Sri Lanka says wins civil war, kills Tamil Tiger leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran
May 18th, 2009 Posted in Uncategorized
COLOMBO — Sri Lankan troops won the final battle in one of the world’s most intractable separatist wars, and put the island nation under government control for the first time since 1983, the military said.
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In the climactic final gunbattle, special forces troops killed Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran as he tried to flee the war zone in an ambulance early on Monday, state television reported.
LTTE intelligence chief Pottu Amman and Soosai, head of the “Sea Tiger” naval wing, were also believed killed, the report said. Prabhakaran founded the LTTE on a culture of suicide before surrender, and had sworn he would never be taken alive.
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Army commander Lt-Gen. Sarath Fonseka said troops on Monday morning had finished the task President Mahinda Rajapaksa gave them three years ago.
“We have liberated the entire country by completely liberating the north from the terrorists. We have gained full control of LTTE-held areas,” Fonseka announced on state TV.
The end of combat and Prabhakaran’s death sent the currency _LKR__ and stock markets _.CSE_ to one-month and seven-month highs respectively by 0900 GMT. They had already surged at the opening in anticipation of the war’s end.
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Rajapaksa declared victory on Saturday, even as the final battle in Asia’s longest modern war was intensifying.
It played out on a sandy patch of just 300 sq metres (3,230 sq ft) near the Indian Ocean island’s northeastern coast, where the military said the last Tiger fighters had holed up in bunkers and surrounded themselves with land mines and booby traps.
But Sru Lanka’s triumph was not without controversy. The European Union will call on Monday for an independent inquiry into alleged violations of humanitarian and humans rights law and for those responsible to be brought to justice.
A draft EU text due to be put to a foreign ministers meeting in Brussels calls for an end to restrictions on aid agencies, and full access to people displaced by the fighting.
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COUNTING BODIES
The LTTE on Sunday conceded defeat in a 25-year civil war, after a relentless Sri Lankan military offensive that retook the 15,000 sq km the rebels ran as a separate state when a 2002 truce began falling apart three years ago.
The official Media Centre for National Security said more than 250 Tigers had been killed in the final battle, which intensified on Saturday after the military said it had freed the last of 72,000 civilians trapped in the tiny war zone.
News of the Tiger chief’s death came as state TV for the first time broadcast images of the body of his son and heir apparent, Charles Anthony, and other dead rebels.
He was killed overnight, the military said, along with a host of other top LTTE fighters and political cadres, including political chief B. Nadesan and spokesman Seevaratnam Puleedevan.
In Colombo, demonstrators threw rocks at the British High Commission, tossed a burning effigy of Foreign Secretary David Miliband inside and spray-painted its heavily fortified wall with epithets and a message: “LTTE headquarters”.
Miliband has been critical of the Sri Lankan government’s prosecution of the war, and is seen here as sympathetic to the vocal pro-LTTE lobby that has protested outside parliament for weeks in Britain. London has said it backs a war crimes’ probe.
Sri Lanka has been furious that a number of its embassies in foreign capitals have been vandalised by Tamil Tiger backers.
Rajapaksa prorogued parliament on Monday, the required step for him to take the role of speaker and address the body. He was due to make his formal declaration of victory there on Tuesday.
In less than three years, Sri Lanka’s bulked-up military has answered critics who said there was no way to defeat the LTTE, which had carefully crafted an aura of military invincibility.
The LTTE at the height of its power had run a de facto state for Sri Lanka’s Tamil minority that it called Tamil Eelam.
The Tigers collected taxes, ran courts and kept a standing army, naval wing and small air force, even though the government paid for health and education services there.
hi
India idhula engarundhu vandhuchu? China and pakistan dhan India vida neraya heavy weapons tharudhu…adha pathi edhuvume solamaatingala vunga srilankans…
India sandhoshapaduma..padatum….vungalukelam idhu pathadhu….inum adichu norukanum
I’m born Tamilian from India and salute this impeccable hero of all times. Today I’m really proud to be a Tamilian to see a great warrior in our era. its a bitter truth that he was betrayed by our own people the same thing happenned to our great freedom heroes of Tamil Nadu nevertheless his valor and bravery will live forever.
He will never ever lose this war against the cowards who were crushed for the last 26 yrs.
sacrifice of more than 70,000 people will surely yeild Tamil Eelam
we never in history tried to dominate others but when it turns to us we never give up to crush them back.
Our National animal is Tiger and they are the Tamil tigers who never ever give up.
Anyway I’ve given my original Name here and again my million salutes to the braveheart hero of all times.
You dont have to watch Gladiator or braveheart to know wht valor and bravery is read his history u will get to know what really he is.
WELL SAID V.Trivikrama
never was in history that adharma won, soon or later the time will come.
entha oru talivanum appavi makkal sagum varai pinnal olindu vedikkai paka mattan.annal tamil makkalin talaiwan endru sollikollum prabakarano 70000 appavi tamil makkal sagum varai ennaseidar ivara talaivar?arilum savu noorilum savu porauyir antha 70000 makkalin uyirai kappatrivitthu ponaal avan talaiwan.
makkalukaha poradum oru herovum makkalin uyir povadai anumadikka mattan. anaal intha makkalin talaivanaha sollikolum prabakaran appavi makkalukku pinnal olindukondu makkalin uyirai kodutthu than uyirai kappawan talaivana. cinimalakuda tanakkaha makkal sahuwadai enda herovum pattu kondu irruka anaal intha praba zero irrudaar.
nalla sonninga RY,pakathu vidula nadakurawaraikumthan vedikai athuve unga widula nadanthal athaijum vedikai parpeergala?sila per viduthalai puligalai weruthargal iwargalaalaithan tamil makkal saaguraragal enndu,aanal puligal irukum waraikum sinhala makkal tamilargalai pajathula ethugum sejalai,aanal eppo pirabakaran sethar enndu terinchutho appala irunthu sinhala werijargal appavi tamil makkalai colombolo adikuraaragal widai udaikuraargal panam paikuraargal,ithu madduma poga poga paarungal marupadijum tamilargalai adimaijathan vachirupaangal.1983la enna sejthargalo atha vida mosama tamilargalai kolla poraargal.india athai paarthu santhosha padadum
We all should Salute this Highly Courageous Guy, who Lived and died for the Tamil People. May you find Peace U Bravo.
All the buggers who just speak out of their shitholes in Tamilnadu and hardly do anything for Tamils.
Our Thoughts goes with the Innocent Tamils victimized.
hearing this news doesnt change my feelings towards this war.neither iam happy nor iam sad.but the feelings towards the civilians is still same.they r suffering a lot.they suffered even before ltte as an orgnaisation formed,they suffered when ltte raged a war for them,they r suffering now as ltte is falling.will they suffer in future too…ltte was formed to save the civilians.now everybody is worried abt that org and its leaders but nobody is worrying abt the cause-save SL tamilians. pazha.nedumaran said in a interview that pirabhaharan is hale and healthy.can he say the same abt the SL tamilians.
if this news is true,pirabharan death is expected to b like this.kathi eduthavanaku kathiyal saavu.even he wuld have known this.
but anga irukara matha civilians nilamai enna?will rajapakshe stop now?will he allow outside reporters ?will india,china,russia stop its aid in eliminating terrorism? can the civilians be rescued and taken to a safe place not by sla army..can anyother aid organisation do that?
gudgud great news!!