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			Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
	'''The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam''' (LTTE), also known as the Tamil Tigers, is a military and political organization that has waged a violent ]ist campaign against the ]n Government since the 1970s in order to secure independence for the traditional ] regions in the North and East of ].

			The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), arguably the most lethal and well organised terrorist group in the world, began its armed campaign in Sri Lanka for a separate Tamil homeland in 1983. Under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002 (POTA) in India, the LTTE is a proscribed organisation. On October 4, 2003, the United States re-designated the LTTE as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) pursuant to Section 219 of the US Immigration and Nationality Act. The LTTE has been proscribed, designated or banned as a terrorist group by a number of governments - India, Malaysia, USA, Canada, UK, Australia - countries where the LTTE has significant terrorist infrastructure for disseminating propaganda, raising funds, procuring and shipping supplies to support their terrorist campaign in Sri Lanka.

	The LTTE proclaims itself the sole representative and protector of ] whereas the ]n Government and several international players contend this claim is false and feel that the LTTE alone cannot be considered as such . Despite this the LTTE are still generally seen as being the main body with whom the government must negotiate in order to end the ] in ].

			Formation
	The LTTE has been repeatedly accused of using ], violating human rights and is currently banned as a terrorist organisation in a number of countries (]). The UN has also accused the LTTE of continuing to recruit child soldiers.The LTTE itself rejects this characterisation, and in turn accuses the Sri Lankan government of ] and ] against the Tamil minority. While the international community has not accepted that Sri Lanka has committed genocide or state terrorism , many rights groups have leveled accusations of human rights violations against the Sri Lankan government . Accusations of attempted ] have also been traded by both parties in the past. The LTTE contends proscription by certain international actors as a tactic used to pressurize the movement to seek an unfavourable negotiated settlement , while the Sri Lankan government and some international players contend the LTTE still uses acts of terrorism in an attempt to create an authoritarian mono-ethnic state.

	The LTTE primarily consists of an army, a ] and a recently created air wing. However, it also exercises some, but not all, civil functions in territory under its control, including legislative, judicial, police, financial, and cultural functions, but excluding monetary, educational and some administrative functions. It is headed by its reclusive founder, ].

			The LTTE was formed on May 5, 1976, under the leadership of Velupillai Prabhakaran, and has emerged as perhaps the most lethal, well organised and disciplined terrorist force in the world. Headquartered in the Wanni region, Prabhakaran has established an extensive network of checkpoints and informants to keep track of any outsiders who enter the group's area of control.
	== The military LTTE ==

	The LTTE's fighters are noted for their loyalty to the organization. Recruits are instructed to be prepared to die for the cause, and are issued with a ] capsule to be swallowed in the case of capture. The LTTE also has a special squad of suicide troops, called the ], which it deploys for critical missions.

			Terrorism in Sri Lanka began in 1970 with the formation of a militant student body called the "Tamil Students Movement" to protest government plans to limit access of Tamil students to universities. Very soon this movement went underground and turned to overt terrorist activities. Violence escalated in Jaffna from 1972 onwards, beginning with the publication of a new constitution seen by the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) as anti-Tamil. The year 1972 saw the formation of two Tamil terrorist groups – the Tamil New Tigers (TNT) and Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO), splinter groups of the original Tamil Students Movement. In July 1983, countrywide riots and clashes between Sinhalese and Tamils left thousands of Tamils dead and several hundred thousand as refugees. Large number of Government forces were deployed in the north and east provinces. This period marks the beginning of the LTTE guerrilla campaign against the Sri Lankan Government.
	The LTTE gets its main funding from contributions by Tamils residing in Western countries, although there is controversy about the extent to which such contributions are voluntary rather than the result of extortion.

	===The beginnings of the LTTE===

			Objective
	]

	Until the 1970s, the ] had largely taken the form of a demand for autonomy for the Tamil-speaking regions under ]. The lack of results after twenty-five years of negotiations, and the rise of Sinhala nationalism as represented by the 1972 constitution, led to a significant section of young Tamils, particularly in ], adopting a more radical position which favoured the use of violent means. A large number of militant organisations were set up, one of which was the ] (TNT), formed in ] by a small group of young Tamils and university students led by ]. Many students joined the TNT thereafter due to the fact that they were not given equality in the grading systems and admission to post-graduate schools. The TNT's first military operation was the assassination of ], the ] mayor of ], in ], followed by a few successful bank robberies to fund their activities and the assassination of a number of minor police officials. The success of these early acts gave them confidence, and in ] they teamed up with the militants headed by ] to form the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. In ], ] joined the LTTE as their main ideologue. Balasingham added depth to the LTTE's politics. Whereas they had earlier been committed to the single idea of Tamil independence, Balasingham added a new layer of social policies, inspired by ] and anti-]ism, which profoundly shaped the LTTE's worldview.

			The LTTE aims to create a separate homeland for the Tamils known as the Tamil Eelam (state) in the Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka. The Tigers control most of the northern and eastern areas of Sri Lanka but have also conducted operations throughout the island.
	The LTTE continued the TNT's campaign of low-intensity violence against state agents, particularly policemen, and quickly became the most efficient and ruthless of the many Tamil militant groups. In ], they wiped out a police patrol which had discovered one of their training camps, the first major military victory for a separatist Tamil group. After ] was imposed in Jaffna in ], the LTTE began targeting the military. They were responsible for the attack which provoked the ] of ]. These riots and the government's crackdown on Tamil separatism produced a steady stream of volunteers for the LTTE, which they shaped into a militia. In ], they began launching higher intensity attacks against Sri Lankan troops. The same year they also formed a naval unit, the ].

	===Rise to dominance===
	The LTTE's discipline and efficiency, coupled with Prabhakaran's leadership and its strong ideological base, made the group much more effective than the other Tamil militant groups. As a result, for the next three years the LTTE was the main Tamil force in the civil war. The LTTE was militarily very successful against the Sri Lankan Army. In 1987 the ] was established; an elite unit of LTTE members responsible for conducting suicide attacks against political, economic and military targets.

