Sri Lank Civil War: Rebel Tamil Tigers Admit Defeat In 25-Year Conflict

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka's military says the eldest son of the top Tamil Tiger rebel leader has been killed in fighting.

Military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara says army troops on Monday found the body of Charles Anthony, the son of Velupillai Prabhakaran.

Prabhakaran has three children and Charles Anthony _ named after a rebel leader who died earlier in the war _ was the only one thought to be fighting along with his father.

There was no immediate comment from the rebels and it was not possible to independently verify the military's claim as journalists and observers are barred from the war zone.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) _ Sri Lanka's military says special forces have killed the head of the Tamil Tigers' political wing and two other top leaders in the northern war zone.

There has been no word yet on the whereabouts of the group's top leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran.

A senior military official says an attack Sunday night killed rebels' political wing leader Balasingham Nadesan, head of rebels' peace secretariat Seevaratnam Puleedevan and a top military leader known as Ramesh.

The official spoke Monday on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said he is still verifying the reports.

The military's claim could not be independently verified as the journalists and observers are barred from the war zone.

Comments

[Jonahson]

It is sad how people chose violence to champion their cause bringing nothing but tears, fear, death and mourning to thousands of people for 35 years. I have many Tamil friends overseas and all of them supports the LTTE that is why the civil war lasted decades because of the foreign support and funding.
Religion was also brought into dispute. Tamils in Sri Lanka do not like Buddhism and basically it boils down to Sri Lankans being a predominantly Buddhist country. It also influenced mainland and overseas Tamils that is why you have overseas Tamils attacking Buddhist temples. The teachings of the Buddha has nothing to do with violence nor is it for one race only. In fact Buddha is from India.

[proud2bnepali]

I don't know why people like to say Buddha is from India. He was born in Lumbini that lies within the boundary of current Nepal and it was a separate kingdom during the ancient times. He got his enlightenment in the current day India and died there. So while preaching that Buddha's teachings has nothing to do with violence, can you also please stop saying he is from here or there or at least get the facts straight. You can't say he was from Nepal or India because both nations did not existed in their current form then. So please first check carefully what you are saying.

[Jonahson]

He walked the length and breadth of the Land of the Golden Apple on foot to preach. Is that better for you? He also spoke the language of that time.

[Ghost803]

The LTTE are a bunch of murderous thugs.... but the Lankan government is not much better and has ultimately been responsible for the the whole mess..

After they gained independence from Britain in 1948, the majority population of Sinhalese basically tried to destroy all representation for the Tamils. They revoked the citizenship (read voting representation) of 600,000 Indian Tamil's that had been there for decades.. Placed Sinhalese as the national language. And Forbid all trade with Tamil Nadu, India for Tamil Literature, movies, etc....And placed a ban on Tamils from going over to India to receive education.

[dsrtdwler]

One should at least attempt to gather a history before relegating the LTTE to the realm of "terrorist­." Whatever that means these days. Countries with 25 plus year ethnic conflicts don’t fit into American ideas on how conflict operates. After all, a critical investigation might mean we learn something about our own actions in the world.

[AmandaLS]

I am glad this has come to an end. However unless every single TT is captured, it is nly a matter of time until we see this sort of conflict arrise again. But I hope that the civiliazs can resume their lives in peace.

[Sean Magnoni]

The American news media is garbage. A bloody 25 year old conflict just ended and no one is covering it.

[TheThinkerCometh]

Yeah, it's why I watch BBC News for broad, in-depth WORLD news.

[NoSillyName]

Sadly, I always think the TTs are a sports team.

[Spencaa]

I'm just glad it's over

[dissanayake]

The thirty year rebel onslaught in this country,changed the 'face'of these once gentle people. The tamil minorities land grab and choice of suicide bombers and distruction of society ,to create their own country,was ostensibly because the Majority Sinhalese Government made Sinhela the national language.! Tamils were represented in parliment and the cabinet. Currently the ex- rebel; leader Colonol of the LTT was invited to join the Government as Minister of Rehabilitation.
Could anyone imagine, how we would react if the African Americans decided to fight for their own nation in the South? Or could we imagine, the President agreeing to accept a former muslim terrorist run for the senate? Hardly!

[facebook1]

I know, Thats why Pakistan should give up dreaming of Kashmir.

[ham4114]

We can all credit President Obama for this war coming to an end. I don't know why anyone would credit President Obama except for the fact that it's the "cool" thing to do. If you want to be considered "cool", agree with everything President Obama says and does. You'll be like really, really cool then, ya know?

[DemocracyIsComing]

Please try to keep Obama and what is happening in SriLanka in context. If you want to challenge Obama in a meaningful way ask him about the federal reserve and how we are all slaves to the world wide money system http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=70652052776959219122 http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/ ) ……. Everything else pales into insignificance.

Cheers!

[Zubeck]

Nonsequitur
noun -
A conclusion or statement that does not logically follow from the previous argument
or statement.

Try to keep up.

[ham4114]

I'll try and be more like you. A low IQ intellectual. Okay?

[wanapetha]

Credit to Obama?????????? did you check what Mrs. Clinton done past few weeks?? you really need to check the facts ham4114. thank you

[rogerthornhill1959]

The Tigers are following Obama's lead. Surrender to your enemies.

