Final days in Vanni:

LTTE shot and killed 600 Tamils like stray dogs - ex TNA MP

K T Rajasingham

Former TNA Member of Parliament S Kanagaratnam who was held as a human shield by the LTTE during the hostility campaign said not a single civilian was killed by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. His revelation exposes the revengeful mentality, vindictive nature of the UN Secretary General and the flawed and distorted version of the so-called Experts' Panel Report with vested Western interests

S Kanagaratnam

Over 600 innocent Tamil civilians were shot and killed like stray dogs from October 1, 2008 to May 18, 2009 in the Vanni region by the LTTE. Not a single innocent civilian was killed by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces in the hostility campaign against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), said former Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP S Kanagaratnam.

The revelation exposes the vindictive nature and the revengeful mentality of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the flawed and distorted version of his so-called Experts' Panel Report and the vested interest of the Western leaders and the Human Rights Organizations in the West, who were parroting the rump LTTE's allegations to bifurcate Sri Lanka.

Horrors of the war

A former TNA Member of Parliament, who was with the people who were held as human shield by the former Tamil Tiger supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran and his men - Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam - makes this revelation and exposes the failed political agenda of the LTTE and the vested interests of the West. Sathasivam Kanagaratnam, a former TNA Member of Parliament represented the Vanni electoral district from April 2004 to April 2010, made this revelation to Asian Tribune.

This is the first time S. Kanagaratnam has come forward to break his silence and reveal what actually has happened during the final days of the battle between the Sri Lankan Security Forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Former TNA Member of Parliament said that he was with the people throughout in the Vanni. He said he represented the Vanni electoral district and as the hostility campaign started, he was with the people looking after their interest. He said he has seen the horrors of the war and seen people - innocent Tamils, who were treated as stray dogs, shot and killed mercilessly by the LTTE gunmen.

LTTE controlled areas

Kanagaratnam was charged by the Sri Lanka Government for refusing Government's orders to leave the LTTE controlled areas and staying in the region during the height of the war.

Kanagaratnam said that United Nations and Western Countries are not privy to any firsthand information about horrors, killings, destructions and the human tragedies that occurred during the final days of the battle.

He rubbished the UN Experts Panel's report and pooh-poohed it. He said the UN document was based on third or fourth person's reports and on biased materials prepared by the rump LTTE campaigners and vested interest groups.

He challenged whether those three UN Experts could authenticate any of those allegations they have raised and included in their so-called report?

He clarified that even those people who were in the Vanni in the last days of the combat between the Government Forces and the LTTE were not privy to any firsthand reports, as they were never allowed to stray out of their bunkers and places where they were confined by the LTTE gunmen.

As far as I am aware, LTTE leader Prabhakaran never wanted any of his top lieutenants crossing into the government controlled areas. These leaders were always surrounded by Prabhakaran's trusted armed men. They were instructed to shoot at any middle order or senior level leaders if and when suspected that these leaders were trying to betray him by crossing into government-controlled area.

Prabhakaran introduced the cyanide culture in his outfit. Anyone at any circumstances was unable to overpower and overcome the enemies, and then they were supposed to bite the cyanide phial and commit suicide. Prabhakaran never tolerated betrayal by anyone.

In case if Nadesan and others tried to cross into the government controlled areas, Prabhakaran would not have tolerated such an act of betrayal. His men would have shot and killed Nadesan and others.

Ambushing army convoy

"I learnt when I was in the government controlled area on 18 May 2009 that Nadesan and few others tried to cross into the Government controlled area but they were shot and killed.

"According to my information, they were shot and killed by the LTTE gunmen. This is what I learnt, said Kanagaratnam.

The 64 year old Kanagaratnam who revealed information about the tragic incidents of the last days in Vanni, was born in Sankli Thoppu, Nallur, located in the Jaffna City and had his secondary education at the Senkuntha Hindu College. He had two younger brothers and two sisters.

The one directly after him was late S. Chelvanayakam and the youngest brother was S. Rajaratnam, who is a farmer living in Udayar Kaddu.

Chellakili

One of Kanagaratnam's brothers was the famous Lieutenant Chelvanayakam alias Amman, Chellakili and also called Chandran. He was part of Sri Lanka's history, whose action led to the unfolding of 1983 ethnic holocaust.

He was the one who organized the ambushing military convoy at Tirunelvely, (Tinnaiveli) in 1983.

Along with Chellakili, Prabhakaran, Kittu, Iyer, Victor, Pulendran, Santhosam and Appiah were among others who took part in the ambushing of the Sri Lankan Army Convoy. They planted landmines and waited to ambush the Army convoy. According to reports, it was Chellakili who was dressed in the Sri Lankan Army uniform, set off the mine, which went off with thunderous explosion, subsequently ended in the massacre of 13 Sri Lankan Army soldiers.

Though Prabhakaran and his men were victorious in their attack, they found Chellakili missing. It was Victor who went towards the shop where Chellakili took position in the ambush, found his body lay there bleeding. There was a fatal bullet wound in his chest.

Kanagaratnam said that his brother's life ended mysteriously. He said his family members and friends placed the blame on Prabhakaran for shooting Chellakili, but he said that till end there was no way to prove the killing to Prabhakaran. Kanagaratnam said that after the mysterious death of his brother, his family was not in any way associated with the LTTE.

Early life

According to Kanagaratnam's version, after his schooling, he started working as a salesman in a convenience store in Jaffna, later obtained car driving license followed by one to drive motor buses. After obtaining the car driving license, he was employed as a chauffeur by a local 'Mudalali' in Innuvil and later worked in the 'Anna Coffee', Jaffna from 1969 to 1978.

In 1978, he said that he joined the Ceylon Transport Board as a Bus Driver and was attached to the Mattakuliya Depot and later in 1980; he was transferred to the CTB Depot at Mullaitivu. He was with the state transport board till 2000 until he reached his retirement age of 55 years.

Kanagaratnam said that they had a five-acre plot of land suitable to grow coconut palms at Suthanthirapuram, located next to Udayarkaddu.

To be continued

(Courtesy: Asiantribune)