			Leadership, Command Structure and Cadre
	Initially, the LTTE's operations were carried on in cooperation with other militant groups. In April ], it had formally joined a common militant front, the ], or ENLF, which had been formed by the ], the ] and the ].

	In ], the LTTE launched a military attack on the ], the largest of the other Tamil militant groups in Sri Lanka. Over the next few months, the entire TELO leadership and several hundred volunteers were hunted down, and the group ceased to be a potent force. A few months later, they attacked training camps of the ], forcing it to withdraw entirely from the Jaffna peninsula.

			The LTTE leadership is organized along a two-tier structure: a military wing and a subordinate political wing. Overseeing both is a central governing committee, headed by the LTTE chief, Velupillai Prabhakaran. This body has the responsibility for directing and controlling several specific subdivisions, including, an amphibious group (the Sea Tigers headed by Soosai), an airborne group, (known as the Air Tigers), an elite fighting wing (known as the Charles Anthony Regiment, named after Anthony, a close associate of Prabhakaran and is headed by Balraj), a suicide commando unit (the Black Tigers headed by Pottu Amman), a highly secretive intelligence group and a political office headed by Thamilselvam and Anton Balasingham, widely regarded to be the political advisor and ideologue of the LTTE. The central governing committee also has an International Secretariat, which is in charge of the outfit’s global network.
	The reasons for the LTTE's internecine attacks on other Tamil groups are much debated. The reason they themselves gave at the time was the other groups' connection with India. All the Tamil militant groups, including the LTTE, had received varying degrees of support from ]. However, while other groups such as the ] wholeheartedly embraced Indian support, the LTTE remained wary of India particularly after ] came to power, fearing that India was seeking primarily to advance its own interests, which were not the same as those of the Sri Lankan Tamils, and would therefore force the Tamils to accept an unfavourable settlement. They were particularly suspicious of the Indian intelligence agency, the ], which they said had completely infiltrated the TELO and EPRLF, and was using them to eliminate the LTTE. Some commentators have suggested that the LTTE were also unhappy that the most of the funding from expatriates went to the TELO, rather than to them (Jeyaratnam Wilson, 1999). It has also been suggested that they believed the struggle would only be effective if the other groups, who were much more willing to compromise, were not around (Narayan Swamy 2002). The effect of the attacks was that the LTTE consolidated the position their successful attacks had already established, as the main military group fighting for the cause of Tamil Eelam, with no credible rivals.

	===The IPKF period===

			Prabhakaran heads the LTTE power structure, as chairman of its central governing committee and ‘commander-in-chief’ of its army. He is assisted by Anton Balasingham, his political advisor.
	In ], the ] launched a new assault to recapture Jaffna. In the Indian press, the attack was depicted as being brutal and leading to disproportionately large civilian casualties. Faced with growing anger amongst its own Tamils, India intervened directly in the conflict by air-dropping food parcels on Jaffna in what was interpreted as a show of strength. After negotiations, India and Sri Lanka entered into an agreement whereby Sri Lanka agreed to a federal structure which would grant autonomy to the Tamils. India was to send a peacekeeping force, the ], to Sri Lanka to enforce the agreement.

	Although most Tamil militant groups accepted this agreement, the LTTE only did so very grudgingly and very soon rejected it on the grounds that the reforms were only illusory. The result was that the LTTE now found itself engaged in military conflict against the ]. The army fought a bitter month-long campaign to win control of the Jaffna peninsula from the LTTE. This campaign and the army's subsequent anti-LTTE operations were ruthless, and made it extremely unpopular amongst the Tamils. The LTTE exploited this sentiment and, by painting themselves as the only group opposing the IPKF's "anti-Tamil aggression", as they termed it, they became increasingly popular. In addition, the implementation of the autonomy provisions under the agreement was perceived by the Tamils as giving them little or nothing, and the entire structure collapsed very quickly. As the only group to have held itself aloof from this process, the LTTE was able to portray this development as a vindication of their stance.

			The LTTE is reported to have a cadre strength of approximately seven thousand. Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga alleged on January 8, 2004, that the outfit increased its military strength during the truce period by recruiting over 11,000 guerrillas. "The LTTE has increased its cadre by three times from around seven thousand to over 18,000. Quite a few of them are small children and forcible recruitment was going on," she said. Earlier on January 22, 2003, the Sri Lankan President's office indicated that the LTTE had increased its fighting forces during the cease-fire period "by 10,000 cadres, most of whom were children." Citing intelligence sources, Presidential spokesperson Harim Peiris said that the LTTE strength had increased from "around 6,000 cadre'' before the February 2002 cease-fire agreement "to 16,000'', and charged that "kidnapping for forcible recruitment'' was a major recruiting mode of the outfit. According to another estimate, the LTTE's deployment increased from 9,390 before the cease-fire agreement was signed to 16,240 towards the end of 2002.
	===The post-IPKF LTTE===
	The IPKF's intervention was also unpopular amongst Sinhalese Buddhists, and the last IPKF members left the country ] upon request of the Sri Lankan government. During this period, the LTTE absorbed the remnants of the other rival militant groups, including the ] and ], which had tried to regroup with the help of the IPKF and RAW. In a series of military operations in 1995 and 1996, the army re-captured the Jaffna peninsula and the town of ] from the LTTE leaving the LTTE resources crippled and manpower depleted. The LTTE proposed peace talks in 1996, which the government rejected. Starting from 1997, the LTTE suffered a number of reverses, and lost control of large portions of the ], the town of Kilinochchi and many smaller towns. However, from 1998 onward the LTTE reversed these losses, culminating in the capture of the strategically vital ] base complex in ] after hard and long fighting against the Sri Lankan army .

