July 23, 1983: LTTE ambush an army patrol convoy outside Jaffna; this is considered the first attack of the Sri Lankan civil war (13 dead). [1]
Last Attack
May 9, 2009: Attack on civilians in Mullaitivu, Northern Province, Sri Lanka [9 dead, 19 wounded]. [2]
Updated
July 8, 2015
Narrative Summary
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE),
commonly known as the Tamil Tigers, were a separatist militant organization
fighting for an independent homeland for Sri Lanka’s Tamil minority in northern
Sri Lanka. Velupillai Prabhakaran founded the group in 1972 and by the late
1980s was the dominant Tamil militant group in Sri Lanka. After a number of
failed negotiations, the Sri Lankan government declared an all-out offensive
against the LTTE in 2006. By May 2009, government forces had defeated the LTTE
and killed Prabhakaran. An estimated 70,000 people were killed during the
conflict between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government. [3]
The LTTE is recognized for having carried out a
number of high-profile assassinations, including the assassination of Sri
Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa in 1993 and the former Indian Prime Minister
Rajiv Gandhi in 1991. The LTTE consisted of a highly developed military wing
and a secondary political wing. The military wing had a naval group, an
airborne unit, an intelligence wing, and even a specialized suicide terrorist
unit. The group was also notorious for its use of women and children in combat.
The LTTE was largely supported by the Tamil diaspora
overseas; although in the 1980s, the LTTE received supplies and training from
the Indian Intelligence services. The LTTE was suspected of having links with a
number of Islamist groups, such as the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in
the Philippines and the Taliban in Afghanistan; these links, however, were
largely restricted to arms transfers and other commercial activities. The LTTE
also earned a portion of their annual $200-300 million revenue from taxation
and extortion in LTTE-controlled areas in northern and eastern Sri Lanka.
The LTTE was disbanded in 2009 after their military
defeat by the Sri Lankan government and some 6,000 LTTE members were
rehabilitated and re-integrated into society. [4]
The Sri Lankan government stated in 2011 that the international network of the
LTTE was still searching to revive the organization.
Leadership
The LTTE’s leadership was divided between the
group’s military wing and its secondary political wing. A central governing
committee led by Prabhakaran oversaw all activities of the LTTE, both political
and military. [5]The military wing of the LTTE was further divided into
sub-groups: the group’s naval wing, known as the Sea Tigers, was led by Colonel
Soosai, its airborne group, known as the Air Tigers, was led by Prabhakaran’s
son, a suicide bombers unit, known as the Black Tigers, an elite fighting wing,
and an intelligence unit led by Pottu Amman. [6]B. Nadesan, Prabhakaran’s political advisors, was responsible
for the political activities of the group.
Velupillai Prabhakaran (1976 to 2009): Prabhakaran was LTTE’s founder and chief leader. He was the head of the central governing committee of the LTTE, which controlled the LTTE’s military wing and subordinate political wing. Prabhakaran was killed on May 19, 2009 in an ambush by Sri Lankan forces as he was trying to flee the area in northern Karayamullavaikkal. His death is generally considered to mark the official end of the organization’s existence and the Sri Lankan civil war. [7]
Shanmugalingam Sivashankar, commonly known as Pottu Amman (1981 to 2009): Amman was the LTTE Intelligence Wing Chief and was second-in-command after Prabhakaran. He was also killed in the May 19, 2009 ambush along with Prabhakaran. [8]
Thillaiyampalam Sivanesan, commonly known as Soosai (1981 to 2009): Colonel Soosai headed the LTTE’s naval division, known as the “Sea Tigers.” He was one of Prabhakran’s chief military strategists. He was killed alongside Prabhakaran on May 19, 2009. [9]
Balasingham Nadesan (1992 to 2009): Nadesan was Prabhakran’s chief political advisor. He was formerly head of the LTTE police force in 1992, and then named chief of the political wing in 2007. Nadesan was killed in the army ambush on May 19, 2009 along with Prabhakran. [10]
Ideology & Goals
Nationalist
The
LTTE's primary goal was to attain an independent state for Sri Lankan Tamils,
known as "Tamil Eelam", in the Northern and Eastern Sri Lanka, where
the majority of Sri Lankan Tamils reside. [11]
The majority of Sri Lankans are Sinhalese Buddhists; a 2001 census revealed
that 82% of Sri Lankans are Sinhalese, 9.4% are Tamil, and 7.9% are Sri Lankan
Moor. [12] After Sri Lanka became
independent from the British in 1948, the majority Sinhalese practiced
discrimination towards the Tamils, who were favored by the British during
colonial rule. For example, in 1972, the Sinhalese declared Buddhism as Sri
Lanka’s national religion. [13]
Prabhakan, the group's leader, stressed that "a struggle for Eelam
is a demand of the Tamil people", not only of the LTTE. Although
separatist ideology has dominated the LTTE's characterization, Prabhakran
stated in a 2002 press conference that the LTTE’s desired self determination
entailed autonomy and self-rule, not necessarily statehood and cessation from the
rest of Sri Lanka. [14]
Name Changes
May 22, 1972: Tamil New Tigers. Prabhakaran founds the Tamil New Tigers, the LTTE's predecessor, in 1972.
