Colombo, 17 January, (Asiantribune.com): Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabakaran has fled the country. He is now remote controlling the war from outside Sri Lanka. As LTTE leader has deserted his cadres and ran away for his and his family’s safety, at present the moral of the Tiger cadres are very low. Sri Lankan Army source told Asian Tribune that Tigers will be routed completely within March 2009.
When Asian Tribune contacted Army source in the ground in Vanni, he told that when inquired the civilians coming to army sides for safety, almost all of them say that Prabakaran is not in Vanni. They say that he has vanished log stock and barrel, with his wife and two sons, after the Mahaveer’s day.
They speculated that he might be either in some coastal area in between Kerala and Tamil Nadu, or else in Penang, Malaysia. When asked why Malaysia, Army source said civilians are of the view that in Malaysia there are scores of hardcore LTTE supporters and many of them in the Penang state. In that state, there are good number of hardcore LTTErs in the state government and it would be easy for them to keep him in safe houses in Penang.
However, Sri Lankan Army sources told Asian Tribune that this report has to be confirmed.
When Asian Tribune asked if Prabhakaran is out of the country, then who is running the war?
The Army source told that there is no need for Prabakaran to be present in the war front. He has never been present in the war front in his life time, he said.
The source who wished to remain anonymous said, "He must be running the show from outside, as he has done in the early part of 80s, when he was in Chennai. People who are running the show are those who know that they can’t flee from the country, so they have to go for the do or die attempt."
Visvamadu to Mullaitivu
According to Army source, on Thursday Sri Lanka Army’s 58 Division commanded by Brigadier Shavendra Silva has captured Tharmapuram totally and on Friday basically they have almost entered Visvmamadu. It is learnt that 58 Division is just 15 kilometers away from the eastern sea coast and they are poised to march towards Mullaitivu to liberate it soon.
When asked about what happened to the arms and ammunitions of the fleeing LTTE cadres, Army source told that they are capturing everything.
The source said that yesterday they captured LTTE vehicles, but said that we don’t mention these things. "Things like these are happening on a daily basis, but we don’t mention them as those are not big things for us."
Pottu Amman and Soosai
When asked about the rumor whether LTTE’s intelligence chief Pottu Amman, and sea Tiger chief Soosai have surrendered, the Army source denied of any such surrender.
Army source further said, "No … no one has surrendered. We have captured some cadres. But so far not any senior cadres have surrendered. Names of those surrendered or captured are of no importance," he said. The source said that he can’t remember their names as there are so many of them.
Civilians are moving towards the Army control areas
Army source told that lot of civilians are returning to Army side on the basis of 400 to 500 daily and he said that we are expecting bigger influx soon. Arriving civilians say that they have been continuously harassed by the LTTE. They say that they have been forcefully taken away by the LTTE and have been forcing them to do manual works.
They said that LTTE used to forcefully remove their dresses and allow them to remain half-naked to prevent them from running away.
They said many women did not have saris to wear as they have been forcefully undress and allowed to remain with skirt and blouses to prevent them also from fleeing.
GA’s and Civilian population in Vanni
Army source said as of now LTTE is left with around 600 square kilometers of land. He assured that before the end of March 2009, the entire Vanni region would be liberated.
He said, out of the remaining land under LTTE control, 30% of the area is covered with thick jungle, and the balance populated area.
Responding to another question, the Army source told Asian Tribune that I don’t believe in the number of population figures provided by the Government Agents. GA’s have been drawing ration for 250,000 to 300,000 people for the last so many years.
The Army source said that my personal guess is that there are no more than 100,000 people.
He said that we are waiting for the right time to sort this problem. Once we liberate the area from the clutches of the terrorists, then the Government can call the GA’s who have been in the regions since 1996 and inquire.
Therefore, he added that we should not jump the gun now. The day will come so that we can make the population census of Vanni and ask the GA’s for their reasons to have provided inflated population figures.
- Asian Tribune -
http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/15194
When Asian Tribune contacted Army source in the ground in Vanni, he told that when inquired the civilians coming to army sides for safety, almost all of them say that Prabakaran is not in Vanni. They say that he has vanished log stock and barrel, with his wife and two sons, after the Mahaveer’s day.
They speculated that he might be either in some coastal area in between Kerala and Tamil Nadu, or else in Penang, Malaysia. When asked why Malaysia, Army source said civilians are of the view that in Malaysia there are scores of hardcore LTTE supporters and many of them in the Penang state. In that state, there are good number of hardcore LTTErs in the state government and it would be easy for them to keep him in safe houses in Penang.
However, Sri Lankan Army sources told Asian Tribune that this report has to be confirmed.
When Asian Tribune asked if Prabhakaran is out of the country, then who is running the war?
The Army source told that there is no need for Prabakaran to be present in the war front. He has never been present in the war front in his life time, he said.
The source who wished to remain anonymous said, "He must be running the show from outside, as he has done in the early part of 80s, when he was in Chennai. People who are running the show are those who know that they can’t flee from the country, so they have to go for the do or die attempt."
Visvamadu to Mullaitivu
According to Army source, on Thursday Sri Lanka Army’s 58 Division commanded by Brigadier Shavendra Silva has captured Tharmapuram totally and on Friday basically they have almost entered Visvmamadu. It is learnt that 58 Division is just 15 kilometers away from the eastern sea coast and they are poised to march towards Mullaitivu to liberate it soon.
When asked about what happened to the arms and ammunitions of the fleeing LTTE cadres, Army source told that they are capturing everything.
The source said that yesterday they captured LTTE vehicles, but said that we don’t mention these things. "Things like these are happening on a daily basis, but we don’t mention them as those are not big things for us."
Pottu Amman and Soosai
When asked about the rumor whether LTTE’s intelligence chief Pottu Amman, and sea Tiger chief Soosai have surrendered, the Army source denied of any such surrender.
Army source further said, "No … no one has surrendered. We have captured some cadres. But so far not any senior cadres have surrendered. Names of those surrendered or captured are of no importance," he said. The source said that he can’t remember their names as there are so many of them.
Civilians are moving towards the Army control areas
Army source told that lot of civilians are returning to Army side on the basis of 400 to 500 daily and he said that we are expecting bigger influx soon. Arriving civilians say that they have been continuously harassed by the LTTE. They say that they have been forcefully taken away by the LTTE and have been forcing them to do manual works.
They said that LTTE used to forcefully remove their dresses and allow them to remain half-naked to prevent them from running away.
They said many women did not have saris to wear as they have been forcefully undress and allowed to remain with skirt and blouses to prevent them also from fleeing.
GA’s and Civilian population in Vanni
Army source said as of now LTTE is left with around 600 square kilometers of land. He assured that before the end of March 2009, the entire Vanni region would be liberated.
He said, out of the remaining land under LTTE control, 30% of the area is covered with thick jungle, and the balance populated area.
Responding to another question, the Army source told Asian Tribune that I don’t believe in the number of population figures provided by the Government Agents. GA’s have been drawing ration for 250,000 to 300,000 people for the last so many years.
The Army source said that my personal guess is that there are no more than 100,000 people.
He said that we are waiting for the right time to sort this problem. Once we liberate the area from the clutches of the terrorists, then the Government can call the GA’s who have been in the regions since 1996 and inquire.
Therefore, he added that we should not jump the gun now. The day will come so that we can make the population census of Vanni and ask the GA’s for their reasons to have provided inflated population figures.
- Asian Tribune -
http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/15194
