1970s, the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka had largely taken the form of a demand for autonomy for the Tamil-speaking regions under an overall federal framework. The lack of results after twenty-five years of negotiations, and the perception amongst Tamils that the Sinhalese dominated government was unwilling to grant their wishes, led to a significant section of young Tamils, particularly in Jaffna, adopting a more radical position. They now favoured the use of violent means.[1] A large number of militant organisations were set up, one of which was the Tamil New Tigers (TNT), formed in 1972 by a small group of young Tamils and university students led by Velupillai Prabhakaran. Many students joined the TNT thereafter because they believed that they were not given equality in the grading systems and admission to post-graduate schools.

The TNT's first military operation was the assassination of Alfred Duraiappah, the SLFP mayor of Jaffna, in 1975, followed by a few successful bank robberies to fund their activities and the assassination of a number of minor police officials. The success of these early acts gave them confidence, and in 1976 they teamed up with the militants headed by S. Subramanian to form the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. In 1979, the late Anton Balasingham joined the LTTE as their main ideologue. Balasingham added depth to the LTTE's politics. Whereas they had earlier been committed to the single idea of Tamil independence, Balasingham added a new layer of social policies, inspired by Marxism and anti-casteism, which profoundly shaped the LTTE's worldview.[2]

The LTTE continued the TNT's campaign of low-intensity violence against state agents, particularly policemen, and quickly became the most efficient and ruthless of the many Tamil militant groups. In 1978, they wiped out a police patrol that had discovered one of their training camps, the first major military victory for a separatist Tamil group. After one such attack in July 1983, which killed 16 army soldiers, Sinhalese mobs took revenge in the event now called Black July, which saw the death of 1,000[3] - 3,000 [4] Tamils. Following this angry Tamil youths swelled the ranks of the LTTE seeking retribution for the violence. The intensifying conflict produced a steady stream of volunteers for the LTTE[5], which they shaped into a militia with the help of India's Research and Analysis Wing intelligence agency[6]. In 1984, they began launching higher intensity attacks against Sri Lankan troops. The same year they also formed a naval unit, the Sea Tigers.

Rise to dominance
The LTTE was militarily very successful against the Sri Lankan Army. In 1987, the Black Tigers was established; an elite unit of LTTE members responsible for conducting suicide attacks against political, economic and military targets.

Initially, the LTTE's operations were carried on in cooperation with other militant groups. In April 1984, it had formally joined a common militant front, the Eelam National Liberation Front, or ENLF, which had been formed by the TELO, the EROS and the EPRLF.

In 1986, the LTTE launched a military attack on the TELO, the largest of the other Tamil militant groups in Sri Lanka. Over the next few months, the entire TELO leadership and several hundred volunteers were hunted down, and the group ceased to be a potent force. A few months later, they attacked training camps of the EPRLF, forcing it to withdraw entirely from the Jaffna peninsula.

The reasons for the LTTE's internecine attacks on other Tamil groups are much debated. The reason they themselves gave at the time was the other groups' connection with India[citation needed]. All the Tamil militant groups, including the LTTE, had received varying degrees of support from India. However, while other groups such as the TELO wholeheartedly embraced Indian support, the LTTE remained wary of India particularly after Rajiv Gandhi came to power, fearing that India was seeking primarily to advance its own interests, which were not the same as those of the Sri Lankan Tamils, and would therefore force the Tamils to accept an unfavourable settlement. They were particularly suspicious of the Indian intelligence agency, the RAW, which they said had completely infiltrated the TELO and EPRLF, and was using them to eliminate the LTTE[citation needed]. Some commentators have suggested that the LTTE were also unhappy that the most of the funding from expatriates went to the TELO, rather than to them.[7] It has also been suggested that they believed the struggle would only be effective if the other groups, who were much more willing to compromise, were not around[8] The effect of the attacks was that the LTTE consolidated the position their successful attacks had already established, as the main military group fighting for the cause of Tamil Eelam, with no credible rivals.

The IPKF period
In 1987, the Sri Lankan Army launched a new assault to recapture Jaffna. In the Indian press, the attack was depicted as being brutal and leading to disproportionately large civilian casualties. Faced with growing anger amongst its own Tamils, India intervened directly in the conflict by airdropping food parcels on Jaffna in what was interpreted as a show of strength. After negotiations, India and Sri Lanka entered into an agreement whereby Sri Lanka agreed to a federal structure, which would grant autonomy to the Tamils. India was to send a peacekeeping force, the IPKF, to Sri Lanka to enforce the agreement.