May 5, 1976: Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Prabhakaran establishes the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 1976 and disbands the Tamil New Tigers.
Size Estimates
Unknown: 11,664 (Commissioner General of Rehabilitation Maj. Gen Sudantha Ranasinghe)[15]
February 1, 2002: 6,000-9,000 (Presidential spokesperson Harim Peiris, stating estimated LTTE strength before the February 2002 ceasefire)[16]
December 31, 2002: 16,000 (Presidential spokesperson Harim Peiris, stating estimated LTTE strength by the end of 2002 ceasefire.)[17]
January 8, 2004: 18,000 (Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga's Office)[18]
December 29, 2007: 3,000 (South Asia Terrorism Portal)[19]
January 11, 2008: 4,500 (South Asian Terrorism Portal)[20]
Designated/Listed
Over 32 different states have listed the LTTE as a
terrorist organization, including Malaysia, the US, India, the UK, the EU,
Canada, etc. [21] The
LTTE was designated a "foreign terrorist organization" by the US
government under the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996.
The LTTE was re-designated in October 2003 and currently maintains this status.
[22]
The LTTE is listed as a "proscribed terrorist
group" by the UK government under the Terrorism Act of 2000. [23]
The EU has also listed LTTE on their list of
terrorist organizations as per the Council Common Position 2009/67/CFSP.
[24]
It was re-listed in 2011 after a review of its listed terrorist organizations.
[25]
Since 1992, the LTTE has been included in a list
of terrorist organizations by the Indian government under The Unlawful
Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. [26]
In 2006, Canada listed the LTTE as a terrorist
organization pursuant to its criminal code. [27]
Indian Ministry of Home Affairs: 1992 to Present
British Outlawed Foreign Groups: 2000 to Present
U.S. State Department Foreign Terrorist Organizations: October 2003 to Present
EU Designated Terrorist Organizations: 2006 to Present
Resources
The LTTE had an annual budget of around $200-$300 million, most
of which was obtained from the global Sri Lankan diaspora. [28]
The main financial body of the LTTE is the
Aiyanna Group, responsible for monitoring financial flows and revenue,
including donations from overseas Tamil communities and LTTE supporters.
