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| The '''Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam''' (LTTE), also known as the '''Tamil Tigers''' or the '''Ellalan Force''', is a Sri Lankan ] ] organization founded in ] that has sought to establish an independent state, called ], in the north-east of ]. | The '''Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam''' (LTTE), also known as the '''Tamil Tigers''' or the '''Ellalan Force''', is a Sri Lankan ] ] organization founded in ] that has sought to establish an independent state, called ], in the north-east of ]. | ||
| Their leader is ]. LTTE is proscribed as a ] organization by several countries including ], ], ], ] and ]. | Their leader is ]. LTTE is proscribed as a ] organization by several countries including ], ], ], ] and ]. | ||
Revision as of 17:52, 24 December 2003
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), also known as the Tamil Tigers or the Ellalan Force, is a Sri Lankan Tamil guerrilla organization founded in 1976 that has sought to establish an independent state, called Tamil Eelam, in the north-east of Sri Lanka.
Their leader is Velupillai Prabakharan. LTTE is proscribed as a terrorist organization by several countries including USA, Britain, India, Australia and Malaysia.
The LTTE's early years of struggle reportedly enjoyed considerable sympathy from the Indian government, especially in the state of Tamil Nadu where they were viewed as fighting against the discrimination of Sri Lankan Tamils by the majority Sinhalese. Several allegations have surfaced, that India had provided the militants with military and monetary support in the past, and secretly trained them in base camps on Indian soil, during the nascent years of the organization. However, with increased violence on Indian soil, and with some gruesome crimes ascribed to runaway militants in the southern state, the organization began to lose popular support. In 1987, under the request of the Sri Lankan president Premadasa, India sent a peacekeeping force to try and achieve a cessation of hostilities. Several allegations of human rights abuses surfaced during this period, and the Indian forces were met with stiff opposition. Casualties mounted on all three fronts, and India pulled back its troops. The last nail in the coffin came in 1991, when the organization's relationship with India was severely damaged with the assassination of then Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi by an LTTE suicide bomber.
Since late 2001 there has been a cease fire, and the LTTE is seeking political and economic autonomy for Tamils within a one-state solution. However, some accuse LTTE of using the ceasefire to build up its forces. It has been also accused of abducting school children and killing political rivals in the Eastern region during the last two years.
See Ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka
External links
- Information on LTTE from a U.S. Department of State publication
- A perhaps "official" LTTE website
- Interpol warrant on LTTE leader