	== The peacetime LTTE ==

			All cadres are carefully indoctrinated on the authorised position: they are fighting against an unresponsive and discriminatory Sinhala majority for a separate State – Eelam; the cadres must banish all fear of death from their minds and be prepared to lay down their lives fighting the Government forces, or consume the cyanide pill fastened around their necks when capture is imminent. The LTTE places immense emphasis on the cult of martyrdom.
	===The 2001 ceasefire===

	]

			LTTE cadres are known for their high sense of discipline, dedication, strong determination, a high degree of motivation and innovation. Bulldozers have been suitably adapted to function as armoured vehicles. Men, women and children – both boys and girls - comprise its cadres. A deliberate policy of recruiting women and children into LTTE cadres was initiated after the signing of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) Accord in 1987, to offset a severe shortage of manpower, because of ever increasing casualties and the escalation of the conflict. Nearly one-third of the LTTE cadre comprises women, who are assigned duties on the battlefield, in the kitchen, and in medical camps as nurses. There have been allegations of the LTTE abducting children from areas under its controls to fill its dwindling ranks, and children are estimated to comprise up to 40 per cent of the LTTE cadre.
	In 2001, the LTTE unexpectedly dropped its demand for a separate state, which had never been accepted by the government or the island's Sinhala majority. Instead, they stated a form of regional autonomy would meet their demands. The government invited ] to mediate in the dispute. Norway brokered a ] agreement, which remains precariously in effect.



	Norway and the other Nordic countries jointly monitor the ceasefire through the ]. Since the signing of the Ceasefire Agreement between the Sri Lankan Government and the Tamil Tigers, the Tigers have carried out more than 3,100 reported violations compared to about 140 by the government forces .
			All LTTE fighters undergo a programme of rigorous training. A typical training schedule is spread over four months, during which they receive training in handling weapons, battle and field craft, communications, explosives and intelligence gathering, as well as an exhausting physical regimen and rigorous indoctrination.


			While the Vituthalai Pulikal Makalir Munani (Women's Front of the Liberation Tigers) was formed in 1983, women began combat training in 1985. In October 1987, Prabhakaran set up the first training camp exclusively for women in Jaffna for the second and successive batches. By 1989, this unit secured its own leadership structure. This period reportedly witnessed the highest recruitment of women as it was also the time when women were the worst sufferers of the ethnic conflict.
	Talks on an interim solution have currently stalled through political uncertainty. The President ] suspended the government of the then Prime Minister ] in ], accusing him of being too soft on the LTTE. Kumaratunga herself then took a more conciliatory line towards the LTTE, but the current president, ], who took office in November 2005, campaigned on a plank of being tougher on the LTTE. His prime minister, ] has also previously advocated a tougher line. The LTTE has recently stated that the gap between its position and the position of the new Sri Lankan government is vast, and has threatened to "intensify" its campaign if the government does not soon propose a reasonable political framework . The LTTE ordered a boycott of the 2005 presidential elections, which was won by ], amongst Tamil voters in the East and North of Sri Lanka. This action was condemned by the United States, who cited that "a significant portion of Sri Lanka's people were unable to express their views", and by opponents of Rajapakse who claim that the boycott played an important role in his victory. .

	Negotiations resumed briefly in February 2006, but were indefinitely postponed again in April after the parties were unable to agree on a mode of transport for LTTE commanders from the east of Sri Lanka to travel to the LTTE headquarters. Violent incidents increased, and by summer 2006 there was growing talk of a "Final War" for Tamil Eelam independence.

			A report in the Chennai-based The Hindu said on March 10, 2002, that nearly 4,000 women LTTE cadres have been killed since they began taking part in combat from 1985, joining the LTTE pantheon of over 17,000 "heroes" in the nearly two decade-old conflict. Over 100 of the women killed belonged to the dreaded Black Tiger suicide squad. Former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on the night of May 21, 1991, during an election rally at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu by Dhanu, a woman suicide-bomber of the LTTE.
	===From army to quasi-governmental entity===
	]

	Even though the LTTE was formed as a military group, it also carries out a number of civilian duties. The LTTE controls sections in the north and east of the island, especially the regions lying outside the major cities. It runs a de facto government and provides public services in these areas, including schools, hospitals, police stations, courts and municipal administration. However it still uses the Sri Lanka rupee and many civil servants are paid by Sri Lanka government in areas controlled by the LTTE.

			The women reportedly undergo the same tough training as men, and like them, are broken up into fighting, intelligence gathering, political and administrative units. In her book Women Fighters of Liberation Tigers (1989), Adele Ann, the Australian-born wife of Anton Balasingham, LTTE theoretician, described the decision by a Tamil woman to join the organisation as a message to society "that they are not satisfied with the social status quo; it means they are young women capable of defying authority; it means they are women with independent thoughts; young women prepared to lift up their heads." LTTE chief Prabhakaran, in an address to women cadres on International Women's Day on March 8, 1996, described the liberation of the Tamil woman as "the fervent child" that was born out of the Tamil "national liberation movement." Women in the LTTE are allegedly forced to suppress their femininity and sexuality, which is regarded as a crime and an evil force that could sap their strength. Marriage is not allowed for women cadres up to the age of 25 and for men up to the age of 28.
	Most of the structures supporting these functions developed during the period immediately after the ]'s withdrawal, when the LTTE controlled ] without significant opposition. During this period, it transformed itself from a purely military body to a quasi-government, complete with administrative organs. Between 1991 and 1993, it created the ] (including traffic police), the ], the ] a broadcasting authority called the , National Television of Tamil Eelam(NTT) -- a satellite TV station, a ] and a including a ] service and a public prosecution system. Although it no longer controls Jaffna, these structures continue to form the basis on which it runs the areas it does control. The LTTE's administrative agencies are integrated into the organisation's overall chain of command. It claims that this makes them better equipped to respond to emergencies.

	The LTTE's quasi-government was and continues to be run on socialist principles. For example, all litigants before a civil court are required to pay a fine for failing to settle their dispute amicably. Police and other employees of the administrative agencies are paid according to the number of dependents they have, rather than their position.