In 2009, overseas Sri Lankans sent an estimated $2.8 million to the
LTTE. [29]
The LTTE also secured a significant amount of its funding from
criminal activities, including piracy, human and drug trafficking, arms
smuggling, and other petty crimes. The Sri Lankan Ministry of Defense reported
that the LTTE hijacked several ships in the waters just outside Sri Lanka, such
as the Irish Mona (2005), the Athena (2007), Princess Kash (1998), and MV
Farah III (2007). [30]
The LTTE also controlled the majority of
smuggling of Tamil people to Western countries; for example, it generally costs
between $10,000-40,000 for a Sri Lankan Tamil to get to Canada illegally. [31] The LTTE was also known to levy an “exit
tax” for individuals trying to leave Tamil-controlled areas. The Sri Lankan
Ministry of Defense also reported that the LTTE was actively involved in the
illicit drug trade and smuggled heroin from Burma and other Southeast Asian
countries to Western Europe. [32]
Other petty crimes committed by the LTTE
include passport forgery, credit card fraud, and the theft of aid donations to
Tamil-controlled areas. [33]
Around 20% of the LTTE’s funding came from internal sources,
including extortion, taxation, and payments for protection. [34]
One of the main sources of internal revenue for the LTTE came from custom
duties passing through areas controlled by the LTTE. These customs duties
ranged from 10-30% of the cost of the items. [35]
The LTTE also engaged in commercial ventures with little success. [36]
The Office of Overseas Purchases, also known as the KP
Department, functions as the main procurement body of the LTTE, and is believed
to obtain arsenal from various countries as well as operate a fleet of deep-sea
vessels. Captured weapons from the Sri Lankan army constitute approximately
60-70% of the LTTE’s arsenal. Additional high tech weaponry is purchased using
overseas funds. [37]
Although
the LTTE was officially disbanded in 2009 after the death of its leader
Prabhakaran, a US State Department report in August 2011 claims that the LTTE’s
international network of financial support continues to exist, and that its
overseas divisions continue to acquire weapons. [38]
External Influences
Overseas funding is mainly
provided by the large Sri Lankan diaspora, which has continued to grow since
Sri Lanka's 1948 independence. [39] During the 1970s and 1980s, the LTTE's main
financial support came from the Tamils who fled Sri Lanka to India, Malaysia,
Europe, and North America. [40] The Indian state of Tamil Nadu became a crucial
transit point for low-technology arms, narcotics, contraband, and more, given
its geographic closeness to Sri Lanka and control of the regional waters by the
LTTE Sea Tigers.
India’s Intelligence service,
known as the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), is believed to have provided
training and weaponry to the LTTE up until the mid-1980s. RAW withdrew its
support of the LTTE in the 1980s, as LTTE began to make alliances with radical
separatist groups in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. [41]
Cambodia was a crucial source for LTTE arms
procurement, contributing an estimated five to ten percent towards the LTTE’s
total arsenal. Thailand also served as an important source of manpower, as well
as a strategic base for arms procurement.
Geographical Locations
The
activities of the Tamil Tigers were primarily based in the Northern and Eastern
regions of Sri Lanka, where the majority of Sri Lankan Tamils reside. However
many of the group’s major attacks were carried out in the capital of Colombo,
and violent attacks occurred throughout Sri Lanka. [42]
The Sri
Lankan Tamil Diaspora, and widespread funding sources that accompanied it,
allowed the LTTE to carry out its operations in a range of countries. Tamil Nadu was a crucial transit point for low-technology arms,
narcotics, contraband, and more, given the geographic closeness to Sri Lanka
and control of the regional waters by the LTTE Sea Tigers. The LTTE carried out a number of significant attacks in
India, including the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991.
[43]
The UK was
a crucial component of overseas LTTE operations, via front organizations and
pro-LTTE groups in the country. This includes Sri Lankan Tamil newspapers and
other publications. The LTTE disseminates propaganda messages from headquarters
of these various organizations in the UK to Europe and North America, primarily
for fund-raising purposes. [44]
Forty percent of overall LTTE funding was allegedly sourced from the United
Kingdom, and its headquarters are known as the "British Tamil Association.”
