By Michael Roberts –
Dr Michael Roberts
That the LTTE talaivar, Velupillai Pirapāharan, died a heroic death as a vīra maranam on the 18th or 19th May 2009 is now certain.[1] Though Tamil sources claim that he shot himself with his pistol when he and his troops were trapped in the mangrove swamps on the eastern shoreline of Nandhikadal lagoon, the weight of evidence suggests that he was hit by a bullet “traveling diagonally across VP’s skull, probably from left forehead to right rear of skull – [a bullet that was part of] either a rifle round, or a rifle-calibre round” (David Blacker, email to Roberts, 14 February 2012).
Whatever the verdict between these two alternative theories, there is little doubt that Pirapāharan adhered to the Tiger devotion to cause and the LTTE’s credo of being ready to die by gun or kuppi (cyanide pill). This fact should dispel the various strands of criticism levelled at Pirapāharan for not biting a cyanide capsule.[2] A young Tamil friend voiced this complaint in conversation with me in mid-November 2012; and a senior government official named Ganesh (no less than the G. A. Jaffna) is said to have expressed “disappointment that Prabhakaran didn’t die fighting for his people” (Mahindapala 2009). In the expressions of diehard Sinhala extremists such as HLD Mahindapala, such an alleged fact becomes fodder for derisive commentary on the manner in which the Tiger supremo failed to live up to the principles imposed on his fighting personnel.
In an exchange in the vibrant web-journal TRANSCURRENTS, the knowledgeable editor, DBS Jeyaraj, responded on 26 November 2011 to a blogger’s comment with the note: “Prabhakaran fought to the end and then shot himself on 18th. Army recovered body hours later on 19th.” A similar verdict was recently conveyed to me by one of the civilians among the last cluster trapped at Vellamullavaikal in mid-May. He informed told me that Pirapāharan placed his Glock pistol in his mouth and shot himself. Pirapāharan’s body guards thereupon hid his body and mostly proceeded to sacrifice their lives by their own hands in keeping with the ideals of the LTTE (Roberts 1996, 2005a, 2005b and 2006). But one or two bodyguards went back to the Last Redoubt at Mullivaikkal area and mingled with the civilians; when one was identified, he eventually led the SL Army troops to the area where the body was hidden.
Velupillai Pirapāharan
However, the facial photograph of the dead Pirapāharan does not support a right-handed action of this sort. In any event the opinion of a former soldier such as Blacker destroys this thesis. Responding to my direct query on this point on 14th February 2012, David Blacker went into riveting detail:
“Michael, DBSJ has steadfastly stuck to this story for a while now, but I disagree with him on VP’s death. I am attaching a picture of the latter post-mortem (which you have most likely seen before) for reference. That is most certainly not a self-inflicted bullet wound. A self-inflicted shot would have entered below the chin, through the mouth, or to the temple, if delivered to the head. And in pictures of VP in his underwear, there is no sign of a shot to the chest, which would be the most likely spot for a self-inflicted body shot.
Some might argue that the visible wound was inflicted post-mortem to cover a fatal self-inflicted exit wound. But if VP had shot himself under the chin or through the mouth, the hydrostatic damage to his eyes would have been visible. They would have been blown out of their sockets or at the very least very bloodshot. There is no such sign.
Another argument is that the wound is from shrapnel, but there is no sign of his head or face having been hit by fragments other than the one that delivered the wound. While this is not impossible, it is unlikely, and anyway not in line with DBSJ’s theory of suicide.
Yet another story is that the wound is from an axe or mammoty, inflicted by a senior Army officer. This too is unlikely, given that there’s no bruising around the wound.
I have seen many gunshot wounds close up, and I believe this to be inflicted by a high-velocity bullet traveling diagonally across VP’s skull, probably from left forehead to right rear of skull. That would be either a rifle round, or a rifle-calibre round. The angle rules out self-infliction.
I have posted my view on DBSJ’s blog but he has not allowed the comment through. He has previously asked me for my opinion via email, and I have given it; but he has not changed his view. He has also refused to give detailed answers to queries on how VP died; nor has he written an “expose” on it; leading me to believe that he doesn’t know for sure, but has been told his version by a trusted source.”
To those unfamiliar with warfare, let me stress that Pirapāharan would not have been shot as Pirapāharan. In contrast with snipers shooting at long range, in gunfights in jungle terrain good soldiers shoot at enemy bodies across the way in instinctive bursts without identifying officers or individuals. Pausing to identify is deadly for self and is bad soldiery. The information trickling in from friends of military men is that the army platoons simply ‘inundated’ the mangrove areas where the last Tiger units had taken refuge with concentrated volleys of automatic fire and the odd RPG round.
With access to the highest authorities HLD Mahindapala gained entry to the arena of the talaivar’s last stand as well as the troops involved in this final set of gun-battles. His essay on the topic is mandatory reading for those interested in the debate because it provides details on the context (though one has to siphon off his disparagement and his gloating).
Fierce fighting broke out on the evening of May 17th. According to Army sources, Prabhakaran, surrounded by his bodyguards, was moving across the waters, shifting among the mangroves. The fighting went on till 3.30 a.m. on May 18th. Sgt. Banda, who was in one of the islets, encountered fierce attacks. He called for reinforcements. They suspected that Prabhakaran must be among the Tiger cadres moving across. With the arrival of new reinforcements fighting went on till 5.30 am.
Col. G. V. Ravipriya told me that nearly 100 terrorists had surrounded them [Sgt Banda’s unit].” He added: “I sent another team to assist them. The Tigers then escaped to a mangrove in the left of the island.”
Col. Ravipriya then planned to clear the mangrove at dawn. Before that he brought down artillery, armoured tanks, infantry mortars and RPGs. From this base he kept firing till 11 a.m. of May 18th. Col Ravipriya then sent commandos to clear the mangroves. Over 100 bodies were found there. Clearing was over by 6.30 p.m. It was getting dark. Clearing began next morning at 7.30 a.m. Suddenly, they were confronted by a group of Tigers. The Forces asked for help and more troops were sent by Col. Ravipriya.
Clearing began again on the 19th. Firing had stopped. The Forces started collecting bodies again around 9.30 a.m. Sgt. Muthu Banda then cried that he found a body similar to that of Prabhakaran. He was asked to bring the body out of the mangrove bushes. Brig. Commander Col Gamage was the first to identify the body. He found the identity tag: 001.
Nobody knows who fired the fatal bullet. It seems to be a gun shot fired within a range of about 10 metres [emphasis added by Roberts].
This evaluation must be supplemented by a study of photographs of the mangrove swamp terrain. It is with attention to such details and this context that one must review Blacker’s considered verdict and ask medical personnel familiar with war wounds whether the image of Pirapaharan’s visage-in-death supports Blacker’s argument and is consistent with a relatively close range shot of a rifle bullet (itself, presumably, part of a burst).
Answering my query, Dr Susiri Weeraskera cautiously noted that the killer-bullet is very “unlikely to be [from]a pistol. … Far more likely blasted off from a distance.” The image displayed by the GSL Army, he stresses, is “after a stitching-up which hides the damage within.”[3]
Be that as it may, from the Tamil perspective Pirapaharan is surely a māvīrar who died vīra maranam.
As recognised in critical reflections by one Nillanthan in his poem KAARTHIKAI MUNIRAVU
The rain sparrow’s
cool, weightless song
wanders tiredly
In the forest
Where heroes are buried
The November moon
lights up the
funeral urn
Neither prayers
Nor words of respect
Neither a leader
Nor his great speech
Neither is there
the fragrance of
glowing flame
as it melts and dissolves
in the wet wind
The hero-stone wrenched –
A great dream wanders
Sleepless
In the forest
where iron merchants wander
blooms a karthigai flower
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Albert Axell and Hideaki Kase 2002 Kamikaze. Japan’s Suicide Gods, London: Pearson Education.
Iyer, Ganeshan 2012 “Military Training in the German Nazi Mould amidst Internal Dissension in the Early LTTE, late 1970s,” trans. by Parames Blacker, 30 January 2012, http://thuppahi.wordpress.com/2012/01/30/military-training-in-the-german-nazi-mould-amidst-internal-dissension-in-the-early-ltte-late-1970s/
Jeyaraj, D. B. S. 2006 “No Public Speech Ceremony for LTTE Chief This Year?” 26 November 2006, http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbs/archives/650.
Jeyaraj, D. B. S. 2012 “Sea Tiger commander Soosai’s wife Satyadevi speaks out,” 30 January 2012, http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/3891
Mahindapala, H. L. D. 2009 “How Prabhakaran went down in Nanthi Kadal – the last battleground,” 10 July 2009, http://lrrp.wordpress.com/2009/07/10/how-prabhakaran-went-down-in-nanthi-kadal-%E2%80%93-the-last-battleground-by-h-l-d-mahindapala/
Narayan Swamy, M. R.2003 Inside an Elusive Mind. Prabhakaran, Colombo: Vijitha Yapa Publications.
Natali, Christiana 2008“Building Cemeteries, Constructing Identities: Funerary Practices and Nationalist Discourse among the Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka,” Contemporary South Asia 16: 287- 301.
Ohnuki-Tierney, Emiko 2002 Kamikaze, Cherry Blossoms, and Nationalisms: the Militarization of Aesthetics in Japanese History, Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Roberts, Michael 1996 “Filial Devotion and the Tiger Cult of Suicide,” Contributions to Indian Sociology, 30: 245-72.
Roberts, Michael 2005b “Saivite Symbolism, Sacrifice and Tamil Tiger Rites,” Social Analysis 49: 67-93.
Roberts, Michael 2005a “Tamil Tiger ‘Martyrs’: Regenerating Divine Potency?” Studies in Conflict & Terrorism 28: 493-514.
Roberts, Michael 2006 “Pragmatic Action and Enchanted Worlds: A Black Tiger Rite of Commemoration,” Social Analysis 50: 73-102.
Roberts, Michael 2012 “Inspirations: Hero Figures and Hitler in Young Pirapāharan’s Thinking,” 30 February 2012, http://thuppahi.wordpress.com/2012/02/13/inspirations-hero-figures-and-hitler-in-young-pirapaharans-thinking/
Roberts, Michael 2011 “Death and Eternal Life: Contrasting Sensibilities in the face of Corpses,” 29 June 2011, http://thuppahi.wordpress.com/2011/06/29/death-and-eternal-life-contrasting-sensibilities-in-the-face-of-corpses/
Roberts, M. and Arthur Saniotis 2006 “Empowering the Body and Noble Death,” Social Analysis 50: 7-24.
Sax, William Bo 1992 “Pilgrimage Unto Death,” in James Veitch (ed.) To Strive And Not To Yield. Essays in Honour of Colin Brown, Victoria University of Wellington, pp. 200-12.
Schalk, Peter 1997a “Resistance and Martyrdom in the Process of State Formation of Tamililam,” in Joyce Pettigrew (ed.) Martyrdom and Political Resistance, Amsterdam: VU University Press, pp. 61-84.
Schalk, Peter 1997b “Historicization of the martial ideology of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)”, South Asia 20: 35-72.
Schalk, Peter 2003 “Beyond Hindu Festivals: The Celebration of Great Heroes’ Day by the LiberationTigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Europe,” in Martin Baumann et al. (eds.) Tempel und Tamilien in Zweiter Heimat, Wurzburg: Ergon Verlag, pp. 391-411.
