By Asian Tribune Team
Colombo/New Delhi/Amman/Stockholm, 16 May (Asiantribune.com): There is heightened speculation that 
End of a saga for Charles Anthony – Velupillai Prabhakaran ?Velupillai Prabhakaran, the megalomaniac responsible for the death of hundreds of thousand of innocents is dead. Just as the Asian Tribune’s on-line poll predicted.
The speculation gained currency after reports trickled in from the War Zone that two army divisions marching different directions in the north on Saturday captured the last strip of the coastline held by the LTTE, killed many rebels in the confrontation and cut off all sea escape routes for the beleaguered rebels who are now confined to just 1.5 sq km territory encircled by the security forces. There has been a buzz of explosions in and around the New-Safety Zone (NSZ) as the military and the Tigers engaged in a no-holds-barred battle.
How and when Prabhakaran’s end came is still unclear. There is no official word as yet from any quarter – President’s office, Army headquarters or defence ministry.
It is said that the President would make an important announcement tomorrow after his arrival from Amman where he is at present to attend G-11 summit.
Only on Friday, President Rajapaksa vowed to stamp out the Tigers within 48-hours. It was rather unusual of him to make such a public declaration since he is given to the old school dictum of understatement.
So, if the speculation is true- there appears no need or even justification not to believe the grapevine for the first time in Colombo – Asian Tribune can take credit for foreseeing the end of a person who had successfully sold the dream of Tamil Eelam and moulded the Tigers as the Khmer Rouge of Sri Lanka with an ultra extremist ideology.
In the on-going poll by Asian Tribune on "How Prabhakaran’s saga will end", 49 per cent of AT’s global readership voted that Prabhakaran will be killed. 23 per cent said that he would flee the Vanni. Only 20 per cent voted that he would commit suicide by swallowing the cyanide pill. Just 8 per cent felt he could surrender to the armed forces, notwithstanding their skepticism.
A clear pointer to the possible end of Prabhakaran is the big blow the SL Navy had inflicted on the LTTE by ‘capturing’ the wife and daughter of Soosai, the Chief of the Sea Tiger's. Soosai, whose real name is Thillaiyampalam Sivanesan, is a close confidant of Prabhakaran. He is also the senior most leader in the military wing of the LTTE. His brother’s wife and daughter were also captured off Mullaitivu coast as all of them were trying to flee.
Perfect Give Away
There has been a flurry of activity in Wanni and Colombo and also the rush of communications between Colombo and Amman where the President is on a short visit signaling that the dreaded ‘man-eater’ had met his tryst with death finally.
Sri Lanka government released early in the day a photograph of President. It was of a beaming Rajapaksa in a T-shirt , as ‘Gotabaya Rajapaksa Defence Secretary of Sri Lanka informs over the phone on 16th morning in Jordan latest update in the battle field’.
Interestingly, the government released early in the day a photograph of President. It was of a beaming Rajapaksa in a T-shirt. The photo was circulated to the media outlets at home and abroad.
The caption said ‘Gotabaya Rajapaksa Defence Secretary of Srilanka informs over the phone to President Mahinda Rajapaksa(16th morning) in Jordan latest update in the battle field’.
Seen against backdrop of speculation about Prabhakaran’s end, the caption is perfect give away to herald celebrations over the death of a person, who had become a living scourge since he had set out on his killing mission in1975 beginning with the assassination of Alfred Duraiyappah, the peoples’ Mayor of Jaffna.
Asian Tribune Readers have come up with some thought provoking one-liners while taking part in the poll, which was launched a fortnight ago to forecast the end of Prabhakaran
1. "Prabhakaran will die the way he lived as Jesus said, ‘He who takes a sword shall perish by the same.
2. The issue is not what will happen to Prabhakaran.
3. As long as we all can live in a united stable Sri Lanka peacefully we do not care about him.
4. He is a small puppet controlled by some big brains.
5. The biggest question should be why some prominent world leaders blindly pay so much effort to save Prabhakaran".
- Asian Tribune -
Comments
SIR MAHINDA RAJAPAKSA, WELL
SIR MAHINDA RAJAPAKSA, WELL DONE AND THANK YOU
Great kings are rare in the
Great kings are rare in the world. The Rajapase's made the Sri Lankan nation indebted to them. Probably the Greatest after Keerthi Sri Vijayabahu of Lanka.