There were biannual public pro-LTTE demonstrations, and there were allegedly a
number of UK MPs supporting the group [45]
Cambodia
was a crucial source for LTTE arms procurement, estimated to contribute between
five to ten per cent of LTTE total arsenal. Thailand, with a community of
10,000 Tamils, had a key LTTE arms shipping base. [46]
The LTTE also maintained a
presence in South Africa that included propaganda, fund-raising, training
camps, weapons procurement, and shipping activity. [47]South Africa has a large
and politically active Sri Lankan Tamil community and hence a great deal of
LTTE influence. This is believed to have lead to the formation of a South
African Tamil Tigers, trained by both LTTE personnel as well as military
organizations from the Apartheid era. The LTTE spread their influence by
highlighting commonalities between the South African Tamils and the Sri Lankan
Tamils. Politically, the LTTE tried to gain the support of
various important South African political leaders, including those in the
ANC. {[48]The LTTE did not attempt
to actively mobilize the Sri Lankan Tamil community in the Middle East to the
extent that t did in other overseas propaganda and fund-raising
operations. [49]
Targets & Tactics
The LTTE is organized hierarchically under the
leadership of the group's founder, Prabhakaran. The LTTE maintains army, navy,
and air capabilities, but is most well-known for its use of suicide operations
by a small, special armed group called the Black Tigers. The Black Tigers use traditional land and sea tactics, as well
as guerrilla warfare and targeted bombings and assassinations, particularly in
the northern and eastern areas of Sri Lanka. They are one of the first organizations
to utilize suicide attacks on a large scale. For example, former Indian leader
Rajeev Gandhi was assassinated in 1991 by a female suicide bomber from the
LTTE. [50]
According to Jane’s Intelligence Review, the LTTE carried out 168 suicide
attacks between 1980-2000. [51]
LTTE attacks targeted individuals and
groups who did not support their overarching goal of attaining an independent
Tamil state, which included the Sri Lankan military, Sri Lankan and Indian
politicians, police, and sometimes various civilian populations. The LTTE also
targeted Sri Lankan Tamil politicians who did not support the LTTE and their
goals, as well as other rival Tamil militant groups in Sri Lanka. Some of the group’s most controversial suicide attacks include the
assassinations of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, and former Sri
Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa. [52] The majority of LTTE
victims were Sinhalese Buddhists. The LTTE also attacked symbols of national
importance to the Sri Lankan state, such as the Sri Lankan Central Bank and the
country’s world-trade center. [53]
One of the
LTTE’s primary tactics was to create front organizations and gangs to project
its influence, procure funds from these overseas Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora
communities, and then use these funds to purchase arms. [54]
The LTTE
also adopted guerilla tactics that were initially very effective against the
Sri Lankan government. LTTE forces would often ambush government troops and
attack in “waves,” meaning here that the LTTE would first swarm the enemy and
then engage in suicide bombings, which would often confuse and scare Sri Lankan
government forces. [55]
Political Activities
The LTTE is one of several violent offshoots of the Tamil United
Liberation Front (TULF), formerly the Tamil United Front (TUF). TUF was formed
in the early 1970s from groups such as the Tamil Congress and the Federal Party.
[56] When it officially called for the formation
of an independent Tamil state in 1976, the group’s name was changed to the
Tamil United Liberation Front. Several
more radical militant Tamil groups, including Prabhakaran’s LTTE, emerged from
the TULF. [57]
The LTTE
formed its political front, The People's Front of Liberation Tigers, in 1989,
during a time in which the LTTE was in negotiations with the Sri Lankan
government. Yogaratnam Yogi was the party’s General Secretary. It has, until
recently, been a registered political party in Sri Lanka. However
they have rarely been active in local politics. Although they were listed on a
few local ballots in 2008, the government deregistered the party in 2011.