[1] This essay is deliberately cast for 27th November. From 1989 the LTTE initiated commemoration ceremonies called Māvīrar Nāl to pay homage to their dead and thus to inspire commitment to the cause of Thamilīlam and to mobilize wider support among Tamils across the world (see Jeyaraj 2006). The 27th November 1982 was when Shankar, Pirapāharan’s mate from early days, died from a wound. He was the first Tiger fighter to die. That this took place one day after Pirapāharan’s date of birth is pure coincidence. The figure 26, with a 2 and a 6, adds up to 8 for those guided by the mystical force of numerology. Pirapāharan is said to have been so guided (for e.g. by Anita Pratap) and avoided dates that could be divided by 8 or included an 8, when launching major offensives. If he was hit by a bullet on the 18th May (see below) then his fears could be said to have received confirmation.
[2] In surmise I note that it is likely that the LTTE’s stock of kuppi had run out and could not be easily replenished over 2008/09.
[3] He added: “On the first TV view that we got from home, a soldier inadvertently lifted his head and it came upwards like an empty shell, weightless. I noticed it. The brain is likely to have been blasted off almost fully. There would be tell tale signs from the mouth too [if he inflicted the wound himself]. The army doctor who did the PM would easily know how he died” (email to Roberts, 27 November 2012).
Bedrock Barney / November 27, 2012
3 years past and some sections of the Diaspora still refuse to acknowledge his death. I wonder if these elements will use the hazy circumstances behind his death to create spin like Haile Selassaie, Adolf Hitler or Bob Marley. Books, T-shirts, documentaries are all probably on the way. Even a video game called “no fire zone’.
All this morbid fascination with how, when and where he died is unhealthy. He may have been a symbol of resistance to some yet he remains a symbol of Terror to whole lot more. He is dead and gone and let be the end of it.
/
gamini / November 28, 2012
Reading Michael Roberts it is very clear that there two versions to the end of VP. One is where he projects DBSJeyaraj’s view that he committed suicide. Afterall it is this very DBSJ who tried to concoct KPs abduction when he was really escorted to Sri Lanka. I agree with David Blacker’s view that if it was suicide the nature of injuries would have been different. The second version Michael Roberts projects is that of Davis Bllacker’s view point that VP died in action due to a high velocity bullet from a Rifle. If VP died in action it is very unlikely that for him to be dressed only in a loin cloth as the first photos revealed. Further after VP got killed there was no necessity for any, either his body guards or for anyone else to remove his clothings. Besides it can not be to deceive his identity, as then his moustache to remain?
The best I believe whoever this look alike VP was done to death obviously by the LTTE itself dressed in a span cloth made to sit, before a powerful blow from an axe was dealt on his head from behind. Obviously at the very moment, looking at the ones in front of him, he realises something and turns his eyes upwards to get a glimpse which gets his eyes locked as seen in the photo. In an instant he would have died. So neither DBSJ or DB’s versions can be accepted as that of VP. The LTTE sold VP’s death through the Forces as the plan was for VP and the LTTE to surrender in the end. As to what happened in end which is guarded as a secret will reveal how the whole lot of them were massacred in the end. If one is to view Issapriya’s video, there is a person who resembles very much like VP. This War Drama was enacted by the US and the Indians, to consolidate MR as the War Victor to carry their brief. VP got played out, but the Drama is continuing with MR at the helm and has to wither the storm that is imminent.
/
Mango / November 28, 2012
@ Gamini, your description makes it seem as if you were actually there? So, were you there, or are you just adding to your store of fairytales about the US and India being puppet masters behind the entire saga?
/
gamini / November 29, 2012
Mango, there is a saying in Sinhalese,’Kiyanna kesey kiuwath, asanna sihibuddhiyen asiya yuthui’. I have documented the whole war from the time MR taking over, todate and have titled, ‘This Senseless War’ which I will release to CT one of these days for publication, where the readership can understand the hoax that was perpetrated on this country by these forces involved. The reader then can clearly understand, as I have raised many an issue of the unseen HANDS how they have steered this war and how they still continue to retain MR at the helm. Then I’ll leave it for the readership to judge whether it is my fantassy.
In a nut shell I’ll explain now. There is no country in the world that is not exploited by the powerful of the weak, politically and economically. This has been the status quo for many millenia from the time of Colonising to Governing Countries by remote control today. As we all know India trained and nurtured the LTTE to destabilise us and to keep us under their control. Besides the Tamils in this country had all the reason to react for the treatment meted out to them by us the majority Sinhalese after Independence. We fell hook, line and sinker to the mechanisations of Indian perfidy after Independence with our Kitchen brains, where the crown of the Non Alligned Nations was dangled in front of the leadership then. The resultant was that we got tid of the Americans bases from China Bay Trincomalee and the British interest from the Oil Companies and the Plantations. I believe at times that, had we allowed them to remain we certainly would have benifited like Hong Kong and the country would have developed for both the Sinhalese and the Tamils including other ethnic groups to have a better life and would have avoided the carnage we experienced. Well now it is a case of spilt milk. It was not only India that who provided the LTTE with weapons. India provided weapons and training to the LTTE for Guerilla War fare and was monitored by the RAW. Then around the year ’87 the LTTE brought down one of our Air Force planes using a SAM. It was then that it was discovered that there were others too involved in supplying arms to the LTTE, coming through routes as South Africa, Singapore and Hong Kong. This led JRJ to trap Rajiv Ghandi to come here and sign the famous ’87 accord and to disarm the LTTE, where he nearly got killed by one of our Naval Ratings. JRJ made RG realise that we will succumb today but India will follow suit. This is what led, RG to come here to sign, otherwise India would have summoned JRJ to India to sign the Accord. Thereafter although it is widely belived that VP ordered the killing of RG, in effect RG was assasinated by using the LTTE by the Americans who have subsequently brought not only India under their control but have successfully managed to woo the Corrupt Chinese Leadership as well for both India and China who have waged wars earlier, to work side by side. Then the US moved into put the icing on the cake to settle the LTTE issue by a Consortium of Countries, that included the Americans, the British, the Japanese, the Germans, the Australians, the Canadians, the Indians etc. to grant massive financial aid to Ranil Wickremasinghe to proceed wth the CFA and bring stability and economic development to the country. This was not to be and these Powers realised that the stability and development they are looking for could never be achieved through RW with an Opposition who markets Nationalism. It is then that they turn to MR the Devil himself and to make sure VP’s support is sought with a plan offering VP a way out. All parties, the Americans, the Indians, MR, VP and the LTTE top rung are happy with the plan. Then they put the plan in to action after MR secures victory as President. The LTTE sabotages the Peace Talks and the CFA. Then they close the Mawil Aru anicut to hype the Sinhalese masses and create absolute hatred towards the LTTE. The War Commences after the stage is cleared and the doors are closed to all including the UN. The MR govt. establishes MCNS to disseminate news of the War. There are no witnesses independent or otherwise. MR has his say and also his way. The North and the East that was ladened and fortified with land mines to prevent any from intruding begins to fall like a pack of cards. Both sides the LTTE and the MR govt. exeagerate the casualty figures of the dead. The people believe the LTTE is getting a severe thrashing. The LTTE bury all their heavy weaponry and starts to retreat leaving a skeletal force as fodder for the advancing Govt. Troupes. To hype the War effort VP says in July 2008 that if the Govt. Forces enter their last bastion Killinochchi, that the A 9 road will be a river of blood. This utterance is nothing but to rouse the Sinhala sentiment of anger when MR finally wins the war, as when the Forces enter Killinochchi the town is deserted, no damage caused even to VP’s bunker. Then the final Drama is shifted to Puthukudiirrippu seperated by the Nandikal Lagoon and the LTTE is accused of holding the civilians as a Human Shield. However notwithstanding the stories that the LTTE was killing their own who were trying to escape, the civillians safely arrive under the Forces control. It is about this time that the LTTE sell VP’s dead body so that the real VP could escape persecution from the Govt. and his own bretheren. It appears that VP with his remaining LTTE cadre were to surrender as agreed with the promise for them a way out. It is at this juncture that the lot are first attacked from air and the rest rounded up with their hands tied and taken Prisnor to be killed later as shown on Channel 4. This dastardly crime, my personal belief is that Gota would not have committed unless he had the concurrence from the Americans definitely and possibly of the Indians as well. This is the Rumour of the white flag story, which the Top Forces leadership is aware and people like Shavendra Silva and a few others, are looked after with Diplomatic postings, again with the support of the powerful Americans, lest they spill the beans. The watered down Resolution and the dilly dallying of the UN are signs due to the involvement of the hidden powers in this War Drama. Further with the magnitutde of waste and theft of Public Funds, yet the grandiose schemes of investment is due to the land preperation by these forces knowing that the Sinhalese will forget everything except that MR won the War. The present crisis is due to the true perspective and bungling of MR which the outside forces have no control, but their effort to save face for MR is quite evident.
/
Navin Weeraratne / November 29, 2012
Gamini, while I do not disagree that if a truly independent investigation was to ever be carried out on Sri Lanka, that numerous foreign Governments and NGOs will be found to have blood in their hands. That will not however make any of them the masters of this mess. The masters of this mess are the ignorant and foolish Sinhala and Tamil mass populations, and the opportunistic Sinhala and Tamil leaderships (which include the Diasporas). The foreigners are just not helping – instead are using the conflict to their advantages. That makes them opprtunistic – much like our leaders. Not the masters! As stated before, the masters of our mess is us!
If we really did conduct an independent review of our country, it will identify just how gloriously ignorant we as a nation are. It will show that there is no one else to blame, but ourselves.
So lets put the conspiracy theories away, and look at the real picture. Sri Lanka is not the centre of the universe, and it doesn’t have enough oil for the likes of America to really care! America cares about America. India cares about India. China cares about China. If Sri Lanka wants to become something more than a blindly patriotic state built on blissful ignorance, then Sri Lankans have to stand up and make that change, instead of sitting back and blaming the rest of the world for all of its flaws. Conspiracy theories only add to the blissful ignorance.
/
gamini / November 30, 2012
Navin, we need not have deposits of oil alone for the prying and the interested to have their concern over this country. We are a stepping stone to the market of over 3 billion population in both China and India, hence our strategic importance. If you can only remember when it was drummed in the media that MR would be arrested, if he stepped on to American soil, with cases filed in the American Courts, no less a person than Richard Armitage pays a secret visit to MR, obviously to assure a gurantee. The visit was kept a secret for quite some time and the masses were unaware, till long after MR visited America for treatment. These are not conspiracy theories, but stark realities and there is nothing the public could do when they are led in this fashion. Denying Rights for Information, Suppression of the Judiciary, Media Assaults and Killings, State Violence inflicted on the Opposition and on any who dissent, Denying Democracy, all happening right under the noses of these Guardian Angels, who openly reprimands, but do nothing about it. I seriously believe the Americans prefer MR to establish a Dictatorship here, as then it is easy to control this country to deliver their agenda. Are you blind to the construction of a number of Tourist Hotels? Developping the Infrastructure at a rapid pace? Destroying the Religious base and the Culture using the Priests and the Laity itslf igniting them, so that they become unpopular? Mentionning of openning Red Light Districts? Openning of Gambling Zones and Formula Racing to create another Monaco? There will be spin off employment with such an Economy for all to survive, because the Main Players decide so and not the masses of this country.
/
sach / November 30, 2012
@Navin,
Well said! 100% agree with u
/
Navin Weeraratne / December 4, 2012
Gamini, as stated before, I can see many an advantage for various foreign Governments from an unstable and vulnerable Sri Lanka. But my point is, is that that instability and vulnerability is home grown by the masses, and only nurtured by opportunistic foreign powers.
/
David Blacker / November 29, 2012
You keep persisting with this laughable fantasy of yours, Gamini, that needs every stretch of imagination to give it credence. Why would the Tigers kill a lookalike VP if the real VP was already dead? Why would they undress him before killing him in the middle of a battlefield? Why would they go to the trouble of killing him with an axe when a bullet would suffice?