[Matt Muir]

Yes, because he surrendered to the pirates when he authorized the lethal force that saved American soldiers' lives. He has surrendered in Iraq when he chose to listen to the generals and maintain adequate levels of force. He surrendered in Afghanistan when he sent more troops to go after the real murderers of 9/11, something Bush ignored in order to fight a war based on imaginary evidence. Obama also surrendered when working with the Pakistani government to crush the Taliban, rather than Bush's complacency with letting them establish their own state. You conservatives have funny definitions of "surrender".

[rogerthornhill1959]

So you agree with me?

[JerryLevy]

It has been 25 years of terror and killing. Several prime ministers of Sri Lanka have tried negotiations only to see the Tigers come up with more grievances and more excuses for violence. Terrorist movements that are not looking for accommodation can only be dealt with this way. Talks are only used as interim periods to prepare for the next wars. Let us be sad for all who died but be glad Sri Lanka is not stopping until they have victory.

[sassafra]

while i am very pleased that the war seems finally nearing an end if not effectually over, i fervently hope that the tamils when they tender surrender to the government, will find that capitulation accepted with honor, and charity. sri lanka has is in truth, the capacity to be a true gem of beauty amongst the world's nations; both physically, and culturally.
here's hoping they have the maturity to nation build.
if both sids of the conflict can work towards that goal, rather than dwelling on recriminations everyone on the country would benefit.

[facebook1]

True,

The Tamils owe the Sonia family...B­ig Time.

[Ajita]

Seen the trauma specialist yet? You should get that stup.id on your brain checked out.

[4TJefferson]

Folks, this is a good thing. Next Somalia. After that Bin Laden.

[davidr73]

help me to understand exactly what somalia and bin laden have to do with sri lanka.

[4TJefferson]

They are all terrorists.

[ram1952]

Prabhakran killed dozens of his own lieutenants such as Mahatthaya and Kittu who were suspected of being disloyal. He had this inhuman trait of expecting his followers to prove their loyalty by sacrificing themselves. Such a person is not a human.

There is no difference between Al Qaeda and LTTE.

And there is not much difference, if I may say so, between Prabhakaran the monster and Mahinda Rajapakse who believes in violence as much as Prabhakaran does. Rajapakse is killing Tamilian civilians with the same ruthlessness that Prabhakran employed about just everybody else. If Rajapakse Government's actions are scrutinised by international human rights groups, he is eligible for a trial at The Hague.

So sad for the island of serendipity.

[Ajita]

Ram, I'm trying to find information about one thing- the fate of the thousands of Sri Lankan Tamils in the refugee camps in Tamil Nadu. Do you have any idea what will become of them? Or is it too early to tell?

[ram1952]

Ajita
The Mandapam refugee camp for Sri Lankan tamil refugees near Rameshwaram which is just 40 km from Jaffna across the Gulf Mannar. Many have been there for two decades. As for the refugees of the 1983 wave, many returned and some stayed back, married locally and settled down.
As for the current residents in the camp, no one knows when and whether they can return. Their plight is as piteous as that of any refugees anywhere else in the world. The local government does not want them to settle here. They cannot go back unless there is peace. The Sri Lankan government would do everything to not make things easy for them them to return as it does not want them back. The Sinhalas would want all Tamils to migrate to India.
Anyway, the refugees would be suspected of harbouring LTTE elements or sympathisers among them and SL would not like to have them back.
So unwanted by two nations, the refugees are the stale leftovers of this sad, bitter and perhaps pointless war.
An international intervention is the only hope. But SL does not want the peacemakers in.
Time and again in this war, there were times when the SL Army was about to throw in the towel. The LTTE should have seized that opportunity and hammered out a peace deal. But Prabhakaran lived too long by the sword to know anything about living without it. His bloodthirst has caused immeasurable misery for the Sri Lankan Tamils.

[joanevan]

You obviously do not make a distinction between crazed islamic fundamentalists with no other purpose than to kill in the name of their religion and people who formed a resistance to decades long discrimination and killing in Sri Lanka with an intent on a separate homeland.

[ram1952]

Velupillai Prabhakaran, the LTTE chief was a pathological killer. Anybody who uses young men and women as suicide bombers for settling perceived personal hurts, such as when Rajiv Gandhi placed him in house arrest in Delhi way back in 1987 is a sick person. He ordered the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi who tried his best to get the Sri Lankan Tamils their political due through talks.

Prabhakaran killed the heads of all the other Tamil liberation outfits, including the TULF, TELO and many others such as Yogeeswaran, Pathmanabhan, Uma Maheshwaran only because they dared to differ from him. As a journalist covering the proximity talks arranged by the Indian government between the Tamil groups and the Sri Lankan Government, I remember one evening when Uma Maheshwaran made a joke about Prabhakaran's non-knowledge of English. Prabhakaran's eyes blazed with hate at Uma who was in an alcoholic haze to realize the danger he was in. I was present at that get-together and I still remember I was uncomfortable as I saw Prabhakaran watch Uma cracking his jokes about Prabhakaran taking offence (in English)P about the language used by the Indian interlocutor, Romesh Bhandari. Prabhakaran had Uma killed ruthlessly much later. It is a long story.

[Ajita]

Wow! Thanks for posting this. I used to read more about the monster that Prabhakaran was, but it's been a while. I still remember the tales of horror about the kidnappings of children that my friends from Sri Lanka used to tell me in high school. I'm so glad that this is over and a new life can begin for Sri Lankans, both Tamil and Sinhalese.