Although most Tamil militant groups accepted this agreement, the LTTE only did so very grudgingly and very soon rejected it on the grounds that the reforms were only illusory. The result was that the LTTE now found itself engaged in military conflict against the Indian army. The army fought a bitter month-long campaign to win control of the Jaffna peninsula from the LTTE. This campaign and the army's subsequent anti-LTTE operations were ruthless, and made it extremely unpopular amongst the Tamils. The LTTE exploited this sentiment and, by painting themselves as the only group opposing the IPKF's "anti-Tamil aggression", as they termed it, they became increasingly popular[citation needed]. In addition, the implementation of the autonomy provisions under the agreement was perceived by the LTTE as giving them little or nothing, and the entire structure collapsed very quickly[citation needed]. As the only group to have held itself aloof from this process, the LTTE was able to portray this development as a vindication of their stance[citation needed].

The post-IPKF LTTE
The IPKF's intervention was also unpopular amongst Sinhalese Buddhists, and the last IPKF members left the country 1990 upon request of the Sri Lankan government. During this period, the LTTE absorbed the remnants of the other rival militant groups, including the TELO and EPRLF, which had tried to regroup with the help of the IPKF and RAW[citation needed]. In a series of military operations in 1995 and 1996, the army re-captured the Jaffna peninsula and the town of Kilinochchi from the LTTE leaving the LTTE resources crippled and manpower depleted. The LTTE proposed peace talks in 1996, which the government rejected. Starting from 1997, the LTTE suffered a number of reverses, and lost control of large portions of the Vanni, the town of Kilinochchi and many smaller towns. However, from 1998 onward the LTTE reversed these losses, culminating in the capture of the strategically vital Elephant Pass base complex in 2000 after hard and long fighting against the Sri Lankan army.[9]

Organisation and activities

Military
In the LTTE recruits are instructed to be prepared to die for the cause, and are issued with a cyanide capsule to be swallowed in the case of capture.[13] The LTTE also has a special squad of suicide bombers, called the Black Tigers, which it deploys for critical missions.[14]

The LTTE gets its main funding from contributions by Tamils residing in Western countries, although there is controversy about the extent to which such contributions are voluntary rather than the result of extortion [citation needed].

Governmental
Even though the LTTE was formed as a military group, it also carries out a number of civilian duties. The LTTE controls sections in the north and east of the island, especially the regions lying outside the major cities. It runs a de facto government and provides public services in these areas, including schools, hospitals, police stations, courts and municipal administration[citation needed]. However, it still uses the Sri Lanka rupee and many civil servants are paid by the Sri Lankan government, even in areas controlled by the LTTE.

Most of the structures supporting these functions developed during the period immediately after the IPKF's withdrawal, when the LTTE controlled Jaffna without significant opposition. During this period, it transformed itself from a purely military body to a quasi-government, complete with administrative organs. Among these are:

Tamil Eelam Police Force (including traffic police)
Education Development Board of Tamil Eelam
Tamil Eelam Military Academy
a broadcasting authority called the Voice of Tigers[15]
National Television of Tamil Eelam (NTT) -- a satellite TV station[16]
Law College of Tamil Eelam
Tamil Eelam Judicial Department[17] including a court service and a public prosecution system.
Central bank[18]
Customs agency[19]
Although it no longer controls Jaffna, these structures continue to form the basis on which it runs the areas it does control. The LTTE's administrative agencies are integrated into the organisation's overall chain of command. It claims that this makes them better equipped to respond to emergencies[citation needed].

The LTTE's quasi-government is run on socialist principles. For example, all litigants before a civil court are required to pay a fine for failing to settle their dispute amicably. Police and other employees of the administrative agencies are paid according to the number of dependents they have, rather than their position[citation needed].

In recent years, the LTTE has sought wider recognition for its administrative organs. After the Boxing Day tsunami, it has sought to ensure that aid to the areas under its control is routed through its own administrative agencies. It entered into an agreement, called the P-TOMS, with the government of Sri Lankan president Chandrika Kumaratunga that recognised this principle to some extent. The agreement was bitterly opposed by hardliners in the Sri Lankan government and never saw implementation. The present administration of Mahinda Rajapaksa has announced that it will not be considering it anew[citation needed].

Political
The LTTE also has a political wing, but despite the ceasefire it has not tried to formally create a political party. Instead, in the 2004 parliamentary elections, it openly supported the Tamil National Alliance[20] (also called Thamizh Arasu Katchi or Federal Party), which won over 90% of votes in the electoral district of Jaffna, in the Northern Province.

The LTTE's commitment to multi-party democracy has also been questioned. In an interview in 1986, Velupillai Prabhakaran, the leader of the LTTE, said that Tamil Eelam would be a one-party state rather than a multi-party democracy, because that would help it develop faster (Hellmann-Rajanayagam 1994, 183). He has not repeated this proposal, and the LTTE's main ideologue, Anton Balasingham, publicly repudiated this position in 1992, stating that it was irrelevant after the collapse of the Soviet Union. However, the LTTE's critics state that it indicates their way of thinking, and point out that it has not organised, and shows no signs of organising, local elections in the areas it controls. The LTTE's supporters say that conditions make elections impossible, but that they will be held once Tamil Eelam is fully independent.