No one has suggested that VP or his bodyguards undressed him, or that he was fighting the Army in his loincloth like Tarzan or Native Veddha. The Army routinely strips corpses for ease of search, and that’s what was done to VP. His clothes would have been cut off since it’s simpler than undressing a corpse. Once the body was searched, it was redressed in fresh clothes, cleaned up and shaved for the official photographs to make sure he was recognizable as the Tiger leader. When Wijeweera was paraded on TV, many people didn’t recognize him, and the military would want to avoid such controversy. Clearly, people such as you and Dushy will persist in being confused.
/
gamini / November 29, 2012
David Blacker you may have the command to write. that is one thing but your naivette on intrigue is nil. Or is it that you are also a plant to mislead the masses?
You say that no one undressed VP. Do you admit the fact that when, whoever identified the so called VP’s body with that gash on the head, he was only in a loin cloth when he was carried out from the ditch he was in. How he was put in to a LTTE uniform afterwards was the work of the Forces. Why? He could have been left as he was? You try to bring in Rohana Wijeyweera saying the Public could not identify him. Yes because he has changed his image and was posing off as Attanayake. For that matter when Saddham was caught he was with an overgrown beard. In this case VP had taken a shave leaving the moustache, possibly the day before he died. The moustache was allowed to remain so the Public will not have doubt as you rightly claim that would not lead to any controversy? You further state, ‘Once the body was searched, it was redressed in fresh clothes, cleaned up and shaved for the official photographs to make sure he was recognizable as the Tiger leader. So is that the reason why the Forces put his body in a LTTE Uniform to establish beyond doubt? Who provided the Uniform that fitted the body? Is it that the Forces have spare LTTE Uniforms for contingencies as this? David I am not confused but when I release the observations of this whole Saga quite many will be confused for sure.
As for your question why the LTTE would kill a look alike VP if VP was already dead? The time this look alike VP’s body was discovered the real VP was living. He died with the rest when they were to surrender. Read my above comment, to get an insight as to what exactly happened.
/
David Blacker / November 30, 2012
“your naivette on intrigue is nil”
Absolutely. I’m assuming that you understand what naivete means, and are therefore paying me a compliment. If so, thank you.
“You say that no one undressed VP.”
Where have I said such a thing? In fact, I described the probable circumstances in which his clothes were removed. I really wish you would take the time to actually read BEFORE responding since it’ll prevent wasting everyone’s time in correcting your incomprehensions. What I asked you was why VP’s killers (whom YOU claim were Tigers) would have taken the time to undress him before killing him. Can you answer this without talking nonsense?
“In this case VP had taken a shave leaving the moustache, possibly the day before he died.”
This is inaccurate. In the picture Prof Roberts refers to (probably the best close up shot of VP’s head), you can see grey stubble on VP’s face. Not only does this indicate that he hadn’t shaven, but also that his moustache and hair was died black in middle age.
“So is that the reason why the Forces put his body in a LTTE Uniform to establish beyond doubt?”
Yes. The public is used to seeing VP dressed in a particular way. VP isn’t very unique in his features; there are many middle-aged Sri Lankans who look like him. You yourself remain confused and convinced that you spotted VP’s body in another film clip. Why did VP grow his moustache back after the tsunami (he had shaved it off previously)? He did it to dispel rumours that he had been killed in the tsunami and replaced by a lookalike; he too knew the value of appearing as the public expects. It is unlikely that a VP dressed only in underwear, covered with mud, and unshaven, would have been instantly or widely accepted as genuine. People like you still refuse to accept it. So VP needed to be seen dressed in familiar garb.
“Who provided the Uniform that fitted the body?”
The uniform VP was redressed in didn’t fit him. If you look at the pictures, you will see that the shirt and trousers are unbuttoned because they won’t fit over his fat belly, and that the trouser legs are too short. He also is barefooted because it’s probable that there were no boots available to fit him.
“Is it that the Forces have spare LTTE Uniforms for contingencies as this?”
Many Tiger fighters surrendered to the SL Army, and their uniforms would have been taken from them, so yes, Tiger uniforms would have been readily available.
“The time this look alike VP’s body was discovered the real VP was living. He died with the rest when they were to surrender.”
Why kill a lookalike VP if the real VP was going to surrender? Why not simply surrender? Your explanation needs huge stretches of imagination to make it fit, and it still doesn’t.
/
gamini / November 30, 2012
David what I intended was your naivette on intrigue is amazing, although inadvertantly I have typed nil.
Refrence the body at the time of discovery was nude except for the loin cloth. It was you who brought of the issue of undressing and then dressing up. To quote you, ‘ In fact, I described the probable circumstances in which his clothes were removed’. David there was no case of removing his clothes as he was found only in the loin cloth. So obviously the LTTE when they killed this look alike, he would have been in his loin cloth only. Therefore the body was not of VP who died fighting.
The fact that the dead body does not have an over grown beard of an unshaven man is indicative that he has had a shave a day or two prior. You again try to mislead when all can see for how long the man had not shaven, speaking of a growth that is hardly vissible.
As for your question why kill the look alike, if VP was to surrender later. I never said that VP was to surrender along with the rest of the LTTE. Well, none know what the final plan was, other than the present story how the rest of the LTTE cadre was massacred and VP was caught in it, and had his body brought out, the whole thing of the massacre would have come out and the first sell out of his body would have exposed the Hoax of the War as well. What arrangements VP had with MR is only known by MR and those who staged this Drama. VP did not definitely bargain for what was done in the end. So David, either you were also a sucker or one of the perpetrators.
/
shankar / November 30, 2012
David,I think you have a valid point when you say why would the Tigers have undressed the person who is described as a look alike of VP by gamini. Does not make any sense to me,but it also does not make sense why the body was naked when found by the forces.
So I think both of you are wrong.Someone undressed him and dumped his body but it could not be the LTTE. So who did it?I think this requires us calling for miss. Marple otherwise we novices will go endlessly round and round the mulberry bush.
Do you agree with Gamini that the body was only in an amudi when found by the forces?
/
David Blacker / November 30, 2012
Shankar, I have explained several times why VP’s body was photographed in underwear. Does nobody here read the arguments? Let me repeat it once more (hopefully the last time):
VP would have been found at dawn, by soldiers mopping up after the night fighting, in whatever clothes he was wearing while making his escape. Bodies on the battlefield are stripped for ease of search. The body is rolled over to make sure it is not booby-trapped. Then the clothes are cut off and place aside for a detailed search for documents and personal belongings. Then if necessary, the body may be searched further. The soldiers who first did this, probably wouldn’t have had cameras or it was too dark for non-flash photography. The first pix of the undressed VP were probably taken when there was enough light.
He was then cleaned up, dressed in fresh clothes, and officially photographed.
Hope it’s clear now. All these conspiracy theories are good for the suckers like Dushy, Gamini, etc, who can’t accept that the simplest answer is probably the answer.
/
David Blacker / November 30, 2012
“David what I intended was your naivette on intrigue is amazing, although inadvertantly I have typed nil.”
There is no evidence of an intrigue, Gamini; so I think what you mean is that my skepticism of your fantasies is amazing. You’re quite correct.
“David there was no case of removing his clothes as he was found only in the loin cloth.”
How do you know this? This is merely your theory, not based on any evidence or witness statement. We can only speculate what he was wearing when he was killed, and there is no reason for VP to be running around like a fat imitation of Tarzan. You have convinced yourself that he was found in his underwear and then concocted a story to explain it. That he’s a lookalike, that he was killed by the Tigers, and so on. It’s ridiculous. WHY on earth would they leave him in his underwear if they were trying to pass off a lookalike as VP? Doesn’t even the most basic tenets of logic and commons sense ever enter your thinking process?
Look at the available evidence, the most likely probabilities, and analyse that. Don’t try to justify assumptions by spinning fairy tales.
“You again try to mislead when all can see for how long the man had not shaven, speaking of a growth that is hardly vissible.”
I never claimed that he had a beard. I only explained that hewas found unshaven and therefore shaved by the Army. Don’t get so excited over nothing. Many things are hardly visible to you because you’re assuming many things. If you look closely at the pictures with an open mind, you will find it easier to be analytical.
The rest of your response is the usual mishmash of conspiracy theories that require an overactive imagination to come up with, all of it based on the fact that you have convinced yourself that some random fat mustachioed Tamil glimpsed in a video is in fact the real VP. What a lot of fantasy to support a theory your ego will not allow you to admit was just a stupid mistake.
/
gamini / November 30, 2012
David says the bodies of LTTE were stripped in case they were booby trapped. It is funny that the LTTE that even did not leave a single booby trap, not even in the bunker used by VP or any other place would do so for the very body of the VP look alike that was dumped by the LTTE itself for the Forces to market VP’s death, to take the heat off VP. Besides when the body was discovered in the morning when it was carried out from the ditch, the filming crew was already there and the body was in a loin cloth, although now David Blacker is trying to twist and turn that dead bodies are stripped and searched. may be the forces did so for other bodies but definitely not in this case s it was in a loin cloth only.
Now David claims the body was shaved by the Forces. Well the whole world saw the first photos of VP as soon as it was found in loin cloth and shaven except the moustache with a lot of mud on his body. No matter how much one tries to distort, all evidence is in film and photos.
/
gamini / November 30, 2012
I forgot to add to the above comment the Co-incidence of KP advertised by the MR govt. as have been abducted to land here to take over the LTTE and the North, looks too good to be true, soon after KP knew that VP was killed with the other surrenderees.
/
David Blacker / December 3, 2012
“It is funny that the LTTE that even did not leave a single booby trap, not even in the bunker used by VP”
Gamini, you have made this foolish statement before, and I’ve asked you before how you could possibly know this. Yet you never can answer. The fact is that the Tigers mined or booby trapped everything, if they had the time to. So the same precautions are taken. Nevertheless, you have only focused on one bit of my comment. I said bodies are stripped to check for booby traps AND to search for documents and personal effects. Please read before typing.
“Besides when the body was discovered in the morning when it was carried out from the ditch, the filming crew was already there and the body was in a loin cloth, although now David Blacker is trying to twist and turn that dead bodies are stripped and searched. may be the forces did so for other bodies but definitely not in this case s it was in a loin cloth only.”
This too has been explained to you, Gamini. Don’t you understand English??? Camera crews don’t go along with dawn patrols mopping up after firefights. The crew would have been called in once VP was identified. By then the body would have been stripped.
I am still waiting for your explanation as to why the VP lookalike was in his underwear in the first place. If the Tigers wanted him to be convincing, surely they would have left him in uniform.
“Now David claims the body was shaved by the Forces. Well the whole world saw the first photos of VP as soon as it was found in loin cloth and shaven except the moustache with a lot of mud on his body. No matter how much one tries to distort, all evidence is in film and photos.”
You are the only one distorting stuff. Why don’t you LOOK closely at the pix that have been linked to. Perhaps your eyes are failing you, old man. In the early pix VP has grey stubble. In the later ones none. Did he wake up and shave himself? Why are you making a fool of yourself in your juvenile stubbornness?
/
Bedrock Barney / November 29, 2012
I never thought of it before. If he died in action wearing battle fatigues, why was he in loin cloth on the beach? That def throws David Blacker’s theory out.
Is it important we know how he died? If so why? If we found out the circumstances of Hitler’s death for sure, what difference will it make?
Gamini tell what you think. Why do you think the Tamil Diaspora never commemorate the death Praba? He is dead for sure yet there is a reluctance to acknowledge his death. They celebrate ‘Ma vera nal’ but never Praba’s death.