			Children have featured prominently in the LTTE's protracted guerilla and terrorist campaigns, and assessments by the Sri Lankan Directorate of Military Intelligence have estimated that as much as 60 per cent of the LTTE's fighters were below 18. Estimates based on LTTE fighters who have been killed in combat reveal that 40 per cent of its fighting forces - including both males and females - were between 9 and 18 years of age. The first recruitment of child soldiers into LTTE ranks dates back over two decades, after the ethnic riots of July 1983 resulted in a massive exodus of civilians to India. At this stage, LTTE chief Prabhakaran selected Basheer Kaka, an LTTE leader from the harbour city of Trincomalee, to establish a training base in the State of Pondicherry in India for recruits under 16. Initially, the child soldiers - affectionately referred to as 'Tiger cubs' - received non-military training, mostly primary education and physical exercise. By early 1984, the nucleus of the LTTE 'Baby Brigade' or 'Bakuts', was formed.
	In recent years, the LTTE has sought wider recognition for its administrative organs. After the ], it has sought to ensure that aid to the areas under its control is routed through its own administrative agencies. It entered into an agreement, called the P-TOMS, with the government of Sri Lankan president ] which recognised this principle to some extent. However, the agreement was bitterly opposed by hardliners in the Sri Lankan government and never saw implementation, the present administration of ] has announced that it will not be considering it anew.

	===Political activities===
	The LTTE also has a political wing, but despite the ceasefire it has not tried to formally create a political party. Instead, in the ], it openly supported the TNA (also called Thamizh Arasu Katchi or Federal Party), which won over 90% of votes in the ] of ], in the ].

			Until 1986, the LTTE had sufficient adult units in operation and young recruits were put through the Tigers' standard grueling four-month training course as soon as they reached 16. Many children from the Pondicherry batch achieved battle prominence, and several others served as bodyguards to Pottu Amman, the LTTE Chief of Intelligence responsible, among a host of other operations, for planning the assassination of two world leaders. The child fighters were originally a part of the Baby Brigade commanded by Justin, a Pondicherry-trained fighter. However, after 1987 the LTTE integrated children with other units to offset heavy losses in combat. A study by a UK-based Sri Lankan researcher Dushy Ranatunge revealed that at least 60 per cent of the dead LTTE fighters were under 18 and were mostly girls and boys aged 10-16. Ranatunge also revealed that almost all of the casualties were from Batticaloa, but after the escalation in the fighting following the LTTE assaults on the Kilinochchi, Paranthan and Elephant Pass defences on 1 February 1998, the dead have also included many from Jaffna.
	The LTTE's commitment to multi-party democracy has also been questioned. In an interview in 1986, Velupillai Prabhakaran, the leader of the LTTE, said that ] would be a one-party state rather than a multi-party democracy, because that would help it develop faster (Hellmann-Rajanayagam 1994, 183). He has not repeated this proposal, and the LTTE's main ideologue, ], publicly repudiated this position in ], stating that it was irrelevant after the collapse of the ]. However, the LTTE's critics state that it indicates their way of thinking, and point out that it has not organised, and shows no signs of organising, local elections in the areas it controls. The LTTE's supporters say that conditions make elections impossible, but that they will be held once Tamil Eelam is fully independent.

	===Dissension===
	An LTTE commander named ] ('']'' of Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan) broke away from the LTTE in March 2004 amid allegations that the northern commanders were overlooking the needs of the eastern Tamils. This led to clashes between the mainstream LTTE and Karuna's faction. The LTTE has charged that Karuna's group is backed by the government.

			A typical unit of children was trained for four months in the jungle. Woken at 0500hrs they assembled, fell in line, and their leader raised the LTTE flag. This was followed by two hours of physical training, after which the recruits engaged in weapons training, battle and field craft, and parade drill. During the rest of the afternoon, time was spent both reading LTTE literature and more physical training. Lectures on communications, explosives and intelligence techniques continued into the evening. No contact was permitted between the camp and the children's homes during the training period. Sleep and food were regulated during training to build endurance. After 1990, when children were pitched into battle against Sri Lankan forces, the LTTE made training tougher. The military office of the LTTE headed by Wedi Dinesh developed a training programme that would make the child fighters even more daring than adults. This included the screening of Rambo-style videos in which the daredevil approach is invariably successful. The trained child fighters were also prepared for battle by attacking unprotected or weakly defended border villages. Several hundred men, women and children have been killed by LTTE child combatants armed with automatic weapons guided by experienced fighters during such 'inoculation attacks'.
	===Women in the LTTE===
	The LTTE advocates equality for women, and has a large number of female recruits. The Women's Wing of the LTTE is known as Suthanthirap Paravaikal (or Freedom Birds). The first woman combatant to die was 2nd Lt. ], on ] ], in an encounter with the ] at ] in ] peninsula. Women have also been part of the 'Black Tiger' squads. The assassination of the Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, the attempt on President Chandrika Kumaranatunga and the latest attempt by a female suicide bomber on the Sri Lankan Army commander are notable instances.

	==Human rights and terrorism issues==

			Operational Strategies and External Linkages
	The LTTE is sometimes labelled "terrorist" as part of a broader allegation that it does not have respect for human rights, and does not adhere to the standards of conduct expected of a resistance movement or what might be called "freedom fighters".

	The accusation of terrorism is based in part on claims that the LTTE has been responsible for targeted assassination of political figures and non-military officials, and in part on its use of suicide bombers. Between ] and ], it has been accused of killing ], ], ] and ]. It has also been accused of killing moderate Tamils and other Tamils with whose views it disagrees, such as ] , ], ], ], and ]. The LTTE has vehemently denied involvement in several of these incidents. However, Indian courts have issued an international warrant to arrest both Velupillai Prabhakaran and its intelligence chief Pottu Ammanin connection with the ] killing. Although the LTTE deny any involvement, they did issue a statement in June of 2006 calling the event a "monumental tragedy". In addition, LTTE bombings have been known to cause civilian casualties. The Sri Lankan government has accused the LTTE of targeting non-military and government targets including the ] in ], the Dehiwala trainand the Central Bank in ]. LTTE supporters have argued that civilian deaths were mainly due to collateral damage and it was not LTTE policy to target civilians. The theory of collateral damage appears to be invalidated by the fact that many ] have been directed against purely civilian targets such as farming villages, trains, temples, mosques and banks, resulting in large numbers of predictable civilian deaths .

