The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was a militant organization in Sri Lanka that fought for the creation of an independent Tamil state in the north and east of the country. The group was founded in 1976 and was led by Velupillai Prabhakaran.
The LTTE was involved in a protracted and violent conflict with the Sri Lankan government that lasted for over 25 years, and which resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people. The group was responsible for a number of high-profile attacks, including the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991.
The conflict came to a head in 2009, when the Sri Lankan military launched a major offensive against the LTTE. After months of intense fighting, the military was able to capture the group’s last stronghold in the northern town of Mullaitivu, and Prabhakaran was reportedly killed.
The end of the conflict was marked by controversy, with allegations of human rights abuses and war crimes committed by both sides. The Sri Lankan government was accused of using heavy-handed tactics against civilians, while the LTTE was criticized for its use of child soldiers and suicide bombings.
Aims of LTTE
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was a militant organization that fought for the creation of an independent Tamil state in the north and east of Sri Lanka. The group’s ultimate goal was to establish a separate state called Tamil Eelam, which would be comprised of these areas and would be governed by the Tamil people.
The LTTE believed that the Tamil people had been marginalized and discriminated against by successive Sri Lankan governments, which were dominated by the Sinhalese majority. The group argued that the Tamil people needed their own state in order to protect their cultural, linguistic, and economic rights.
In pursuit of this goal, the LTTE waged a protracted and violent insurgency against the Sri Lankan government and military, which lasted for over 25 years and resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people. The group carried out numerous high-profile attacks, including suicide bombings and assassinations, in an effort to draw international attention to its cause.
The ‘death’ of Velupillai Prabhakaran
Velupillai Prabhakaran, the founder and leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), was killed by the Sri Lankan military in May 2009. The circumstances surrounding his death are still a matter of controversy and debate.
According to the Sri Lankan government, Prabhakaran was killed during the final stages of the military’s offensive against the LTTE, which had been cornered in a small strip of land in the north of the country. The government claimed that Prabhakaran was killed in a firefight while trying to escape the area.
However, some LTTE supporters and human rights groups have raised concerns about the circumstances of Prabhakaran’s death. They have alleged that he was captured alive by the military and then summarily executed, and have called for an independent investigation into the matter.
Despite the controversy surrounding his death, Prabhakaran remains a divisive figure in Sri Lanka, with some seeing him as a hero who fought for Tamil rights and others as a ruthless terrorist responsible for numerous atrocities.
Today, the LTTE is banned in many countries, including Sri Lanka, India, the United States, and the European Union. Although the group no longer exists in its original form, its legacy continues to be felt in Sri Lanka, particularly in the Tamil community in the north and east of the country.
Discussion about this post