/
gamini / November 29, 2012
Barney, Majority Tamils did not like VP but they were compelled to accept him. What other recourse was there for the Tamils when the Ordinary Tamils were also harassd by the Sinhalese? They hailed VP not because the Tamils liked VP, but because they hated the Sinhalese more for plundering them. Not only the Sinhalese there were so many other Tamils Learned and Ordinary who were killed by the LTTE, like Neelan Thiruchelvam, Appapillai Amirthalingam, Uma Maheaswaran and crowd. I do not think the Tamil Diaspora is concerned about VP’s death. For that matter even of the slaughter of the surrenderees. Most are keen to see some sort of power devolution, written or unwritten for them to build the NE for many to return. This is where the Playmakers as the US are doing their best to quickly prepare the ground work with the necessary Infrastructure, Tourist Hotels, Hospitals and Universities in the NorthEast for them to return. At the same time what was opposed then of Privatising Universities, Building Coal Power Plants, Restructuring Policy, Establishing Casinoes and Red Light Districts, the works will be done through MR as it can not be done through RW. Once MR delivers, possibly the same fate might befall MR as to what happened to VP.
/
R.Kovian / November 27, 2012
He allways in my heart, one who show the world tamils struggle for freedom from sinhala barbarism..again his starbourn charactor we tamils paid dearly…hope justice will prevail against all odds…end we wil win our freedom…all our heroes lost their lives for our freedom..today we will remember you…rest in peace..you gave your life for our peoples freedom…we will fight until your sacrifices….
/
BunkerRat / November 28, 2012
You are mistaken… I know the low life Tamil terrorist [Edited out]is on your heart… but your small mind do not seem to see the pig picture of the involvement of the TTD.
It is the Tamil Terrorist Diaspora that created the violence through Velu in order to send you and others out of the country to raise money to create more violence! It’s a master plan that raised millions to create terror in Sri Lanka… and CONTINUES TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE SAME GOAL.
Think about it… so many of you would not be in the west TODAY… if the TTD did not start the violence in Sri Lanka, and made you get out of Sri Lanka WITH A PROMISE TO SUPPORT ELAAMLAND.
So you should actually worship the TTD… which I am sure you are already doing without even knowing!
/
r.kovian / November 29, 2012
BunkerRat
You another sinhala mokkai, never learn any thing from history…learn..learn and use your brain you mokkai…
/
Pradeep / November 30, 2012
Dude, mass Tamil migration started after 1983 riots.. We had no clue there would be a powerful movement after we left. If only you could live in our shoes you would understand our vagabond lives.
/
C. Wijeyawickrema / November 27, 2012
Micheal Roberts was one of the “this war is not winnable agent.” So he has a right to write about his hero’s death!!!
/
Navin Weeraratne / November 27, 2012
Re:’Whatever the verdict between these two alternative theories, there is little doubt that Pirapāharan adhered to the Tiger devotion to cause and the LTTE’s credo of being ready to die by gun or kuppi (cyanide pill). This fact should dispel the various strands of criticism levelled at Pirapāharan for not biting a cyanide capsule’
Who is this clown? Dr? Shouldn’t he then be a little bit more knowledgeable about what a ‘fact’ is? maybe his doctorate is in Propaganda and spin? – in which case his clear inability (or reluctance) to differentiate between fact and fiction is more understandable…
Any sensible human being with an ounce of intellect would realise that VP was nothing more than a coward with power. Blinded by power he brainwashed hundreds and thousands to worship him, and even die for him, while he lived the good life, protected by his foolish worshipers, dying for him daily! Until of course he and his cult came across an equally nasty piece of work in MR and his equally blind followers! This crook died screaming for help – help from all the other crooks (also dressed as heroes and humanitarian workers) who had made his pathetic existence possible in the first place! Only this time, his crooked opposition had more to gain, than what his crooked partners could offer them in exchange!
The man didn’t bite the pill! That is a fact! The man was cornered and killed by his enemy. That is also a fact. The fact the man is responsible for the death of hundreds and thousands of Sri Lankans is a fact. The idea the man died a hero, is therefore quite simply a desperate attempt of his blind and foolish followers, to salvage something from his death.
Heroes save lives. Not justify or encourage death! But I guess as long as there are fools on this earth, people like Roberts will continue to have an audience to dress scum up as gold!
/
Mango / November 27, 2012
Navin,
To look at this objectively, within 10-20 years, VP had built up an organisation, which if it had been a commercial entity, would’ve been Sri Lanka’s first multi-national organisation.
Consider the facts:
– external logistics capable of moving goods (i.e. arms & ammo) from across the world to Sri Lanka
– import/export (people smuggling & weapons)
– own financial infrastructure (diaspora contributions)
– political influence (by supplying ethnic voting blocks to Western politicians)
– destroying the competition (i.e. embrace, extend, and exterminate)
– technology transfer (weapons manufacturing in the Vanni)
– strong brand awareness (flags, logos, cynaide capsules, death cult etc)
– brand leader (in innovative new terrorist techniques and technologies)
– multi-channel marketing (internet, social media use to promote brand)
If only he’d created something for the people instead of killing them wholesale, he’d be a recipient of a Sri Lanka Presidential Export Award. :)
/
Navin Weeraratne / November 28, 2012
Haha, yes, I do have some respect for the guy’s ability to get things done! Shame about the things he was interested in getting done ;)
/
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / November 28, 2012
Talent and ability wasted for lack of political acumen and wisdom! A case of an armed struggle failing because its leader, essentially with a military mindset, with no political skills and without world knowledge, culture and wisdom, wanted to be the leader of the Kingdom of Eelam! A story of bravery among a cowardly people! A story of hypocrisy on a mass scale, where the people in whose name wars were fought, were made canon fodder; where people who had ensured the safety of themselves and their children, supported a war that killed the helpless and vulnerable; where land , power and money overtook the needs of people in whose name wars were fought; where the liberation movement had scant respect for the people it claimed to fight for ; and finally, where sycophants, self seekers and dreamers ruled the roost! A man who had several opportunities to recast Sri Lanka in a new mould failing because of his over reliance on violence. Tamils lost an unusual man with unusual organisational abilities! Sri Lanka lost a rare citizen, a talented leader and an opportunity to restructure and re-invent itself as a non-tribal polity!
Have we learned our lessons ? What matters is not how VP died, but what we as Sri Lankans have learned from his life and death? He, however will be remembered in history for both his stupendous achievements, mindless violence and ultimate failure.
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
/
Native Vedda / November 28, 2012
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
“however will be remembered in history for both his stupendous achievements, mindless violence and ultimate failure”
Those who fail to remember the past are doomed to repeat it.
/
Wuliangguobinjiu / November 29, 2012
The writing was on the wall way back in 83 when the northerners fled to Europe using Colombo’s black July- the breed counts.
/
Native Vedda / November 28, 2012
Mango
So you are a secret admirer of VP.
Have you had chance to wish VP on his 58th Birthday?
Where is VP?
I understand his devotees were hoping to hear his presidential pronouncement yesterday. How about you?
/
Mango / November 28, 2012
@Native Vedda:
No.
No. He’s dead.
He’s dead.
No.
/
BunkerRat / November 28, 2012
Mango,
Native Vedda seems to miss his beloved pig and the Tamil terror.
/
BunkerRat / November 28, 2012
It’s not Velu who did it boys and girls…. it is the Tamil Terrorist Diaspora…
Unless we are vigilant… there will be another bloated dummy will be placed by the TTD here as another Velu.
Cannot we read what’s in their agenda?
/
Lester / November 28, 2012
Blinded by power he brainwashed hundreds and thousands to worship him, and even die for him, while he lived the good life…
He was a diabetic who happened to own a luxury swimming pool and hid out in air-conditioned bunkers. If this is the definition of “good life” then I will gladly pass.
/
Navin Weeraratne / November 28, 2012
Lester, swimming pools and air conditioning are indeed luxuries for many Sri Lankans, including those front line ‘soldiers’ (on both sides) who have had to needlessly lose their lives…
VP did indeed live the good life, compared to the pawns he sent out to get slaughtered, but yes, the LTTE diaspora does indeed live an even better life, compared to their so called ‘leader’ of pawns…
/
David Blacker / November 28, 2012
Whatever VP’s sins, the fact is that he went down fighting. He may not have killed himself, but there is no shame in a warrior’s death. The shame is in the way he lived, not the way he died. Even Saddam Hussein the so-called “Hammer of the Persians” went to his death a brave man. No one can watch the camera phone footage of Saddam’s death without feeling admiration, but that doesn’t change what monsters they were.
/
Native Vedda / November 28, 2012
David Blacker
I am glad you are back to praise “the lord paramount leader Prabaharan”
I know you are a secret admirer of VP, the psychopath.
” Even Saddam Hussein the so-called “Hammer of the Persians” went to his death a brave man.”
Oh David even I know he was caught when he was living like a bunker rat. Or shall we say betrayed. Even better if say he surrendered. When caught he said he was the president of Iraq and wanted to negotiate.
When VP was caught he would have said the same until he was hacked to death. The only difference is VP would have said “I am the National Leader Right Honorable Prabaharan and the sun god”
Even KP was asked to airlift him and his family out of Sri Lanka into Africa. KP said this then and he says it now.
The stupid VP (because he was a Tamil)sent all the Tamil kids to die for him but his both sons didn’t die fighting the evil Sinhalese armed forces.
You have a soft corner for VP, now I see the corner is expanding.
VP did not die all guns blazing.
He lived and died a coward.
For you he might have been an evil genius thalavar but for many he was a stupid psychopath with an endless supply of killing machines.
/
Brian de Bois Guilbert / November 28, 2012
Native Veddah
I , truly am surprised at your diatribe against Prabhakaran :)
/
Wuliangguobinjiu / November 28, 2012
Saddam was well known for his honesty by the I.C.
He even had his best friend the mayor of Bagdad beheaded for accepting a bribe.
Only hell knows what some feel about “how they lived the life of corruption and murder” for a short lived dream.
/
David Blacker / November 28, 2012
It seems your English comprehension has reached its limits, Ooruwarige Booruwa, with regards to my comments on VP. Feel free to call me a VP admirer — makes a change from your usual rant about me being a Rajapakse sycophant :D
Reread my comments on Saddam and try to understand what is written instead of going off subject as usual. I haven’t discussed his capture or trial. It’ll save time if you can respond to what I’ve said rather than what you think I’ve said.
We all know how both those men lived. This article and my comment is on their deaths.
/
Dushy Ranetunge / November 28, 2012
Saddam and his lot are Arabs from Iraq, while the Persians are Iranians.
Where and when did Saddam an Iraqi, became Iranian for you term……Saddam Hussein…Hammer of the Persians?????
/
David Blacker / November 28, 2012
The term is translated from the Arabic, and is comparable to saying “the Terror of the Persians”. It doesn’t mean he was Persian!
/
dingiri / November 28, 2012
Perhaps because he “hammered” his neighbours the Persians in the 1980s in a long war that supposedly killed a million people. Perhaps he should have been more aptly called “hammerer of the Persians” ;-).
/
Wuliangguobinjiu / November 28, 2012
Arabs do have a complete dictionary and Arabic is a classical language(is one of the Semitic languages) while Sinhala is supposed to be a mixture of Sanskrit and Pali with an incomplete dictionary: Almaria,Tuwaya, Mesaya, etc are common Portugese/Spanish terminology. Anyway, you are spot on!
المطرقة :Hammer
الإرها : Terror
/
Wuliangguobinjiu / November 28, 2012
Curtain falls!
In Proverbial Spanish we say:”Como un herrero sin un martillo”??