			Apart from the military operations which the LTTE conduct in the North-eastern parts of the country against Government forces and the highly successful suicide killings operations in other parts of the country, a major aspect of the LTTE’s operations is its publicity, fund-raising and military procurement strategies.
	The LTTE's supporters justify some of the targeted assassinations by arguing that the people assassinated were either "Tamil traitors" or persons closely associated with Sri Lankan military intelligence. Specifically in relation to the TELO, the LTTE has said that it had to perform preemptive self-defence because the TELO was in effect functioning as a proxy for India. They also draw comparisons between the casualties caused by the LTTE's actions and the actions of European resistance forces against Nazi occupation during the Second World War. However, LTTE victims have included many unarmed Tamil politicians and civilians moderates who sought a peaceful solution to the Sri Lankan crisis.

	The LTTE has been accused of knowingly recruiting and using child soldiers as front-line troops (HRW 2003). Amid international pressure, LTTE announced in July 2003 that it would stop conscripting child soldiers, but both UNICEF and HRW have accused it of reneging on its promises, and of conscripting Tamil children orphaned by the ]. Civilians have also complained that the LTTE is continuing to abduct children, including some in their early teens, for use as soldiers. The LTTE, however, strongly denies any responsibility for recruitment of child soldiers. Its official position is that earlier, some of its cadres erroneously recruited volunteers in their late teens. It says that its official policy is now that it will not accept child soldiers. It also says that some underage youth lie about their age and are therefore allowed to join, but are sent back home to their parents as soon as they are discovered to be underaged.

			The LTTE runs a wide network of publicity and propaganda activities with offices and cells located in at least 54 countries. The largest and most important centres are located in leading western states with large Tamil expatriate communities, most notably the UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Canada and Australia. In addition to these states, the LTTE are also known to be represented in countries as far-flung as Cambodia, Burma, South Africa and Botswana. It’s publicity networks covering Europe, Australia and North America also include radio and TV satellites.
	The LTTE has been blamed for forcibly removing (or "ethnically cleansing") Sinhalese and Muslim inhabitants from areas under its control, including through the use of violence against those who refuse to leave. Most notably, the LTTE forcibly expelled the entire Muslim population of Jaffna on 48 hours notice in ]. The LTTE are also accused of organising massacres of Sinhala villagers who settled in the Northeast under the dry lands policy. Whilst the LTTE's supporters do not deny these allegations, they argue that it is misleading to look at such allegations in isolation. They say that the LTTE actions are no worse than those of the Sri Lankan government, and are therefore an entirely proportionate response to repeated human rights violations by the Sri Lankan government, and are the only way to make the government stop violating the rights of the Tamils even if they are condemned in international law. However two thirds of Sri Lankas Tamils choose to live under government rule in the south of Sri Lanka, thereby raising serious doubts as to the rationale for the ethnic cleansing in areas under its contral by the LTTE{{fact}}.

	There are also charges that the LTTE coerces Tamil expatriates to give it money, by threatening the safety of their relatives or property in areas of ] under its control. This involves pressuring them to directly give it money, or to indirectly fund its activities by patronising businesses connected with it (La 2004). Although intelligence services have raised concerns about such activities, which are particularly controversial in Canada, few formal complaints have been made. During raids by the ] the LTTE front organisation, World Tamil Movement was found coordinating a number of illegal activities in order to control the tamil diaspora in Canada. A report by ] outlines the intimidation and extortion Tamil expatriates experience from the LTTE . However, several Tamil associations, from various countries mentioned in the report, have called in to question the veracity and accuracy of the Human Rights Watch report . Most of the organisations which question the HRW report are known to have pro-LTTE leanings.

			Apart from publicity, another important aspect of LTTE’s strategy is fundraising. The majority of financial support comes from six main areas, all of which contain large Tamil Diasporas: Switzerland, Canada, Australia, the UK, the US, and the Scandinavian countries. The LTTE has established a wide network of offices and cells practically across the globe. They have secured a considerable degree of visibility in the United Kingdom – the headquarters of its "International Secretariat" – as well as in Canada, France, Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Australia and South Africa. These networks of offices and cells carry out propaganda, organise the procurement and movement of weapons and raise funds from the Tamil Diaspora.
	== Proscription of the LTTE as a terrorist group ==

	A number of countries have banned the LTTE as a terrorist organisation. As of July 2006, these include:

			There also have been reports that the LTTE raises money through drug running, particularly heroin from Southeast and Southwest Asia. The LTTE is in a particularly advantageous position to traffic narcotics due to the highly efficient international network it has developed to smuggle munitions around the world. Many of these arms routes pass either directly through or very close to major drug producing and transit centres, including Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, southern China, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
	*] (since 1992)
	*] (since 1997)
	*] {{citation needed}}
	*] (since 2000)
	*] (since 2006)
	*] (since 2006)

	Additionally, ] has included the LTTE on its consolidated list of terrorist groups, thus freezing its assets and making it an offence to provide it assets, although it has not banned it completely (Hansard 2006, p. 99).

			Military and arms procurement plays a vital part in the LTTE’s battle against the Government sources. The LTTE arms network is headed by Tharmalingam Shanmugham, alias Kumaran Pathmanathan and colloquially known as "KP." At the heart of the KP’s operations is a highly secretive shipping network. The ships frequently visit Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, South Africa, Burma, Turkey, France, Italy and Ukraine, scouting for arms. In addition to setting up a number of lucrative businesses, the LTTE established a state-of-the-art boatyard that manufactured a dozen different boats, including a mini-submarine for debussing divers.
	Because of crimes against humanity committed by the LTTE, Canada does not grant residency to LTTE members .