Dissension
See also: Colonel Karuna
See also: Mahattaya
Mahattaya was at one time the deputy leader of the LTTE. He was accused of treason by the LTTE and killed in 1994.

An LTTE commander named Colonel Karuna (nom de guerre of Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan) broke away from the LTTE in March 2004 and formed the TamilEela Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal amid allegations that the northern commanders were overlooking the needs of the eastern Tamils. The LTTE leadership had accused him of mishandling of funds and questioned him about his recent personal behaviour. He tried to take control of the eastern province from the LTTE, which caused clashes between the LTTE and TEMVP. The LTTE has suggested that TEMVP is backed by the government.[21] The Nordic SLMM monitors have corroborated this[22] The TEMVP like the LTTE, has been accused of using child soldiers.[23]

Status of women
The LTTE advocates equality for women, and has a large number of female recruits. The Women's Wing of the LTTE is known as Suthanthirap Paravaikal (or Freedom Birds). The first woman combatant to die was 2nd Lt. Malathi, on 10 October 1987, in an encounter with the IPKF at Kopai in Jaffna peninsula. Women have also been part of the 'Black Tiger' squads. The assassination of Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, the attempt on President Chandrika Kumaranatunga and the latest attempt by a female suicide bomber on the Sri Lankan Army commander are notable instances.

Human rights and terrorism issues
See also: Terrorist attacks attributed to the LTTE, Notable attacks attributed to the LTTE, and State terrorism in Sri Lanka
The LTTE is sometimes labelled "terrorist" as part of a broader allegation that it does not have respect for human rights, and does not adhere to the standards of conduct expected of a resistance movement or what might be called "freedom fighters".

The accusation of terrorism is based in part on claims that the LTTE kills innocent civilians, recruits child soldiers, has been responsible for assassination of political figures and non-military officials, and uses suicide bombers.

Attacks on civilians
Main article: Terrorist attacks attributed to the LTTE
The LTTE has attacked non-military targets including commuter trains and buses, farming villages, temples and mosques resulting in large numbers of civilian deaths.

Some of the major attacks resulting in dozens of civilian deaths include the Kebithigollewa massacre,Gonagala massacre(54 dead), Anuradhapura massacre (146 dead) , Dehiwala train bombing(56 dead) [24], Palliyagodella massacre(166 dead) and the bombing of Sri Lanka's Central Bank (102 dead). The LTTE claims that its attacks on purely civilian targets are collateral damage. Many of the perpetrators of these attacks have died during these attacks, while some have escaped to India or to LTTE controlled areas.[citation needed]

Assassinations
Main article: Assassinations attributed to LTTE
The LTTE has long been accused of carrying assassinations of political rivals and opponents. These include:

Alfred Duraiyappah, Mayor of Jaffna
Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India
Ranjan Wijeratne, Sri Lankan cabinet minister and former general
Lalith Athulathmudali, Sri Lankan cabinet minister
Ranasinghe Premadasa, President of Sri Lanka
Gamini Dissanayake, Sri Lankan presidential candidate
Chandrika Kumaratunga, President of Sri Lanka (failed attempt)
Major Gen. Parami Kulatunga, third-highest ranking officer in Sri Lanka Army
Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka, Sri Lankan army chief of staff (failed attempt)
Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Secretary of the defense ministry,Sri Lanka & also the younger brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa (failed attempt)
Nadaraja Raviraj,Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian (Based the former LTTE regional commander Colonel Karuna)
Indian courts have issued an international warrant to arrest both Velupillai Prabhakaran[25] and its intelligence chief Pottu Amman[26] in connection with the Rajiv Gandhi[27] killing. The LTTE at first denied any involvement, but later issued a statement in June of 2006 calling the event a "monumental tragedy."[28]

A presidential commission later concluded that the LTTE was not responsible for the death of Athulathmudali.[29]

The LTTE has also been accused of killing moderate Tamils and other Tamils with whom it disagrees, such as:

Appapillai Amirthalingam, leader of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF)[30]
Vettivelu Yogeswaran, TULF politician
Sarojini Yogeswaran, mayor of Jaffna
Pon Sivapalan, mayor of Jaffna
Neelan Thiruchelvam, academic and TULF politician
Lakshman Kadirgamar, Sri Lankan Foreign minister
Kethesh Loganathan, political activist & Second chief of Sri Lanka Peace Secretariat
The LTTE has vehemently denied involvement in several of these incidents. Others argue these are tit-for-tat killings conducted by elements of both sides of the conflict. The LTTE argues the Sri Lankan government and government-aided paramilitaries have also targeted high profile supporters of the LTTE

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