[58]
The LTTE demonstrated
its willingness to negotiate with the Sri Lankan government on several
occasions; although, the LTTE often used talks and agreements to enhance its
own position, re-arm, and get rid of its competitors. [59] The first
set of talks with the government took place in 1985 in Bhutan, and was followed
by an accord between India and Sri Lanka in 1987. The Indian government agreed
to intervene in the Sri Lankan conflict and provide a peacekeeping force to
ensure that the LTTE disarmed. The Indians were unable to subdue the LTTE and
withdrew in 1990, giving the LTTE time to re-group and eliminate dissenters
among the Tamil population. [60] Peace talks continued throughout the
1990s and were largely unsuccessful. During this period, the LTTE adopted
“hit-and-run” tactics wherein peace talks were alternated with bouts of
violence and clashes between the LTTE and government forces. [61] The
most significant negotiation occurred in February 2002 when Norway, serving as
a mediator, helped secure a ceasefire between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan
government. However, after six rounds of additional talks in Thailand and
Japan, the LTTE announced the suspension of further talks in 2003. [62] Some experts believe this was a tactical move to garner further concessions
from the Sri Lankan government. The LTTE has since cited the Sri Lankan
government’s exclusion of the group from an international aid conference,
continued military occupation of Tamil-settled areas, and marginalization in
government economic policies as the primary reasons for the breakdown of the
ceasefire. [63]
After the breakdown of another round of peace talks in 2006, the Sri Lankan
government launched an all-out offensive against the LTTE. [64]
On May 17, 2009, an LTTE representative conceded the defeat of the LTTE by
government forces. Prabhakaran was killed by government forces on May 18, 2009,
bringing an immediate end to the conflict and the LTTE. [65]
Major Attacks
May 14, 1985: Gunfire attack on Sri Lankan Buddhist holy site in Anaradhapura. (146 killed (BBC) (GTD: 86 killed, 100 wounded)).[66]
May 3, 1986: Bomb planted on Sri Lankan Air flight carrying British, French, and Japanese tourists, at the Colombo airport set to fly to the Maldives. (14-16 killed, 23-39 wounded).[67]
April 21, 1987: Car bomb explodes at a bus station in Colombo, killing civilians. (113-150 killed, 200 wounded).[68]
June 2, 1987: Aranthalawa massacre of Buddhist monks on a bus in Eastern Sri Lanka. (33 killed).[69]
July 5, 1987: A soldier drove an explosive-filled truck into a Sri Lankan Army camp in Nelliady, northern Jaffna, followed by a ground attack by a group of LTTE soldiers. (40 killed (GTD: 20 dead, 27 wounded)).[70]
October 10, 1988: Massacre in Mahakongaskada Village of civilians. (44-45 killed, 17 wounded ).[71]
June 11, 1990: Massacre of Police Officers in Kalmunai in eastern Sri Lanka. (144 killed (GTD); most other sources claim over 600).[72]
August 3, 1990: Kattankudy mosque massacre; LTTE highly suspected but has not yet claimed official responsibility (112-150 killed).[73]
May 21, 1991: Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India, and 14-18 others by a female suicide bomber, in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu. The LTTE did not officially claim responsibility. (15-19 killed).[74]
October 16, 1992: Motorcycle-based suicide attack in Colombo killed Chief Sri Lankan Navy Commander Vice Admiral Fernando and four other Navy personnel. (5 killed ).[75]
May 1, 1993: Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa is killed by a suicide bomber along with 23 others during a May Day rally in Colombo. (24 killed).[76]
October 24, 1994: Female suicide bomber assassinates Gamini Dissanyake, Leader of the Opposition and United National Party candidate for the Presidential Elections, during a Colombo elections rally, (59 dead).[77]
October 20, 1995: Explosion in Orugodawatte crude oil company by a suicide unit of four, killing 23 soldiers and two civilians. Fourteen storage tanks were destroyed, causing $61 million in damage. (25 killed, 32 injured ).[78]
October 22, 1995: Attack in Thamanagama fishing village and three other Eastern Sri Lankan villages. (50-66 killed).[79]
November 24, 1995: Two female suicide bombers attack the Sri Lankan army headquarters in Colombo. (16 killed, 52 wounded).[80]
December 23, 1995: Army ambush in Batticaloa district that killed 32 Sri Lankan troops, and a government-reported 60 rebels. (92-93 killed, 34 wounded).[81]
January 31, 1996: A suicide bomber detonates an explosives-loaded truck at the Central Bank in Colombo. (91 dead, 1400 injured).[82]