	The first country to ban the LTTE was its early ally, India. The Indian change of policy came gradually, starting with the IPKF-LTTE conflict, and culminating with the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. In the following years a number of other countries also listed the LTTE as a terror organisation after lobbying from the Sri Lankan diplomatic service under ], the former Sri Lankan foreign minister who was allegedly assassinated by the LTTE in ]. The EU with its 25 member nations is the most recent entity to ban the LTTE. This was done explicitly to encourage them to participate in peace talks with the Sri Lankan government, under threat of having their international assets seized and other repercussions if they did not.

			The LTTE has also set up a parallel civil administration within its territory by establishing structures such as a police force, law courts, postal services, banks, administrative offices, television and radio broadcasting station, etc. The most prominent of the LTTE ‘state structure' is the ‘Tamil Eelam Judiciary’ and the ‘Tamil Eelam Police’. The ‘Tamil Eelam Police’, with its headquarters at Kilinochchi was formed in year 1993, and reportedly has several wings, including traffic, crime prevention, crime detection, information bureau, administration and a special force. LTTE cadres collect taxes, its courts administer their version of justice and the entire law and order machinery is LTTE-controlled.
	Sri Lanka itself lifted the ban on the LTTE before signing the ceasefire agreement in 2001. The LTTE is not on the ]'s list of terror organisations.

	==See also==

			Areas of Operation
	*]
	*]
	*] anti-Tamil pogrom
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]

	==References==
	<div class="references-small">
	<references />
	</div>

			The LTTE engages the Sri Lankan state in three theaters: (1) in the northern theatre (Jaffna, Killinochhi and Mullaitivu districts) the LTTE employs high and mid-intensity warfare. Since the mid-1990s, semi-conventional and unconventional (insurgent and terrorist) methods are also being used. With the loss of the peninsula in 1996, the LTTE has reverted to unconventional warfare, mostly sparrow tactics (hit and run methods). In the mainland, mostly in Wanni, the LTTE engages the Sri Lankan troops semi-conventionally. This has become possible after the LTTE acquired artillery and heavy mortars. (2) In the eastern theatre (Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Amparai districts), the LTTE employs high, mid and low intensity warfare. Dependent on the LTTE force level, it will engage the troops semi-conventionally or unconventionally. However, insurgent and terrorist tactics predominate. (3) In the Southern theatre, LTTE’s operations have been largely focussed on the Colombo, the capital. By targeting financial nerve centres and political and military leaders this diversionary tactic of the LTTE has been highly effective. After steadily shifting the theatre of terror into the seat of the country’s administration, LTTE elimination of political and military leaders has adversely affected the morale of the security forces.
	<!--Removing as empty. Add when information available.
	==References==
	-->
	*Balasingham, Adele. (2003) ''The Will to Freedom - An Inside View of Tamil Resistance'', Fairmax Publishing Ltd, 2nd ed. ISBN 1-903679-036
	*Balasingham, Anton. (2004) 'War and Peace - Armed Struggle and Peace Efforts of Liberation Tigers', Fairmax Publishing Ltd, ISBN 1-903679-05-2
	*de Votta, Neil. (2004) ''Blowback: Linguistic Nationalism, Institutional Decay, and Ethnic Conflict in Sri Lanka.'' Stanford University Press, ISBN 0804749248
	*Gamage, Siri and I.B. Watson (Editors). (1999) ''Conflict and Community in Contemporary Sri Lanka - 'Pearl of the East' or 'Island of Tears'?'', Sage Publications Ltd, ISBN 0-7619-9393-2
	*Hansard Australia (2006), Senate Transcript for 16 June 2006
	*Hellmann-Rajanayagam, D. (1994) "The Groups and the rise of Militant Secessions". in Manogaram, C. and Pfaffenberger, B. (editors). ''The Sri Lankan Tamils''. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0813388457
	*Human Rights Watch (2003) ''Child Soldier Use 2003: A Briefing for the 4th UN Security Council Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict''
	*La, J.. 2004. "Forced remittances in Canada's Tamil enclaves". ''Peace Review'' 16:3. September 2004. pp. 379-385.
	*Narayan Swamy, M. R. (2002) ''Tigers of Lanka: from Boys to Guerrillas'', Konark Publishers; 3rd ed. ISBN 8122006310
	*Pratap, Anita. (2001) ''Island of Blood: Frontline Reports From Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Other South Asian Flashpoints''. Penguin Books, ISBN 0142003662
	*Sri Kantha, Sachi.(2005) "Pirabhakaran Phenomenon", Lively COMET Imprint, ISBN 1-57087-671-1

	==External links==		==External links==

Revision as of 09:06, 5 August 2006

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Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)

       The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), arguably the most lethal and well organised terrorist group in the world, began its armed campaign in Sri Lanka for a separate Tamil homeland in 1983. Under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002 (POTA) in India, the LTTE is a proscribed organisation. On October 4, 2003, the United States re-designated the LTTE as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) pursuant to Section 219 of the US Immigration and Nationality Act. The LTTE has been proscribed, designated or banned as a terrorist group by a number of governments - India, Malaysia, USA, Canada, UK, Australia - countries where the LTTE has significant terrorist infrastructure for disseminating propaganda, raising funds, procuring and shipping supplies to support their terrorist campaign in Sri Lanka.

Formation

The LTTE was formed on May 5, 1976, under the leadership of Velupillai Prabhakaran, and has emerged as perhaps the most lethal, well organised and disciplined terrorist force in the world. Headquartered in the Wanni region, Prabhakaran has established an extensive network of checkpoints and informants to keep track of any outsiders who enter the group's area of control.

Terrorism in Sri Lanka began in 1970 with the formation of a militant student body called the "Tamil Students Movement" to protest government plans to limit access of Tamil students to universities. Very soon this movement went underground and turned to overt terrorist activities. Violence escalated in Jaffna from 1972 onwards, beginning with the publication of a new constitution seen by the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) as anti-Tamil. The year 1972 saw the formation of two Tamil terrorist groups – the Tamil New Tigers (TNT) and Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO), splinter groups of the original Tamil Students Movement. In July 1983, countrywide riots and clashes between Sinhalese and Tamils left thousands of Tamils dead and several hundred thousand as refugees. Large number of Government forces were deployed in the north and east provinces. This period marks the beginning of the LTTE guerrilla campaign against the Sri Lankan Government.