“Like a Blacksmith without a Hammer”
Wouldn’t it be more appropriate in this context? ;)
/
Julius Caesar / November 28, 2012
As opposed to certain individuals in the SLA who spend the better part of their “working life” photographing nude corpses and the rest of their life spouting propaganda for the Defense Ministry.
I myself have helped dispose of bodies in this way, and we did make crude juvenile jokes. We were all just 19 or 20 years old, and you joke about everything if you don’t wanna go insane. Many of us had never even seen a real naked woman before, so obviously we commented, even though they were dead. It isn’t a polite tea party, but it isn’t a war crime either.”
/
srilal / November 28, 2012
For once i’ll have to agree with David , i urge others to read carefully before you comment on this particular comment.
/
BunkerRat / November 27, 2012
Velu was only a dummy, the resident agent of the Tamil Terrorist Diaspora who funded, propagated and was even able to send French and British emissaries to Sri Lanka to stop the war and get the terrorists released and influenced Obama to comment on the problem in Sri Lanka in 2008. Could Velu do that? NO WAY! He ain’t no leader.
The proof is clear. All one needs to ask is one question: Is the agenda of the TTD is dead, after the death of Velu? Has their goals, lobbing, fund-raising and propaganda has stopped? Are they even referring to the label “LTTE” NO WAY!
So Velu, the fat pig, who could not utter a word in a serious meeting, was just a dummy but definitely ‘a leader’ for the consumption of the GULLIBLE, and the for the stupid terrorist cadres who were slaughtered like a bunch of stray dogs.
Those who know, know.
/
Navin Weeraratne / November 28, 2012
Spot on BunkerRat… VP was nothing more than a puppet to enabled the justification of many an atrocity by the LTTE Diaspora…
/
Wuliangguobinjiu / November 28, 2012
Honesty is the best policy but the man who follows it is not an honest man! ;)
During the Sri Lankan Tsunami the magnanimous western kids broke their piggy banks to raise billions; a record in the charity world that would never be broken very soon.
The western world is not stupid (like folk of your elk) to assume that the corrupt tyrants of Sri Lanka who set up Hambantota account were the brain child of western kids.
When the Tsunami next arrives which you most probably are praying for beware no funds would arrive because the kids have grown up wiser to the tyranny and corruption of that which is Sri Lanka and its inhabitants. :)
/
Wuliangguobinjiu / November 27, 2012
But did my People take up the gun, saying it was out of love of their land, and fall upon my neighbour’s land and plunder its goods and slay its men and render its children orphans and make its women widows, and water its soil with its sons blood and feed to the prowling beast the flesh of its youth, I would hate my land and its People.
I was,so shall I be to the end of time.!
/
shankar / November 27, 2012
Unfortunately Prabha was no MGR.If it was MGR in a similar situation he would have taken his long pole and hammered all the soldiers left and right and then gone home after saving damsels in distress such as Issapriya too who would have fallen in love with him.If you disbelieve me you should see his skills with that long pole in vettaikaran and rickshawkaran.
/
latif / November 27, 2012
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy
http://colombotelegraph.com/comments-policy/
/
justice / November 27, 2012
Roberts and Blacker appear to be Forensic Scientists.
They have sudied the anatomy of the muman skull minutely.
Brilliant presentation.
/
watcher / November 28, 2012
Read today’s Island article by Sebastian Rasalingam, Canada.. This gent is straight and wrote the truth from tamil point of view and he debunk the article that was written by a man called R. M. B. Senanayake which was written from Mars or from the Asylum that he lives on.
We should all aspire to get the nation and its people to move forward with humanity and not live in false propaganda that come from interested parties .
“Prabhakaran and the TULF
The proposal for Eelam, and ‘devolution’ as the next best thing were valid objectives for the pre-Prabhakaran Tamil leaders. Tamil land owners could run ‘their’ land as they wished. But Prabhakaran had no use for the Colombo Tamil leaders and their dreams. So, he killed a few and the ‘leaders’ shamelessly gave in, ignoring the dead. The first informants against Prabhakaran were the socially disadvantaged Tamils. They were hung on lamp-posts as a lesson to ‘traitors’. The LTTE became the new Periya Dorays. RMB says, “The Tamil youth … took to arms to establish their own State where they could manage … their objectives of higher education”. This is sheer nonsense! Prabhakaran and his clique, or Sivakumaran, who was the first to commit suicide by swallowing cyanide, were not interested in education!”
/
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / November 29, 2012
R.M.B. Senanayake is a retired senior civil servant. He is also very honourable man with unimpeachable values. To disagree with him is your right. However, please do not denigrate him.
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
/
Wuliangguobinjiu / November 29, 2012
Yet another doctor r’singham (sounds like pork) into ethics.
The last was Brians son a bounty hunter- Subsquently, I found his name on a GOSL web site looking for terrorist suspects and he was giving them information further to these comments- Sico- (http://ltteagents.wordpress.com/contact-us/ I have information regarding LTTE activities in the USA, Canada, UK, New Zealand and Australia. I have also identified a few inaccuracies and several omissions from your list. I can provide further details regarding some who are named as LTTE agents. It is important to differentiate, though, between agents and supporters.)Scum looking for Cum.
He means all bent backs inclusive of himself are “honorable men with unimpeachable values”.
His stupidity is the deliberate cultivation of ignorance.
He has never moved at the top to know how these creeps of senior civil servants got the foreign exchange to swim in the west.
/
kris / November 28, 2012
R.Kovian
Keep praba inside your heart, we care what will happen to your heart with Praba, we don’t want to see him outside your heart
/
K.A Sumanasekera / November 28, 2012
Wonder whether Alfred’s kith and kin received any nomination forms from Mr Pirabaran??
/
BunkerRat / November 28, 2012
Let me caution those in the Tamil Terrorist Diaspora on this day… that their continuation of harassment of Sri Lankans, their proud country and their elected leaders need to be stopped immediately.
This is no threat or rhetoric… simply, we will introduce the following sixth promise to our age-old daily prayers… “Kotiyanwa Marannam Sararan Gachchami”. (We promise to exterminate any Tamil terrorist).
So, do not miscalculate our tolerance and accommodation… again.
/
kabi / November 28, 2012
Sinhalese were doing this from 1950s, “Demalawa Marannam Sararan Gachchami”.
/
Native Vedda / November 28, 2012
BunkerRat
“We promise to exterminate any Tamil terrorist”
Under this pretext your armed forces are free to exterminate the Tamils as was the case when they exterminated the Sinhala opponents between 1987 and 1991.
Keep up the good work.
There are thousands of sick soldiers in Sri Lanka suffering from war related illness (mental and physical). Riding on unfortunate people’s back is easy especially when you are a bigoted Sinhala/Buddhist jingoist.
Please do help them.
/
RAJA / November 28, 2012
Tamil Diaspora are not harassing any Srilankans. If the racists among the Sinhala diaspora are living as dogs with their tails tucked between their legs, due to the fair and tough law enforcing systems in those countries, why should the Tamil diaspora be blamed for their plight.
/
BunkerRat / November 28, 2012
They do, Raja. The #1 obstacle for reconciliation and upliftment of lives of Sri Lankans in the North is the the hatred and violence being propagated by the TTD and their agents everywhere.
The TTD is still propagating about an Elaam and a separate nation to the crooks in the west who are always after money and votes.
/
Jegath / November 28, 2012
“Jaffna students attacked by sinhala soldiers” reads a headline,talk about reconciliation….is that a code word for “sinhalisation”???
/
Wuliangguobinjiu / November 29, 2012
Drone Operatives calling defense. :)
It is time for the peoples of the world to put a STOP to Sri Lanka’s racist aggression and war-mongering.
Out the racist Buddhist Army occupation!!!!!
Down with the racist Sinhalese and their murderous ways!!!!!!
/
Ashoke / November 28, 2012
He used innocent women and children as cover, leading tens of thousands to massacre by a racist regime which couldn’t give a damn about the lives of poor trapped people. A murderous coward in life, hero for a fraction of a second before death. My dear Roberts, even if true, does your proof matter?
/
Dushy Ranetunge / November 28, 2012
Blacker is ex-army and is biased towards his former masters who are keen to put forward respectable stories to deflect allegations of war crimes. None of these “theories” are legitimate or has any credibility.
Just because Blacker was in the army does not make him an expert on battlefield wounds. He is also unlikely to say it was a war crime, even if it was one as that will burn all his bridges.
An ex-commander of the STF and a DIG informed me that Prabakaran was captured and hence that great pause at the end when everything went very quiet for a few days and that he was killed with an axe….his words…”oota kaththen gahala maruva”
For a genuine assessment of how Prabakaran died, experts in several disciplines need to study the evidence.
Until then we will have theories, cover ups and stories.
/
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / November 28, 2012
I noticed something in the video shown of dead VP wearing only a loin cloth. The head was yet articulatable, despite the fact that rigor mortis-stiffening- should have set in by then. The stubble that covered his face in the loin cloth clip had also been shaved in the later photograph where he is shown wearing a tiger uniform. The surprised look on his face in the first clip had dissapeared in the second. The surprised look that stood out frozen in death, is yet vivid in my mind. It appeared to me that he was surprised that death would come to him in the form it did, in the last seconds of his life.
Further, I have heard a story similar to Dushy’s from other sources. Well, the story that he was found dead with a bullet wound suits everyone- the government, the remnants of the LTTE and the hero worshippers of VP.
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
/
RAJA / November 28, 2012
The Srilankan Government did not want an independent post-mortem examination of the body of Prabakaran. As a past medico-legal officer in the Srilankan Health Department, I would have offered my services to perform it, in order to bring out the truth.
I have performed post-mortems on bodies of Tamil victims of war, and as such I am a medical witness to the murder of non combatant Tamil civilians by the Srilankan security forces.
/
David Blacker / November 28, 2012
Dushy, where are these allegations of war crimes with regard to VP’s death that I am needed to fend them off? According to you, this mysterious DIG claims it is a war crime. I doubt anyone is bothered to cover up the crime of killing VP anymore than one would cover up shooting Hitler in the head. Beyond your “old boys” stories and other such nonsense cooked up to play to the gallery, there is no evidence whatsoever of VP being captured and killed with a sickle. If you wish to dismiss my opinion, and that of the doctor Prof Roberts has quoted, do put forward the opinion of someone you find credible instead of making wild claims about anonymous DIGs and farming utensils.
DBS Jeyaraj has unreservedly said that VP wasn’t captured alive, and in this I think he’s probably right. He and I disagree on whether he died by his own hand or in combat. Stories about axes, sickles, and other blood-curdling methods are just stories intended to assuage the public who feel that VP, like Wijeweera, died too easily.
Sri Lankans love a good conspiracy theory, and for all your oft displayed scorn for Sri Lankans, Dushy, it seems you can’t shake off this trait yourself.
/
Dushy Ranetunge / November 30, 2012
Blacker, Your defense of your former masters is admirable, but neither of us are experts in the field, and neither is Roberts, who is a historian. I think it would be prudent, as I had mentioned previously to await an expert study of the available evidence by a panel, which consists of experts from different fields.
In the absence of such a panel, what we are getting from you and others is various theories like all those self appointed Historians who have their own interpretation of the meaning of life.
The only time an expert opinion was sort was in the CH4 video and he did suggest that there is evidence of a war crime being committed.
You can dismiss CH4, but the world is not going to believe you, Rupavahini, Daily News or your former masters, but more likely to believe CH4. Only the weerayas of Lanka will accept your and your masters theories and even they are now in decline.
So lets wait till we have some more credible opinion on the issue, rather than insisting that the world is flat and that god made man.