July 18, 1996: LTTE took control of a Sri Lankan army camp in the northeastern town of Mullaitivu. (1200 soldiers killed (BBC and Guardian)/150+ troops and 34 rebels killed (Reuters)).[83]
July 24, 1996: Explosive attack on a commuter train near Colombo. (60-61 killed, 391-600 wounded).[84]
September 30, 1998: Major LTTE offensive on Sri Lankan Army at key city Kilinochchi, former LTTE base, near the Sri Lankan army's major Elephant Pass base, killing over 600-900 (varied estimates) Sri Lankan soldiers. (900 killed (varied estimates)).[85]
July 29, 1999: Neelan Thiruchelvam, a moderate Tamil MP member of TULF and involved in the government-backed peace process, was killed in a suicide attack in Colombo. (3 killed, 5 injured).[86]
September 18, 1999: Attack on three villages in Sri Lanka's Eastern Province in an apparent retaliation for Sri Lankan army attacks on Tamil civilians early that week. (50 killed).[87]
December 18, 1999: Assasination attempt on Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga, who was injured in two bombings while campaigning for a second term during election rallies in Colombo. (15-34 killed).[88]
April 23, 2000: Tigers take control of key Sri Lankan Army base in Jaffna, Elephant Pass, which they had been fighting to seek control since the Army takeover of the former LTTE stronghold in the Jaffna peninsula in 1995. ( 79 soldiers killed, 400+ injured, and 150 LTTE members injured).[89]
June 7, 2000: Senior Sri Lankan Industry Minister CV Gooneratne assassinated in Colombo by a suicide bomber. (20-21 killed).[90]
July 7, 2004: First suicide bombing in three years. LTTE female soldier in an apparent attempt to assassinate high-profile Hindu Affairs Minister Douglas Devananda, a voracious LTTE critic. (5 killed, 9 injured).[91]
October 25, 2005: Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, a key player in the peace process and close aide of President Chandrika Kumaratunga, was assassinated at his home in a suicide attack in Colombo. (1 killed).[92]
April 9, 2006: Over 100 killed during a 2 week period, the most intensified fighting since the 2002 truce. (100+ killed).[93]
June 15, 2006: Evidence suggests that the LTTE was responsible for a bus bombing in Aduradhapura district. (64 killed, 84 wounded).[94]
October 16, 2006: Suicide bombing attack on Sri Lankan naval convoy buses in northeast region of Dambulla, one of the deadliest since 2002 peace. (95 killed).[95]
May 9, 2009: Attack on civilians in Mullaitivu, Northern Province, Sri Lanka. (9 killed, 19 wounded ).[96]
Relationships with Other Groups
Tamil
militant groups began to emerge in 1970s, the first of which was the “Tamil
Students Movement” that protested the limited admission of Tamil students to
universities. By 1972, the original student movement broke up into smaller,
militant groups such as the Tamil New Tigers (TNT), the LTTE’s predecessor, and
the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO). [97]By the late
1980s, there were over thirty different Tamil militant groups. The most
significant groups were the LTTE, the Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation
Front (EPRLF), TELO, the Eelam Revolutionary Organization of Students (EROS),
and the People's Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE). By 1987, the
LTTE was the dominant group. TELO especially was repeatedly attacked by the
LTTE during the 1987 war against India, as well as members of PLOTE and EPRLF.
[98]
In March
2004, Colonel Vinayagamoorthy Maralitharan, commonly known as “Karuna Amman,”
broke away from the LTTE and formed an underground organization and political
partywith a band of his
supporters. His organization’s military wing is called the Tamil National Front
and its political wing is known as the Tamileela Makkal Viduthalai Pulligal
(TMVP), allied with the Eelam National Democratic Liberation Front (ENDLF). By
April 2004, the LTTE had essentially subdued the breakaway faction; however,
Colonel Karuna escaped with a small group of supporters and regrouped in
Colombo. [99] In 2006, Colonel Karuna
allied with the Sri Lankan government, delivering a huge blow to the LTTE. [100]
The LTTE
has developed relationships with various Islamist groups because of its
criminal activities in the informal arms market, rather than any form of
ideological affinity. By the 1990s, the LTTE had developed a close relationship
with the Kurdish Support Group in France and had modeled their diaspora funding
efforts after the Kurdish example. The LTTE’s acquisition of 11 Greek surface
to air missiles was reportedly a result of the LTTE’s relationship with the PKK.