Objective

The LTTE aims to create a separate homeland for the Tamils known as the Tamil Eelam (state) in the Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka. The Tigers control most of the northern and eastern areas of Sri Lanka but have also conducted operations throughout the island.

Leadership, Command Structure and Cadre

The LTTE leadership is organized along a two-tier structure: a military wing and a subordinate political wing. Overseeing both is a central governing committee, headed by the LTTE chief, Velupillai Prabhakaran. This body has the responsibility for directing and controlling several specific subdivisions, including, an amphibious group (the Sea Tigers headed by Soosai), an airborne group, (known as the Air Tigers), an elite fighting wing (known as the Charles Anthony Regiment, named after Anthony, a close associate of Prabhakaran and is headed by Balraj), a suicide commando unit (the Black Tigers headed by Pottu Amman), a highly secretive intelligence group and a political office headed by Thamilselvam and Anton Balasingham, widely regarded to be the political advisor and ideologue of the LTTE. The central governing committee also has an International Secretariat, which is in charge of the outfit’s global network.

Prabhakaran heads the LTTE power structure, as chairman of its central governing committee and ‘commander-in-chief’ of its army. He is assisted by Anton Balasingham, his political advisor.

The LTTE is reported to have a cadre strength of approximately seven thousand. Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga alleged on January 8, 2004, that the outfit increased its military strength during the truce period by recruiting over 11,000 guerrillas. "The LTTE has increased its cadre by three times from around seven thousand to over 18,000. Quite a few of them are small children and forcible recruitment was going on," she said. Earlier on January 22, 2003, the Sri Lankan President's office indicated that the LTTE had increased its fighting forces during the cease-fire period "by 10,000 cadres, most of whom were children." Citing intelligence sources, Presidential spokesperson Harim Peiris said that the LTTE strength had increased from "around 6,000 cadre before the February 2002 cease-fire agreement "to 16,000, and charged that "kidnapping for forcible recruitment was a major recruiting mode of the outfit. According to another estimate, the LTTE's deployment increased from 9,390 before the cease-fire agreement was signed to 16,240 towards the end of 2002.

All cadres are carefully indoctrinated on the authorised position: they are fighting against an unresponsive and discriminatory Sinhala majority for a separate State – Eelam; the cadres must banish all fear of death from their minds and be prepared to lay down their lives fighting the Government forces, or consume the cyanide pill fastened around their necks when capture is imminent. The LTTE places immense emphasis on the cult of martyrdom.

LTTE cadres are known for their high sense of discipline, dedication, strong determination, a high degree of motivation and innovation. Bulldozers have been suitably adapted to function as armoured vehicles. Men, women and children – both boys and girls - comprise its cadres. A deliberate policy of recruiting women and children into LTTE cadres was initiated after the signing of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) Accord in 1987, to offset a severe shortage of manpower, because of ever increasing casualties and the escalation of the conflict. Nearly one-third of the LTTE cadre comprises women, who are assigned duties on the battlefield, in the kitchen, and in medical camps as nurses. There have been allegations of the LTTE abducting children from areas under its controls to fill its dwindling ranks, and children are estimated to comprise up to 40 per cent of the LTTE cadre.

All LTTE fighters undergo a programme of rigorous training. A typical training schedule is spread over four months, during which they receive training in handling weapons, battle and field craft, communications, explosives and intelligence gathering, as well as an exhausting physical regimen and rigorous indoctrination.

While the Vituthalai Pulikal Makalir Munani (Women's Front of the Liberation Tigers) was formed in 1983, women began combat training in 1985. In October 1987, Prabhakaran set up the first training camp exclusively for women in Jaffna for the second and successive batches. By 1989, this unit secured its own leadership structure. This period reportedly witnessed the highest recruitment of women as it was also the time when women were the worst sufferers of the ethnic conflict.

A report in the Chennai-based The Hindu said on March 10, 2002, that nearly 4,000 women LTTE cadres have been killed since they began taking part in combat from 1985, joining the LTTE pantheon of over 17,000 "heroes" in the nearly two decade-old conflict. Over 100 of the women killed belonged to the dreaded Black Tiger suicide squad. Former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on the night of May 21, 1991, during an election rally at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu by Dhanu, a woman suicide-bomber of the LTTE.

The women reportedly undergo the same tough training as men, and like them, are broken up into fighting, intelligence gathering, political and administrative units. In her book Women Fighters of Liberation Tigers (1989), Adele Ann, the Australian-born wife of Anton Balasingham, LTTE theoretician, described the decision by a Tamil woman to join the organisation as a message to society "that they are not satisfied with the social status quo; it means they are young women capable of defying authority; it means they are women with independent thoughts; young women prepared to lift up their heads." LTTE chief Prabhakaran, in an address to women cadres on International Women's Day on March 8, 1996, described the liberation of the Tamil woman as "the fervent child" that was born out of the Tamil "national liberation movement." Women in the LTTE are allegedly forced to suppress their femininity and sexuality, which is regarded as a crime and an evil force that could sap their strength. Marriage is not allowed for women cadres up to the age of 25 and for men up to the age of 28.

Children have featured prominently in the LTTE's protracted guerilla and terrorist campaigns, and assessments by the Sri Lankan Directorate of Military Intelligence have estimated that as much as 60 per cent of the LTTE's fighters were below 18. Estimates based on LTTE fighters who have been killed in combat reveal that 40 per cent of its fighting forces - including both males and females - were between 9 and 18 years of age. The first recruitment of child soldiers into LTTE ranks dates back over two decades, after the ethnic riots of July 1983 resulted in a massive exodus of civilians to India. At this stage, LTTE chief Prabhakaran selected Basheer Kaka, an LTTE leader from the harbour city of Trincomalee, to establish a training base in the State of Pondicherry in India for recruits under 16. Initially, the child soldiers - affectionately referred to as 'Tiger cubs' - received non-military training, mostly primary education and physical exercise. By early 1984, the nucleus of the LTTE 'Baby Brigade' or 'Bakuts', was formed.