/
David Blacker / November 30, 2012
Why don’t you stop worrying yourself with masters, flat earth, and creation theories, Dushy, and address the evidence available. Prof Roberts’ and my opinions are based on the available evidence, and Roberts has indeed quoted the expert opinion of a doctor. On that available evidence, there is no sign of VP having shot himself, or of him having been killed with either a sickle, axe or or other farming implement.
Your so-called CH4 expert too has based his opinion on video footage, so if you’re dismissing us, you must dismiss him as well. Nevertheless, while no argument exists to say that the footage doesn’t seem to depict a war crime, there is no evidence of who is committing said crime against whom, and there lies the rub.
You may wait as long as you wish for the credible opinion you will accept, but until that day, best wait in silence if you cannot credibly counter the existing opinion.
/
Dushy Ranetunge / November 30, 2012
War crimes Unpunished Video has a British forensic pathologist who suggests that he was shot in the back of the head and that he was not moving at the time.
Prabakaran is shown first in military attire, then naked in his under garments, then with mud applied all over his body. This alone is a war crime.
There is ample evidence to indicate that his 12 year old son was executed after capture and interrogation and a written statement to this fact by an officer of the army..
These three facts above alone, indicates that the security forces of Sri Lanka had intent to execute Prabakaran and his entire family.
There is no doubt as to the execution of his 12 year old son.
The best independent expert evidence in the public domain suggests that Prabakaran was shot in the back of the head. I am aware of evidence which is not yet in the public domain.
The ex-DIG and STF commandant who told me that Prabakaran was killed with a kaththa was Nimal Gunatillake who passed away this year. Rohan Gunaratne, Gathabaya’s mate, insists that Prabakaran was killed by a sniper bullet. So there are many theories and stories around, as you yourself admit.
I would take your and other fairy tales with a pinch of salt and wait for more expert evidence to emerge and I am sure it will be presented during a legal process.
/
shankar / November 30, 2012
Dushy,why should there be a legal process as you mention for the killing of the LTTE leaders.They were guys who told youth to take the cyanide capsule and teens dutifully did that.Now these middle aged leaders who have a few years left come and surrender and then get butchered.Why should the world care about such characters.
I believe a truth and reconciliation commission like what took place in south Africa is much better.What happened to the LTTE leaders can be truthfully divulged at the commission and without any punishment for anybody and the country can move on.
/
David Blacker / November 30, 2012
If a Brit expert has said what you claim, why not quote him directly, or link to the portion of video. And how do you feel about this expert contradicting your fanciful story about VP being killed with a sickle? You can’t have it both ways, can you?
If the evidence is not in the public domain and you cannot produce it, I’m afraid we’ll have to ignore your tall stories until they can be proven. As I have told you before, 90% of your “facts” are from unknown sources who have intimated these things to you in alcohol befuddled moments. Alternately they are conveniently dead and unable to contradict you. I might as well tell you that I heard a Martian killed him with a laser beam but I can’t show you the evidence because it’s classified and hidden in Area 51.
Your sequence of pix (first in uniform, second undressed, third with mud) is back to front (like most of your theories. If you look at the pix of him undressed, the light suggests that it is early morning, and there are very few soldiers around. Later, the sun is higher, and the crowds have arrived. Your sequence is pure speculation, suggested simply to confuse the simpleminded. What is the logic to this?
Stripping a body is not a war crime, unless done with the express purpose of humiliation. I have asked you over a year ago to quote the relevant law that has been broken by stripping, and you are yet to do so. Please let’s not repeat your abject embarrassment on Transcurrents here on CT as well.
Do quote the signed statement (and name the officer) regarding VP’s son, and name the officer, if either exists. Also, please put forth this “ample evidence” that proves VP’s son was interrogated and executed. Also, explain how that incident proves that VP was executed.
Since you cannot prove either of the three incidents, or even prove that they are all war crimes, your speculation on the intent of the security forces is pure nonsense.
A sniper bullet is a rifle-calibre round, and is therefore within the possible scenarios; a sickle is not; as your very own anonymous Brit expert agrees.
As I said, my theory is based on my knowledge and experience, and not on that of the anonymous or the dead. So, as I said before, do wait for an opinion that is credible to you, and available to us all. Until then, your tall tales are what require the salt.
/
Wuliangguobinjiu / November 28, 2012
The first photos on international media were of a single bullet shot on the centre of the forehead without the rear view showing the head.
Next photos later on- it was the sheared scalp to dislocate the brain.
Cannibals them all. Saranang gachchami!
/
David Blacker / November 28, 2012
There is no such photo of VP with a bullet hole in the centre of his forehead, Willymumbojumbo. If there is, it would be available online and you would be able to link to it. Please don’t make up stuff just to take part in the conversation.
/
Wuliangguobinjiu / November 28, 2012
The Blacksmith without the Hammer! WoooHoooo!
Foot soldiers all important information comes from the free web.
If everything was for free on the web then journalist and photographers who work for A.P.; A.P.S.; Sky News etc. would be like Sri Lankans with a begging bowl.
/
David Blacker / November 29, 2012
Well you have claimed that this fantasy pic of VP with a bullet hole was on the international media. So where is it then? :D Please don’t lie to be part of a conversation in which you have nothing to contribute. It is better to stay silent than stupid.
/
Wuliangguobinjiu / November 29, 2012
You heard the story of the fox and the crow?
You are a man who was not prepared to spend 3 Euros less than a cup of coffee to read the french newspaper.
Stick to your uninformed world in your old mini belching and farting all the way since you are older now. Adios foot mercenary.
/
David Blacker / November 30, 2012
So you cannot link to any picture of VP and his bullet hole? :D That’s what I thought: more bullshit from a bullshitter.
/
Selladurei / November 28, 2012
‘Praba shot him self’???????????????????? Gota, Shavendra and KP knows everything. How many white flags had our top cardars used to rescue their life? Truth can’t keep under the carpet everyday.
/
Mango / November 28, 2012
Your ‘top cadres’ had plenty of time and opportunity to surrender. They were never going to leave the battlefield alive. They could’ve used a multi-coloured flag with pictures of Hello Kitty and it wouldn’t have mattered a bit.
/
BunkerRat / November 28, 2012
Your top dogs should have surrendered through the UN or SLDF long before the May 19th, when they had numerous opportunities. But they could not wake up from the colorful Elaam daydream…and I thank heavens for that!
/
Native Vedda / November 28, 2012
Brian de Bois Guilbert says:
“I , truly am surprised at your diatribe against Prabhakaran”
What made you think so?
Have I touched your raw nerves?
Sorry I am bit thick therefore I am unable to articulate sufficiently to describe his war crimes and crime against humanity.
Please bear with me.
/
shankar / November 28, 2012
When I see this wound ,the theory that he died with an axe is more plausible.
http://stbjp.msn.com/i/DC/51167A5927C991EF8763848F42537.jpg
/
Lester / November 28, 2012
Prabhakaran was killed with an axe blow to the head by none other than [Edited out]. It also said that, at the same time, [Edited out] shoved a poker into Prabhakaran’s rectum. Finally, Prabhakaran’s younger son was killed while Prabhakaran watched. Prabhakaran’s head was later covered with a cloth to hide the head wound. Even the fact that the body was stripped indicates torture before death.
/
BunkerRat / November 28, 2012
Ha ha ha and then the body was probably dumped in the mangrove bushes for the consumption of our ‘expert’ like Micheal, albeit Sgt. Muthu Banda
EUREKA!.
/
David Blacker / November 28, 2012
If he was tortured, why are there no wounds on his body in the pictures of him in his underwear? Nice piece of fantasy there, though. Do you also believe in Santa Clause and the Tooth Fairy?
/
Wuliangguobinjiu / November 28, 2012
‘Da Crips gonna bez jealous ’bout ‘dat.
/
Lester / November 28, 2012
http://kaw.stb.s-msn.com/i/D0/947862CED61BE582F2B84A20B0CC78.jpg
There you can see Prahakaran’s head without the cloth. Clearly not a gunshot wound. Looks like an axe hit him.
/
David Blacker / November 29, 2012
No, that is not an axe wound. An axe has a sharp clean blade. The wound you are looking at is caused by explosive hydrostatic pressure of a projectile passing through the brain cavity. The rounded edge of the wound above the left eye is probably the bullet’s entry point.
This isn’t Hollywood where bullets make nice clean holes at one end and big explosions at the other.
/
shankar / November 30, 2012
David.I believe that Lester is quoting from the following article.I don’t know much about the Sri Lanka Guardian or whether they are reliable.They seem to quote a senior defence ministry source who is linked to the military intelligence.They also quote that the upper portion of his skull was chopped with an axe.In the picture that Lester has given you can see a gaping hole that could correspond skull chopped with an axe.Though you say it is from a bullet how can you disprove that it was not through an axe?
http://www.srilankaguardian.org/2009/10/major-gen-jagath-dias-butchered.html
/
David Blacker / November 30, 2012
Shnkar, I have provided pictures of other confirmed bullet wounds that are comparable to VP’s. Scroll down and have a look. No one can prove or disprove without a postmortem. One can only opine based on the available evidence.
/
shankar / November 30, 2012
David,thanks for that gruesome pictures.It really made my day.Must be a sadistic streak in me.please send some more like this daily.
You mention about a postmortem. Why didn’t the government do this?What was the haste to dispose of the body within a day or two?Very suspicious indeed if there was nothing to hide,don’t you think.Even a death certificate has not been given to India,though it requested one so that its courts could close the Rajiv case.Why do you think it has not been given?The correct thing would have been to ask the indians to send their forensic specialists for a postmortem and then issue a death certificate don’t you think?
/
David Blacker / November 30, 2012
W don’t know if they did a postmortem or not, Shankar. We only know that they didn’t release any findings. They did claim that they tested VP’s DNA against his eldest son’s. However, I’m sure that the GoSL would have wanted the body disposed quickly before somebody tried to lay claim to it. They wouldn’t want it getting out of their hands and used to start a cult or shrine somewhere.
One thing this administration is is arrogant, so who knows why they won’t do the sensible thing?
/
gamini / November 29, 2012
Lester, read my above comment. There was no capture or torture of VP as speculated by some.
/
BunkerRat / November 28, 2012
I pi**ed on to this photo yesterday.
http://danuka.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/20090519_b08.jpg?w=1000&h=
/
Native Vedda / November 28, 2012
David Blacker
“If he was tortured, why are there no wounds on his body in the pictures of him in his underwear?”
If a hot iron rod was inserted into his posterior you would not have seen the wounds because he was wearing a cut price amudey.
There was a wound on the right side of his head. What did cause the injury? Why did not the state do a post-mortem?
I suggest you take up yoga. It might help you to think like normal people, not that its going to help you.
/
David Blacker / November 29, 2012
Lester claimed he was tortured and then killed by this hot rod. My question is where is the wounds of torture? You still can’t keep up with this discussion can you, Ooruwarige Booruwa?
On the hot rod business, your logic is that it cannot be disproven so it must be true? :D Is this the logic of “normal people” you want me to acquire? Lol. Thanks, I think the world can do a lot better without your brand of normalcy.
/
Lester / November 30, 2012
“Where are the wounds of torture”
Underneath the mud that he was intentionally covered in.
Also an “explosive hydrostatic projectile” does not cause wounds such as this:
http://media.nowpublic.net/images//45/7/4576e400e3cf2cb801bfd7a14573c18f.jpg
Note the angle of the cut. That looks like an incision a year 5 biology student would make while dissecting a frog.
/
David Blacker / November 30, 2012
Really? A bit of mud can cover torture wounds? :D What did they torture him with, a feather duster? Why would the Army torture him, strip him, cover his wounds with mud, photograph him, then redress him, and photograph him again? Why not just photograph him dressed so that no wounds would show? How many hoops do you have to jump through to make these fantasies work? Have you not heard of Occam’s Razor?