[101]
Furthermore, it is believed that Otharad Cargo, an LTTE-operated cargo company
based in Dubai, received military hardware from the Sharjah network, a large
Taliban weapons-procurement operation. [102]
In Karachi, Pakistan, the LTTE registered a front company that obtained weapons
for both the LTTE and Pakistani militant groups. An LTTE shipping fleet was
also involved in providing logistical support for the Al Qaeda-affiliated
Pakistani group Harakat-al Mujahideen. [103]
The LTTE also
established a presence in Eritrea, which is known to be a major shipment point
in the informal arms market. It is suspected that the LTTE has interactions
with Al Qaeda affiliated groups in the Eritrean Network. A US Senate Foreign
Relations Committee report in December 2006 claims that the Eritrean government
directly supports the LTTE. The LTTE also maintains relationships with the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Aby Sayyaf in the Philippines in activities
related to fund transfers and training operations. [104]
Community Relationships
Support for
the LTTE was primarily based around the disenfranchised Tamil population in the
north of Sri Lanka, and later the Tamils who escaped to the south. [105]
In the territory it controlled, the LTTE established some civil administration,
including postal services, courts, police, banks, radio, etc. These structures
collect taxes and administer the rule of law. [106]
The LTTE
was notorious for actively recruiting women and children from among the Tamil
community. It was thought that women constituted 20-30% of the LTTE’s fighting
cadre and that an estimated 4,000 female members were killed during the 26
years of the Sri Lankan conflict. [107]
A female
LTTE suicide bomber carried out the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister
Rajeev Gandhi. The LTTE also actively used children as part of their front-line
troops. [108]
The LTTE’s
recruitment of child soldiers led to discontent among the Tamil community.
According to UNICEF, the LTTE has recruited over 5,800 child soldiers since
2001. Many of these children were abducted from refugee camps and orphanages in
Tamil-controlled areas. [109]
^ “LTTE international network
still active: Lanka PM.” The Economic Times. 9 April 2011. Web. Accessed 22
July 2013.
<articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-04-09/news/29400675_1_d-m-jayaratne-ltte-internationalnetwork>
^ Gunaratna, Rohan. "International and Regional
Implications of the Sri Lankan Tamil Insurgency." Tamil Nation. N.p., 2
December 1998. Web. Accessed 28 Feb 2012. <http://tamilnation.co/ltte/98rohan.htm>
^ Hedges, Matthew and Dr. Theodore Karasik.
“Evolving Terorrist Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTP) Migration Across
South Asia, Caucasus, and the Middle East.” Institute of Near East and Gulf
Military Analysis. May 2010. Web. Accessed 22 July 2013. <http://terror-mirror.com/books/etrrep014.pdf>
^ Hedges, Matthew and Dr.
Theodore Karasik. “Evolving Terorrist Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTP)
Migration Across South Asia, Caucasus, and the Middle East.” Institute of Near
East and Gulf Military Analysis. May 2010. Web. Accessed 22 July 2013. <http://terror-mirror.com/books/etrrep014.pdf>
^ Russell R. Ross and Andrea Matles Savada. “Sri Lanka: A Country
Study. Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress, 1988.” Web. Accessed 22
July 2013. <http://countrystudies.us/sri-lanka/69.htm>
^ Smith, Neil A.
“Understanding Sri Lanka’s Defeat of the Tamil Tigers.” National Defense
University. Web. Accessed 23 July 2013. <www.ndu.edu/press/understanding-sri-lanka.html>
^ Smith, Neil A.
“Understanding Sri Lanka’s Defeat of the Tamil Tigers.” National Defense
University. Web. Accessed 23 July 2013.
<www.ndu.edu/press/understanding-sri-lanka.html>
^ "Timeline of the Tamil conflict." BBC News. BBC, 04 Sep 2000. Web. 4 Apr 2012. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/51435.stm>
"Terrorist Organization Profile: Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)", Global Terrorism Database, National Consortium .
^ "Letter sent by the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the Centre for Human Rights." Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 09 Aug 1994. Web. 4 Apr 2012.
^ "LTTE - The Terrorism Most Foul." Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law & Order. Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, 2009. Web. 9 Apr 2012. <http://www.defence.lk/LTTE/20110603MOT_4.asp>
^ "Terrorist Organization Profile: Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)", Global Terrorism Database, National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism. Web. Accessed 22 July 2013. <http://www.start.umd.edu/gtd/search/Results.aspx?