Majority of Tiger conscripts against LTTE hierarchy

Three Tiger ‘Policemen’ deserters have confessed to troops that they had shunned LTTE ‘police duties’ on several occasions and the LTTE had repeatedly arrested them and confined the three to the Kanagapura prison in Kilinochchi on different counts where they had met and became friends.

Desertion by “LTTE Policemen” in their twenties with uniforms and their subsequent most recent arrival in Mannar with pleas for clemency from the troops, proves that the terrorist outfit appears now terribly shaken and thrown into disarray, as defeat becomes inevitable to the terrorists.

The three LTTE deserters are Amala Sumanyan, 26, Rathnakumar Sadeesh, 23 and Sebastian Pillai Arulraj ,26. Tiger leaders unlocked them from prison on March 31 and they made their way to the north of Mannar across dense jungles with more 34 “LTTE Policemen,” including three for deployment for LTTE duties.

Twenty-five “Police” youngsters were ordered to serve the Parappakandal area, north of Uyilankulam, and the remaining nine “Policemen” had been brought to a “Police” point near Chettiyarkattai Adampan, to the east of Giant’s Tank to replenish some 15 Tiger “policemen” who had by then vacated the area, leaving only two “policemen” for work at that point.

LTTE leader Elil Kannan in Madu area conducted the nine-member team to Chettiyarkattai Adampan LTTE checkpoint, but was furious to find that even the remaining two “policemen” had also gone missing from the point with no trace, according to the escapees.

The three protagonists, despite exhaustion and fatigue made up their minds on April 2, 2008 and managed to exit secretly to the checkpoint in Chettiyarkattai Adampan, on the opposite bank of the Giant’s Tank, manned by members of the Armed Forces and the Police where they sought refuge with them.

Amala Sumanyan 26 of Kannadiadampan, Mannar after he was conscripted by force to the LTTE, had once escaped and crept into Iluppukadeweli area.

The terrorists again abducted him on April 20, 2007 and forced him to serve LTTE route clearing and picket duties after he had been given LTTE “Police” and weapon training. Sebastian Pillai Arulraj, 26, from Champianpattu, Thalady had a different story to relate.

After he was abducted by LTTE terrorists on June 18, 2007 he was subjected to LTTE’s “Police training” at an LTTE training base in Iranamadu and was later deployed for route clearing and picket duties in various places in Wanni.

He said over 80 per cent of the LTTE conscripts under LTTE diktats in Wanni are now fully up against the LTTE hierarchy and the organisation, and are actually marking time to abandon and disappear at any moment. Heated arguments had prevailed, escapees said.

Rathna Kumar Sadeesh, 23, of Akrayankulam, Kilinochchi was abducted on June 17, 2007 by Tiger terrorists and ordered to serve many areas as a “policeman” until he too ended up in LTTE jail after he ran away from “police duty” where he had the chance to meet other colleagues.

Those three surrendered LTTE “policemen,” now handed over to the Police are receiving short-term rehabilitation under a special programme before they are referred to the special rehabilitation programme conducted by the Government.

Evidence as well as ground realities of this nature that speaks of the desperate inner working of the LTTE terrorist machine mirrors the extent to which the LTTE is now despised, if not completely opposed openly by their own trained personnel. More deserters are to follow, they say.

Courtesy: Army Media Unit