There is no such thing as a hydrostatic projectile. There is an affect known as hydrostatic pressure caused by projectiles such as bullets. Here are some pictures that are comparable to VP’s head; educate yourself please before scorning other people’s theories out of ignorance:
Face wound: http://www.documentingreality.com/forum/attachments/f10/75725d1248632894-several-gunshot-wounds-one-face-nilson-2.jpg
Head wound 1: http://www.documentingreality.com/forum/attachments/f10/61598d1246019715-man-takes-gunshot-wound-head-1h.jpg
Head Wound 2: http://www.documentingreality.com/forum/attachments/f10/325058d1324355200-maasive-bullet-wound-head-brains-gush-out-few-corpses-iraq-a1bloodbrainsblackbag.preview.jpg
Head wound 3: http://www.documentingreality.com/forum/attachments/f10/171861d1274725754-head-smashed-bullets-awesome-wow1.jpg
Leg wound: http://media.beta.photobucket.com/user/counterclockwisester/media/M193_closerange_damage2-1.jpg.html?filters%5Bterm%5D=hydrostatic%20pressure%20bullet%20wounds&filters%5Bprimary%5D=images
There is no angle of cut. What you are seeing is probably the route of the bullet through the skull.
/
Lester / November 30, 2012
One of the picturs you showed is of a person’s brains oozing out after being shot. Prabhakaran’s head wound is on quite a different level.
/
David Blacker / November 30, 2012
If you watch the video, numbnuts, you would have seen the soldiers packing his brains back in. Also, now that you have nothing further to say about “angles of cut”, you’re talking about brains? Hasn’t it occurred to you to ask why there’s no blood on VP? Where are YOUR brains, Lester?
/
Lester / November 30, 2012
If Prabhakaran was shot in the head point blank, while in the swamp, which is what you seem to believe, then where is the blood on his uniform? Where is the blood PERIOD? ? Why is the cloth covering his head wound while he’s on the stretcher not covered in blood? Is it because he was carried on the stretcher AFTER being tortured?
/
David Blacker / December 3, 2012
Where have I said he was shot point-blank? This is what I said to Prof Roberts, as quoted: “I believe this to be inflicted by a high-velocity bullet traveling diagonally across VP’s skull, probably from left forehead to right rear of skull. That would be either a rifle round, or a rifle-calibre round. The angle rules out self-infliction.”
” then where is the blood on his uniform? Where is the blood PERIOD? ? “
Because, numbnuts, he is not wearing the uniform he was shot in, nor lying in the spot he was shot. Do you not ever READ? He was shot, his clothes were cut off to be searched, he was dragged into the open and photographed in his jungies, redressed, then photographed again, then carried off on a stretcher with further photographs taken. Which part of this is hard for you to understand? Should I draw you a picture? If he was shot in his underwear as Gamini thinks, why is there no blood on his upper body?
“Why is the cloth covering his head wound while he’s on the stretcher not covered in blood?”
Does blood continue to flow hours after death? Do you really have no common sense whatsoever? Blood clots hard on a corpse. Why would the cloth soak up clotted dried blood?
/
Jegath / November 28, 2012
Still talking about something that happened 3 years ago??move on……..talk about the thousands who had their lives ahead and how they were murdered and tortured and raped by an army and its cruel leaders…thats worth to talk about,not VP’s death..
/
BunkerRat / November 29, 2012
Exactly! VP was only a dummy. Has the approval been received from the TTD for interviews for a new dummy?
Nee waanga Machaaan!
/
Namalie Rajapaksa / November 28, 2012
To whom it may concern… Brian du Bois Guilbert aka Robert of Locksley is none other than David Blocker the wannabe military anal list and fulltime dobhi of the government and armed faeces. 0:)
/
David Blacker / November 29, 2012
You truly must be a retard, Namali, if you believe that I need to post under two names. I post under my own name, with my actual picture. Grow up.
/
Wuliangguobinjiu / November 29, 2012
N.R. You are right. Yes there seems to be similar concepts.
/
David Blacker / November 30, 2012
One retard endorsing another, therefore I guess Willymumbojumbo and Namali must be the same person too :D
/
Wuliangguobinjiu / November 30, 2012
Foot soldier, once you decipher this from the free press(you are worth only that) go back to your shoe maker roots cum.
LTTE Leader Velupillai Prabhakaran’s 14 year old son Balachnadran Prabhakaran had been killed after surrendering to the army on a direct order of Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.
Major General Kamal Gunaratne had murdered Balachandran on Gotabhaya’s order .
Lanka News Web learns that Balachandran had been killed under the supervision of the Commander of the 53rd Brigade Brigadier Kamal Gunaratne.
Balachandran had surrendered to the army near the Nadikadal Lagoon at 7.30 a.m. on May 19, 2009. He had surrendered to a group of eight soldiers led Sergeant Mutubanda from the 4th Vijayaba Infantry Regiment.
Balachandran had said his father, Velupillai Prabhakaran had been shot dead the previous night and that his body was hidden in a shrub near the Nandikadal Lagoon. Mutubanda had then informed the detail to Lieutenant Nalaka from the C Group of the 4th Vijayaba Infantry Regiment.
Nalaka together with another officer named Kirinda and Sergeant Wijesinghe were engaged in a search operation in the Nandikadal Lagoon at the time.
Nalaka had informed the Commanding Officer of the 4th Vijayaba Infantry Regiment Lieutenant Colonel Rohitha Aluvihare that a boy claiming to be Prabhakaran’s son along with two security personnel had surrendered to the army. He had then informed the head of the 53rd Brigade, Brigadier Kamal Gunaratne about the matter through head of the 681 platoon, Lieutenant Colonel Lalntha Gamage.
Following orders, Brigadier Gunaratne together with Lieutenant Nalaka and Balachnadran had gone to the shrub in the Nandikadal Lagoon and shown Prabhakaran’s body to the army.
Lalantha Gamage had then personally taken charge of Balachandran and taken him to Gunaratne.
Gunaratne had then personally interrogated Balachandran.
During the interrogation Balachandran had said his father was killed the previous night when he was caught in the crossfire between the LTTE and security forces.
He had said that his father’s body was hidden and two of his security personnel who had survived the battle the previous night had then surrendered to the army with him.
Balachandran had said that he was with his father in one boat trying to escape the gunfire while his mother and sister were in another. However, he had said his father was shot during the battle and that he was unaware of what had become of his mother and sister.
Balachandran had also revealed that his father and his few remaining security personnel had fought back, but excluding two members of the security detail, everyone had been killed in the gun battle.
Gunaratne had informed all the details he had learnt from Balachandran to the Defence Secretary on his mobile phone. The Defence Secretary had informed all the details to Karuna Amman.
Karuna Amman had told the Defence Secretary that Balachandran should be killed since there was a possibility that he would become the next LTTE leader if he survived and because he would be released from courts since he was under age.
The Defence Secretary had then ordered Gunaratne to personally supervise Balachandran’s killing and to destroy his body.
These details have been revealed by an army officer to a foreign government since he is now being accused over the telecast of footage of Balachandran’s murder in a Channel 4 film. The army officer had said that he did not want to be held accountable for sins committed by others.
/
David Blacker / December 3, 2012
Nice piece of fantasy, Willymumbojumbo, but Sgt HGC “Muthubanda” Bandara was himself killed on the 17th of May, two days before you day Balachandran surrendered. He was awarded the PWV for his actions in the ambush of a Tiger unit:
As the SL Army divisions moving in from north and south squeezed the Tigers into the middle of the Mullivaikal spit, other units set up a blocking screen on the western side of the lagoon. Several of these units set up machine-gun, sniper, and rocket teams on small islets in the lagoon itself, supporting the advance and providing an early warning system for any attempted breakout by the Tigers. One of these outposts was manned by eight men of the 4th Vijayabahu Infantry, and led by Sergeant HGS Bandara. The expected breakout came on the night of the 17th, and the small outpost found itself in the path of an advancing Tiger unit of over 150 rebels. The infantrymen didn’t know it, but this was part of a doomed attempt to get Prabakharan, his family, and several Tiger high-rankers away to safety. Outnumbered almost twenty to one, Sergeant Bandara gave the order to fire, and his small team poured fire into the Tigers. Caught in the open and taken by surprise, the Tigers were taking heavy casualties; but they quickly recovered and replied in kind, their fire slashing into the islet. Outgunned and outnumbered, the eight infantrymen were all hit; some of them, including Bandara, quite severely. Undaunted, Bandara continued to lead his team, directing their fire and encouraging them in the face of overwhelming odds. In spite of his own wounds, Bandara also carried or dragged the more severely wounded men of his team to better cover on the far side of the islet, returning each time to continue the fight. Incredibly, the small team, through sheer bravery and tenacity, was able to repulse the larger enemy unit and drive it back to the Mullivaikal side of the lagoon. At this point, weak from loss of blood, Sergeant Bandara succumbed to his wounds. The PWV he was awarded was the last of the war. A few days later, Prabakharan’s body was found on the banks of the lagoon, and the fighting finally ended after almost thirty long years. — http://blacklightarrow.wordpress.com/2012/05/28/parama-weera/#more-2348
/
suryagamage nilan / November 29, 2012
Mahinda Roberts
Historian turned lurid sensationaist reporter!
What a shameless act our local colonial remnant is up to!
First he was trying to ingratiate himself with the Sinhala jingoist class by writing anti-Tamil tirades masked in academic idiom, now he in desperation wants to play sleuth/dr. No!
What a pitiable state this former historian turned anthro turned tabloid artist has descended to!
Why not just write about what the Burgers were doing in Sri Lanka during the colonial marauding? and raping of Sinhala women?
/
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / November 29, 2012
Prof Michael Roberts is not a Burgher. He is a Kafir, who was a Rhodes scholar and is a well known historian.
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
/
Senguttuvan / November 29, 2012
Tamils – a cowardly people??? Even the worst Sinhala hawk will not agree with this uncharitable and misplaced description of Tamils
who suffered so much in the past 30 years and more.
Senguttuvan
/
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / November 29, 2012
Senguttuwan,
Yes, the Tamils are cowards. They were cowards before the advent of the LTTE and under the control of the LTTE . They are cowards to this day. What has cowardliness got to do with suffering? They perhaps suffered more than they had to, because they were cowards. When trains were attacked in Polgahawella once upon a time, Tamil men runaway leaving their women folk and children to bear the brunt of the attack! This is only one example! I am a Tamil hawk who is ready to call a spade a spade. What is so uncharitable and misplaced about admitting what is truth in reality?
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
/
Native Vedda / November 29, 2012
Senguttuvan & Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
There was a time in the mid 80s Tamils declared much hyped 4 principles which were known as “Thimpu Principles”.
Could both of you tell me the background, substance and history of these principles. Now I don’t see Tamils referring to these principles anymore.
Is it still alive? If yes do those principles serve any purpose?
If it was dead and burried, who killed it and where were the principles buried? In Bhutan or New Delhi. I suspect VP pulled the trigger on the request of Delhi.
What is your opinion about the principles, timing of its declaration, and its death?
/
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / November 29, 2012
Native Vedda,
The Thimpu principles, declared as cardinal were:
1. recognition of the Tamils of Ceylon as a nation
2. recognition of the existence of an identified homeland for the Tamils of Ceylon
3. recognition of the right of self determination of the Tamil nation
4. recognition of the right to citizenship and the fundamental rights of all Tamils of Ceylon
These misconceived and misguided principles developed to subvert the Thimpu talks, have been consigned by history to where they ( three out of four)belong-the dustbin. No one wants to retrieve them from the stinking dustbin that the political and militant history of the Tamils (of the north and east, particularly) has become.
