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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Pathfinder_A2Z" data-source="post: 20695135" data-attributes="member: 558124">Q: Finally, LTTE leader Prabhakaran had his final 45-minute battle with your soldiers. Were you confident of capturing him?    A: I was very confident that the SLA would capture him   soon. I knew it when I saw the influx of displaced people fleeing to our   side seeking protection. When we looked at the map, we saw the   LTTE-held areas were shrinking rapidly. Then when we came to know that   the LTTE cadres were fleeing mingling with civilians to our side   abandoning the outfit, we knew that the outfit was in disarray and we   wouldn’t have to fight for long as Prabhakaran’s days were numbered. On   the evening of 18 May 2009, the war was virtually came to an end but  Lt.  Gen. Fonseka and I had the same big question in our minds. Where  was  Prabhakaran?     I called the Commander to say that we had captured every inch of the   north but he said without capturing Prabhakaran, the war would be  never  ended. While everyone was eagerly waiting to see Prabhakaran, the  troops  of the fourth Vijayaba Infantry battalion killed him after a   45-minute-long confrontation at the Nandikadal Lagoon.                          Q: Some say that he was brought to Colombo and killed. Your comments?    A: This is a rumour and will remain as a rumour. The   truth is he was killed during the confrontation. Nobody knew Prabhakaran   was there till 19 May morning. It was the last confrontation we had   with the LTTE.    As a soldier, the most unforgettable moment in my life was having  the  man who had played with our lives for nearly three decades lying in   front of me and my men was cheering saying, “Sir, we killed   Prabhakaran.” While I am being proud I must say that the war ended due   to immense dedication of all the division commanders and soldiers. It   was a collective effort.                          Q: It was reported that Prabhakaran’s younger son was also killed by the forces?    A: I strongly deny this allegation and the Sri Lanka Army never captured him. It’s a wrong allegation.                          Q: You are now retired from the  SLA  after spending your entire youth fighting the LTTE to bring peace to   the country. What do you have to say now?    A: Yes, I hung up my uniform which I wore for more than   three decades and I went home on 5 September as a proud soldier of the   victorious Sri Lanka Army. I never wanted to retire as a defeated   soldier, so I have made my dream a reality. I will be having a simple   life with my family.     Not only me but all my colleagues, who commanded the war, have   sacrificed their entire youth in jungles fighting the LTTE. With lots of   dedication, commitment and sacrifices, we achieved peace. I think it  is  the responsibility of the political leadership of this country to   maintain an everlasting peace. We talk about reconciliation but listen   to those who ask for land powers, devolution of powers, police and   judicial powers and demand the removal of the Director of the   Kilinochchi Hospital as he is a Sinhalese and to appoint a Tamil   official. Just because we sang the National Anthem in Tamil,   reconciliation doesn’t take place. The Government should be alarmed by   the latest developments, which disturb peace, taking place in the north.   The political leadership needs to take them as eye-openers and look at   from a wider angle.                 Q: Do you mean to say that the LTTE could stage a comeback?    A: If the situations are not handled properly, the LTTE   can make a comeback as over 12,400 ex-combatants are living in society.   Though they have undergone a comprehensive rehabilitation program, that   doesn’t mean that they are 100% transformed into civilians. The new   leadership will not be effective as Prabhakaran’s leadership but if a   situation is created, the LTTE will make a comeback because the LTTE   ideology is still alive. I don’t think that the Tamil political leaders   will be satisfied with judicial, land and police powers as the agenda  of  the Tamil National Alliance is Eelam and nothing else.     Maj. Gen. Kamal Gunaratne Text by Shanika Sriyananda</blockquote>

Verification: Hathara warak wissa keeyada? (Hathara wadi karanna 20)

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