Out heartful wishes for the family and the brave soldiers and leaders who fought and sacrificed on belahlf of us. Some of the people who wish you good here are not even borne in Sri Lanka and that shows the approval of your choice all the way and for many years to come.
Thank you Government Armed
Thank you Government Armed Forces. names like Shavendra Silva will be remebered for ever. We thank the President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The Sri Lankan Nation is indebted to him for this victory. May this be the beginhing of real unity of all communities in Sri Lanka. May there never be communal conflicts, may we become a one nation of Sri Lankans.
We could have made this
We could have made this peace long ago if not for violence of Prbhakaran and his gang. A person who has grown up as a thug and a smuggler, not read very much, could not take control of himself how could he help to the greater Tamil population in Sri Lanka? He put through the very people whom he represented to much hardships and harms way.
He insulted the intelligence of Tamils around the world by getting them to take stupid stands on terrorism. What LTTE achieved around the world, procuring arms, getting US Senators in their list, Twisting media, and Tamil community in fear of them and contributing money at will, were all made possible because of vast sums of money they collected from the very Tamil People. It was Money which did the talking, not the facts or the truth.
The LTTE media was tying to portray Prabhakaran as well read and well educated when he has not studied even up to High School. When Anton Balasingham has passed away and Prbhakaran has to give a speech on his hero’s day, he made such a poor job in the choice of words and literacy. That shows his intellect and ability to be a person of any substance.
I think we have to rally around people like DBS Jayaraj who from the very beginning had a different view of how our both communities could live in harmony side by side. We have to salute Anandasnagaree, Devananda, late Fernandopulle, late Kadiragamar, and late Thiruchelvam for taking a different stand on this ethnic strife. They all were in the LTTE hit list and had to live a life with fear and intimidation.
If AT's speculation is
If AT's speculation is correct, then yesterday's bombing of Velu's hideout caused his death.
LTTE tried to evacuate him desperately but SLN prevented that...
Sarath If the specualtion
Sarath
If the specualtion is going to be true, Sri Lankans together with the whole world will rejoice at this happy news which teh whole world has been anxiouly looking for for three deacades.
Hat off to Govt of SL, ARMY,
Hat off to Govt of SL, ARMY, NAVY and Air Force. All soldiers gave their lives to today's victory! The innocent civilians (sinhala, tamil, muslim) who died for last 30 years were to pay the price! We should have May 16 as the United Sri Lanka Day in Addition to Independence day!
Proud of Asian tribune, who was contributed by smart brains and analyze the situation in a better way when the some westerns were looking the issue for their benefit with a jaundice eye!
There are no words to
There are no words to describe the ecstatic mood of millions of peace loving Sri Lankans who have waited for 25 years to see the end of the murderous gang,LTTE.
All of us are proud of our valiant, accomplished and professional armed forces. We salute the single-minded and unchanging focus by President Mahinda Rajapakse on eradication of this menace.
We are indebted to the armed forces ably led by the Defence Secretary and the awesome military leaders.
Today we stand as a proud counrty which demonstrated the guts to take on a violent terrorist outfit head-on and win: and what a victory!!!!
Thank you(NAT) for exposing
Thank you(NAT) for exposing real truth of Erik soilhiam peace procees in sri lanka even though our president and the politicians couldn't understand who are the friends and enemies around us.
We Salute our greate heroes for eradicating Terrorism from our mother land.
End has come , Scarborough
End has come , Scarborough is crying
Mahinda Rajapaksa, Thank you sir for this historic victory of all times amidst so many disterbances.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa ,Have we sri lankans any thing to say to you but to go down our knees, where would we have been if not for you.A man who stood by the words and did the deed without giving in to foreign pressure.
The Three Commanders and the exceptional leadership of Sarath fonseka,I remember ,one time when a jounalist asked why this Operation has no name ,He said ,He did not thinks about beautifying the operation with different names.When all this is over may be the media can think of a good name.Thank you sir
Shavendra silva and including all the ground commanders who walked from the west to east.and the soldeirs who fought and laid their lives for this cause ,we sri lankans have to do the utmost to lookafter their children and their families who send their fathers,sons,husbands,borhters to save the country while the rest of us shamlessly watched the war from far away.at least now we can contribute to their well being which is the only way to repay them.
we also have to thank Media like Asian Tribune who fearlessly reported the truth and stood by it and the jounalist who did not have blood in their hands.
And so many tamil writers who came forward to pen the justice amidst so much pressure.
Sri Lanka is the finest example to prove that blood money will never work in the final out come.and it is far more painful and tragic
Now begins the healing process which is as equally difficult so letting go of our political ideologies lets come united to rebuild our land.
Sri Lanka, a land like no other Yes, the struggle worth it
What is the next moment? It
What is the next moment?
It doesn't matter if VP alive or dead but GOD BLESS tamils.
One should never forget that
One should never forget that Sinhala people has never let Tamils conquer & occupy our land for long ever since the time of Vijaya & Kuveini eventhough we were such a small country in size & population compared to South India. Sinhala race is truly a hybrid race with a mix of Raksha, a great warrior clan of Kuveini & King Vijaya, the great aryan king from India. This Unique blend has made our race a determined & brave lieneage who always rose the occassion when the soverignty of our motherland was in jeapody. Well of course we had our share of weak traitors like Don Juan Dharmapala & Ranil Wickremasingha.
Proud to be a Sri Lankan,
Proud to be a Sri Lankan, proud to be a regular AT reader, proud to be a South Asian!
We, the majority of Sri Lankans, have always supported MR, GR and our valiant forces, not only in victory, but in temporary set backs or defeats. We all thought RW is a traitor and our enemy, even before he suggested Janaka Perera to be made the defence secretary when our Air Force base was successfully attacked by LTTE. SO I SAY I AM PROUD TO BE A SRI LANKAN!
Not only the AT, we, the regular readers of AT, believed that VP and LTTE can & should be defeated militarily. Not forgetting the fact that AT is one of the 1st web sites to allow readers’ blogs, and the fact that we have always supported and defended MR, GR and our valiant forces in our blogs. SO I SAY I AM PROUD TO BE AN AT READER!
Voters in India had returned Congress in to power, in spite of the vigorous campaign by LTTE & pro-LTTE. This is a clear defeat for them in India too. Further, Pakistan has commenced her war against another terrorist group. We tend to dislike such efforts because the westerners who are against us are backing Pakistan. But we should support Pakistan as they supported us when we needed support desperately. When considering such developments in South Asia, I SAY PROUD TO BE A SOUTH ASIAN!
GREAT PRESIDENT WE ARE PROUD
GREAT PRESIDENT WE ARE PROUD SRI LANKANS......................
While Prabhakaran's
While Prabhakaran's purported death perhaps is relief to millions, what is more crucial to ask is what gave birth to Prabhakaran? And even more pertinent is, whether those social anomalies that gave rise to Tamil extremism have sufficiently been corrected?
With the conclusion of this sad chapter of Sri Lanka's evolution, the Sinhalese have aptly demonstrated the capacity of a majority group of a society to consolidate power – a Darwinian outcome. Perhaps most Sinhalese not only feel relief but also acquired a sense of confidence about their accomplishment. I for one do. But I wonder whether our minority friends also feel as confident as I do? And if not, I ask what I must do to make them also feel assertive?
Now that the LTTE-threat of bifurcation has been eliminated, hopefully this will open a new chapter that will lead to making all of the nation’s citizens – Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims – feel as equally as powerful as only we Sinhalese feel today. The next challenge though one for all Sri Lankans, must be spearheaded by the Sinhalese because they as the majority has the moral burden to ensure justice for all of the nation's citizens.
As for the query, “The biggest question should be why some prominent world leaders blindly pay so much effort to save Prabhakaran", in my assessment, it is because most of them view the threat posed by Prabhakaran / LTTE as the only serious motivation for the Sinhalese dominated polity to seek solutions to what they perceive as legitimate Tamil grievances. Their view is, in the absence of this sole threat presented by Prabhakaran, Sinhalese nationalism will take-over, and the Sinhalese polity cave in to the nationalists demands (as did SWRD Bandaranaike and many others), thereby leaving the Tamils once again in the gutter. In my assessment, most world leaders are skeptical that the Sinhalese people or the Sinhalese dominated polity are seriously committed to making the necessary corrections to ensure social justice for Tamils. It is only yesterday that UN’s Francis Deng said with regard to the ending of the war, “It will not end with winners and losers and it cannot be ended solely through a military victory that may not be sustainable in the long-run unless legitimate grievances are addressed.” We must pay serious heed to these calls as Prabhakaran and this ugly chapter of our history are buried.
Post new comment