Referring to these principles in the manner in which they are ordered:
1. Tamil nation- utter nonsense. Tamils in Sri Lanka are a composite of many communities scattered around the island- predominant in a few areas and a minority in others. The Tamil nation concept was tribal in nature and bucked existing and evolving realities. It tried to create a non-existent unity amongst quite diverse communities with diverse problems and concerns only on a linguistic basis.
2.Homeland: Utter nonsense again. Failed to recognise the incontrovertible fact that Sri Lanka had become a nation of diverse communities and solutions had to be found within this concept. It flew in the face of historical processes that were propelling Sri Lanka in a different direction.It was also a word that immediately raised the ire of all Sinhalese, without whose co-operation the problems could not be resolved. It created the conditions for further war and laid a mine field on the path to probelm solving in a non-violent manner. It also claimed an extent of territory that had ceased to be Tamil for a long time due to historical processes including malaria, colonialism, christianisation and sinhalization. These historical processes also included political machinations.
3. Self-determination: Again a word that was both vague in terms of context and meaning. It had wider implications in terms of the escalating Tamil militancy and the quest for an independent Tamil Eelam. This created more apprehensions and fears in the Sinhala polity as to the intentions of the Tamil political and militant groups. Devolution and /or power sharing would have been wiser words to use.
4.Rights to citizenship and fundamental rights: The only principle that remains partially valid today. The Tamils of Indian origin remaining in Sri lanka have been granted citizenship. Howeveer, the principles of equal citizenship are yet not fully applicable in practice. Fundamental rights in today’s language will translate into law & order and good governance. This will apply to all citizens of Sri Lanka.
Ultimately, the four principles were a ploy to derail the Thimpu talks and the H.W.Jayawardene led GOSL delegation responded as expected. It was a gift from the heavens for the GOSL!
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
/
RAJA / November 29, 2012
Not all Tamils are cowards. In 1973, I stood up against a Sinhala racist doctor who was doing no work at all but harassing Tamil doctors. One day he came to the ward I was working and tried to assault me, holding my tie in front of the patients. I gave him a thundering slap on his face. Others came and stopped it and he was asked to leave the ward. Subsequently he made a complaint to the police that I assaulted him, but the police after recording my statement did not proceed as it was his mistake, and to be fair other doctors stood by me. This did not happen in Jaffna not even in Colombo, but in Sinhala heartland of Matara. It was long before Prabaharan came into the picture and I used to narrate this to those Tamils who used to say that Prabaharan gave the backbone to Tamils to fight. Tamils know that the justice system in srilanka is biased and are not putting up a fight and suffering in silence. If the playing field is even, they will put up a fight as what is happening in western countries. To say that Tamils are cowards is therefore grossly unfair.
/
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / November 29, 2012
Raja,
You are a rare exception. I am sure there are more like you. What I was referring to was the Tamil mindset in general. The selfish ,cringing, back boneless attitude of most Tamils that I come across even now, when they have experienced the worst to be beyond fear, is astonishing. I have enough stories to back up my claim that the Tamils in general are cowards. I would however, qualify my statement with words ‘ majority of’. My intention in making this statement is to prod the Tamils to stand up for their rights in at least small matters concerning officialdom and politicians.
There is no point grumbling of problems, when one does not have the guts to claim what is one’s by right.
Liberation should be firstly from fear. Foolhardiness in placing faith in others to win their rights, was/ is the worst sort of cowardice. We have paid a heavy price for this folly.
Dr. Rajasingham Narendran
/
Celerati Editorial / November 29, 2012
Prabhakaran was a soldier and died fighting. The problem is that this is not enough to lead your own people. He was never able to be more than a fighter and the independent dream of a Tamil Eelam could never be achieved only with weapons. The international community decided that it was impossible to have him as a State head. Further on, he surely wanted to die fighting. But he didn’t have any consideration for the hundreds of thousands, for women, children and elderly around him. He was a fighter, they not. He didn’t do everything to protect his own people. Sorry, this is not a leader, only a fighter.
/
Native Vedda / November 29, 2012
Celerati Editorial
VP was born as Field Marshall. He didn’t have to fight become one. He was the god sent leader of stupid Tamils. Hence he never had the obligation to convince his own people or justify his sole leadership.
And lot of the stupid Tamils agreed with him.
/
Wuliangguobinjiu / November 29, 2012
Stupidity is when N.V. ;) can’t help it. The meek shall inherit…
Stupidity Talks Vanity Acts – Victor Hugo
(Stupidity is also a gift of God, but one mustn’t misuse it-Pope John Paul II)
/
Baba / November 30, 2012
Well Said
/
BunkerRat / November 30, 2012
Tamil terrorists only TERRORIZED Sri Lankans as they were remotely controlled by the TTD from outside. They just killed… killed … killed and killed… Even when ISGA was offered the confused refusal was prompt… the fat dummy was always looked dumbfounded and never uttered a word in a decent meeting.
That’s why the Dummy had no plans in place to face a planned military assault… and had to drag the innocent civilians with them from one corner to another, to be used as a human shield to cover the asses of terrorist pigs running in disarray.
Velu was a military genius? My ass! Any donkey can terrorize civilian masses or lethargic troops anytime of the day.
/
suryagamage nilan / November 29, 2012
Daughter Rajashingham
If there ever was an apologist for Sinhala chuvanism it is in the form of a bourgeois Tamil doctor who keeps pleading that Tamils are not a nation because they are diverse.
Can not be the same said for the Sinhalase or any other community?
This man should stick to doing annual physical exams including bowel examinations instead of pontificating about history of the struggles of oppressed peoples.
He is clearly not oppressed and is probably raking in a handsome salary among the sinhalese and feels guilty that any talk of nation might make a dent in his salary.
/
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / November 29, 2012
Suryagamage Nilan,
The Sinhalese and the Muslims are not ‘ Nations’. They are communities.
Please define what you understand by the term ‘ Nation’ .
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
/
R.Kovian / November 29, 2012
I followed your replies, again you trying satisfy who.? be a man and fight for your corner, After three yrs Moron Praba gone..what the answer to tamil ????? we tamils fight for the reason…let me know any thing wrong with that… you allways blame tamils and their kollppus…tell me tamils leaded by so called VELLALA TAMIL RASCALS hope you are not that tribe, sinhala allways blame VELLALA TAMIL RASCALS FOR srilankan illness, hope again you are not that evil tribe…in future please dont call tamil kolluppu call VELLALA TAMIL KOLLUPPU….am i make you angry or else…
/
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / November 30, 2012
Kovian ,
I belong to that tribe and will agree to call the ‘Tamil kolluppu’ , ‘ Velealah Tamil Kolluppu’. I am however, more than happy with the changes in Tamil fortunes in the past three plus years. We were brought to our knees at the end of the war. We have learned to stand up and walk now. It will take a few more years to regain our Tamilness, if we wished to. It will take a decade or more to understand what we need as Tamils , in the new circumstances prevalent here. We will be sprinting then, without being hobbled by old concepts, prejudices and the burden of history.
We have to evolve a new set of leaders to take us in a new direction in the interim.
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran.
/
Rama / November 29, 2012
prabhakaran was visionary. he dreamt of eelam and he gave his life for it. what a supreme sacrifice.may his soul rest in peace. prabha, we will kick out the[Edited out] sinhala [Edited out] from our soil very soon.
/
Lester / November 30, 2012
Prabhakaran was tortured before being killed, according to UTHR, a much more reliable source than Michael Roberts, DBS Jeyaraj, and David Blacker.
The UTHR report detailed on ‘constantly changing official versions’ of the LTTE supremo’s death and quoted high-level military sources as saying that ‘Prabhakaran was tortured probably at Division 53 HQ in the presence of a Tamil government politician and a General.’
‘Several army sources have said that Prabhakaran’s (younger) 12-year-old son Balachandran was killed after capture. Our (sources) said that he was killed in front of his father,’ said the UTHR(J), which has been critical of excesses both by the military and the LTTE.
‘Our sources in addition to several others have said that all the LTTE persons remaining in the NFZ (no fire zone) were massacred,’ said the group that was formed in 1988 at the University of Jaffna ‘to document human rights violations by all forces’.
http://www.rediff.com/news/report/ltte-prabhakaran-tortured-before-being-shot-dead/20090615.htm
Readers may obtain the name of the “general” with a simple Google search. What is for absolute certain is that in the very last stages of the war, the Sri Lankan Army was given a “green light” to massacre any LTTE found alive. The CH4 tape fits in well with this version of events.
/
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / November 30, 2012
Lester,
There were several reference to a video on VP’ s last hours in life, about a year or so back. Some even claimed that they had seen it. Was their such a video ? If so, why is it yet not in the public sphere?
Dr.Rajaingham Narendran
/
Lester / November 30, 2012
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran,
I have not come across such a video, unfortunately. Perhaps you can comment on the nature of the wound in this photo? I presume you have some medical background.
http://media.nowpublic.net/images//45/7/4576e400e3cf2cb801bfd7a14573c18f.jpg
What instrument would you say was used, an axe or a bullet or something else. Here is the same picture from a different angle:
http://www.nowpublic.com/world/ltte-leader-vellupille-piribaharans-dead-photos
/
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / December 1, 2012
Lester,
I am a Veterinarian and do not have forensic training to make an informed judgement. I however have some questions:
1. What was the type of ammunition used that implodes with such force within the head?
2 . Why did the piece of ammunition lodge within the skull and not exit?
3. If the ammunition used was designed to explode on impact, why did it not smash the whole head, disfiguring the face?
4 . Would a not so sharp instrument had caused the long and jugged cut?
5 . Why did the implosion claimed cause a linear damage and not a more rounded one?
6. The loin cloth apparently had been improvised. Why?
7. Why was the head articulable in dead? What was the approximate time lapse between death and discovery of the body?
I hope David Blacke and Raja can provide the answers.
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
/
David Blacker / December 3, 2012
Dr Narendran,
“1. What was the type of ammunition used that implodes with such force within the head?”
Why do you believe that there was an implosion? To me the skull simply looks fractured from within by hydrostatic pressure.
“2 . Why did the piece of ammunition lodge within the skull and not exit?”
Again, how do you deduce this to be true? We cannot see the back of the head.
“3. If the ammunition used was designed to explode on impact, why did it not smash the whole head, disfiguring the face?”
I do not believe that this was an explosive round; simply a high-velocity rifle-calibre round fired from a rifle or light machine-gun.
“5 . Why did the implosion claimed cause a linear damage and not a more rounded one?”
I do not believe it is an implosion at all, but a fracture caused by the dispersion of hydrostatic pressure outwards from the linear path of the bullet.
“7. Why was the head articulable in dead? What was the approximate time lapse between death and discovery of the body?”
I have no idea about elapsed time since death, or how long rigor mortis would take given the temperature, rain, and the water-logged terrain.
/
David Blacker / December 3, 2012
Sorry, I missed this one: “6. The loin cloth apparently had been improvised. Why?”
Again, I’m not sure if you’re right in this observation. It looks to me like one of the old-fashioned “wavula”-type underwear.
/
David Blacker / November 30, 2012
Why are you only quoting a part of the UTHR report? The report puts forward several theories; you have referred to only one. Here is the full statement: http://www.uthr.org/SpecialReports/spreport32.htm#_Toc232409730
/
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / December 3, 2012
David Blacker,
Thanks for your replies to my questions.
Dr.R.N
/
BAH / November 30, 2012
no man will knoelogde the killers of rajapaksha d.
/
BunkerRat / November 30, 2012
Wow! A very sensible comment! Still sobbing for the dead [Edited out], eh?
Not surprised at all!
/