Until 1986, the LTTE had sufficient adult units in operation and young recruits were put through the Tigers' standard grueling four-month training course as soon as they reached 16. Many children from the Pondicherry batch achieved battle prominence, and several others served as bodyguards to Pottu Amman, the LTTE Chief of Intelligence responsible, among a host of other operations, for planning the assassination of two world leaders. The child fighters were originally a part of the Baby Brigade commanded by Justin, a Pondicherry-trained fighter. However, after 1987 the LTTE integrated children with other units to offset heavy losses in combat. A study by a UK-based Sri Lankan researcher Dushy Ranatunge revealed that at least 60 per cent of the dead LTTE fighters were under 18 and were mostly girls and boys aged 10-16. Ranatunge also revealed that almost all of the casualties were from Batticaloa, but after the escalation in the fighting following the LTTE assaults on the Kilinochchi, Paranthan and Elephant Pass defences on 1 February 1998, the dead have also included many from Jaffna.

A typical unit of children was trained for four months in the jungle. Woken at 0500hrs they assembled, fell in line, and their leader raised the LTTE flag. This was followed by two hours of physical training, after which the recruits engaged in weapons training, battle and field craft, and parade drill. During the rest of the afternoon, time was spent both reading LTTE literature and more physical training. Lectures on communications, explosives and intelligence techniques continued into the evening. No contact was permitted between the camp and the children's homes during the training period. Sleep and food were regulated during training to build endurance. After 1990, when children were pitched into battle against Sri Lankan forces, the LTTE made training tougher. The military office of the LTTE headed by Wedi Dinesh developed a training programme that would make the child fighters even more daring than adults. This included the screening of Rambo-style videos in which the daredevil approach is invariably successful. The trained child fighters were also prepared for battle by attacking unprotected or weakly defended border villages. Several hundred men, women and children have been killed by LTTE child combatants armed with automatic weapons guided by experienced fighters during such 'inoculation attacks'.

Operational Strategies and External Linkages

Apart from the military operations which the LTTE conduct in the North-eastern parts of the country against Government forces and the highly successful suicide killings operations in other parts of the country, a major aspect of the LTTE’s operations is its publicity, fund-raising and military procurement strategies.

The LTTE runs a wide network of publicity and propaganda activities with offices and cells located in at least 54 countries. The largest and most important centres are located in leading western states with large Tamil expatriate communities, most notably the UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Canada and Australia. In addition to these states, the LTTE are also known to be represented in countries as far-flung as Cambodia, Burma, South Africa and Botswana. It’s publicity networks covering Europe, Australia and North America also include radio and TV satellites.

Apart from publicity, another important aspect of LTTE’s strategy is fundraising. The majority of financial support comes from six main areas, all of which contain large Tamil Diasporas: Switzerland, Canada, Australia, the UK, the US, and the Scandinavian countries. The LTTE has established a wide network of offices and cells practically across the globe. They have secured a considerable degree of visibility in the United Kingdom – the headquarters of its "International Secretariat" – as well as in Canada, France, Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Australia and South Africa. These networks of offices and cells carry out propaganda, organise the procurement and movement of weapons and raise funds from the Tamil Diaspora.

There also have been reports that the LTTE raises money through drug running, particularly heroin from Southeast and Southwest Asia. The LTTE is in a particularly advantageous position to traffic narcotics due to the highly efficient international network it has developed to smuggle munitions around the world. Many of these arms routes pass either directly through or very close to major drug producing and transit centres, including Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, southern China, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Military and arms procurement plays a vital part in the LTTE’s battle against the Government sources. The LTTE arms network is headed by Tharmalingam Shanmugham, alias Kumaran Pathmanathan and colloquially known as "KP." At the heart of the KP’s operations is a highly secretive shipping network. The ships frequently visit Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, South Africa, Burma, Turkey, France, Italy and Ukraine, scouting for arms. In addition to setting up a number of lucrative businesses, the LTTE established a state-of-the-art boatyard that manufactured a dozen different boats, including a mini-submarine for debussing divers.

The LTTE has also set up a parallel civil administration within its territory by establishing structures such as a police force, law courts, postal services, banks, administrative offices, television and radio broadcasting station, etc. The most prominent of the LTTE ‘state structure' is the ‘Tamil Eelam Judiciary’ and the ‘Tamil Eelam Police’. The ‘Tamil Eelam Police’, with its headquarters at Kilinochchi was formed in year 1993, and reportedly has several wings, including traffic, crime prevention, crime detection, information bureau, administration and a special force. LTTE cadres collect taxes, its courts administer their version of justice and the entire law and order machinery is LTTE-controlled.

Areas of Operation

The LTTE engages the Sri Lankan state in three theaters: (1) in the northern theatre (Jaffna, Killinochhi and Mullaitivu districts) the LTTE employs high and mid-intensity warfare. Since the mid-1990s, semi-conventional and unconventional (insurgent and terrorist) methods are also being used. With the loss of the peninsula in 1996, the LTTE has reverted to unconventional warfare, mostly sparrow tactics (hit and run methods). In the mainland, mostly in Wanni, the LTTE engages the Sri Lankan troops semi-conventionally. This has become possible after the LTTE acquired artillery and heavy mortars. (2) In the eastern theatre (Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Amparai districts), the LTTE employs high, mid and low intensity warfare. Dependent on the LTTE force level, it will engage the troops semi-conventionally or unconventionally. However, insurgent and terrorist tactics predominate. (3) In the Southern theatre, LTTE’s operations have been largely focussed on the Colombo, the capital. By targeting financial nerve centres and political and military leaders this diversionary tactic of the LTTE has been highly effective. After steadily shifting the theatre of terror into the seat of the country’s administration, LTTE elimination of political and military leaders has adversely affected the morale of the security forces.

External links

Categories: