Velupillai Prabhakaran

Velupillai Prabhakaran
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Name	Velupillai Prabhakaran
Native name	வேலுப்பிள்ளை பிரபாகரன்
Birth date	26 November 1954
Birth place	Velvettiturai, Northern Province, Ceylon
Death date	18 May 2009
Death place	Mullaitivu, Sri Lanka
Occupation	Militant leader
Known for	Founder and leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam

Velupillai Prabhakaran was a Sri Lankan Tamil militant leader who founded and led the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). He led a separatist insurgency during the Sri Lankan Civil War against the Sri Lanka Armed Forces and political actors such as the United National Party and the PLOTE, becoming a polarizing figure in South Asia and international security debates. His leadership culminated in a de facto administration in parts of the Northern Province and Eastern Province until his death in 2009.

Early life and education

Born in Velvettiturai in the Jaffna District, he was the son of a small trader and attended local schools including Crown College, Jaffna and Jaffna Hindu College. Influenced by Tamil cultural figures like Subramania Bharati and regional events such as the Sinhala Only Act and the Black July riots, his formative years overlapped with political developments involving the Federal Party and the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi. He briefly trained with small armed groups and was associated with contemporaries who later joined organizations such as the Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students and the Tamil New Tigers.

Political ideology and rise to leadership

Prabhakaran articulated an ethno-nationalist platform advocating for an independent Tamil Eelam in response to perceived marginalization tied to policies from the Sri Lankan Constitution and legislation promoted by the United National Party and later contested by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. Drawing on separatist influences including the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam predecessors and international examples like the Irish Republican Army and Palestine Liberation Organization, he emphasized armed struggle over negotiations with leaders such as S. J. V. Chelvanayakam and A. Amirthalingam. His consolidation of leadership entailed organizational development mirroring guerrilla models seen in the Vietnam War and insurgent doctrines discussed in texts by theorists like Mao Zedong.

Command of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam

As founder and commander of the LTTE, he structured the organization with specialized units including a naval wing, an air wing, and an intelligence apparatus, comparable in scope to organizations such as Hezbollah and the Kurdistan Workers' Party. He promoted cadres drawn from the Tamil diaspora and local recruitment centers, establishing training that referenced tactics from Che Guevara's writings and insurgent manuals used by groups like the Shining Path. Under his command the LTTE developed governance institutions in territories under control, interacting with entities such as the International Committee of the Red Cross and negotiating intermittently with mediators including representatives from Norway, India, and the United States.

Military campaigns and tactics

Prabhakaran oversaw high-profile operations such as the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, the Kokavil attack, and battles in locations like Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, and Trincomalee. The LTTE deployed suicide bombing tactics, conventional engagements, naval actions by the Sea Tigers, and aerial strikes by the Air Tigers, drawing international comparisons with groups that adopted asymmetric warfare like the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. Major confrontations included the Eelam War I, Eelam War II, Eelam War III, and Eelam War IV, involving clashes with formations such as the Sri Lanka Army's Sri Lanka Light Infantry and coordination with state actors including the Indian Peace Keeping Force during the IPKF intervention.

International relations and funding

The LTTE under his direction cultivated support and fundraising networks across the Tamil diaspora in countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Norway, while procuring arms through transnational routes involving intermediaries linked to regions in Southeast Asia and the Black Market. Diplomatic interactions involved negotiations mediated by Norway and contacts with governments including the Government of India during the late 1980s, as well as scrutiny by international bodies like the United Nations and law enforcement agencies in states such as the United States and the United Kingdom over designated terrorist lists.

Controversies and human rights allegations

His command attracted allegations from organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch concerning tactics involving suicide attacks, conscription of minors, targeted assassinations of political rivals and civilians, and operations in civilian-populated areas such as Puthukkudiyiruppu. The LTTE was designated a terrorist organization by states including the United States, the European Union, and the Government of India, provoking debates in institutions like the International Criminal Court forums and among scholars at universities such as Oxford University and Harvard University about accountability, counterterrorism policy, and reconciliation.

Death and legacy

He was killed during the final offensive by the Sri Lanka Armed Forces in May 2009 near Mullaitivu, an event that concluded large-scale hostilities and prompted responses from international actors including the United Nations Secretary-General and countries such as India, United States, and Norway. His death precipitated discussions about post-war reconstruction overseen by the Government of Sri Lanka and transitional mechanisms advocated by entities like the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. The legacy includes contested narratives in media outlets such as the BBC, The New York Times, and Al Jazeera, scholarly analyses at institutions like the London School of Economics and the School of Oriental and African Studies, and ongoing debates within the Tamil diaspora and among political parties including the Tamil National Alliance.

Category:Sri Lankan Tamils Category:1954 births Category:2009 deaths