CLASSIFIED | POLITICS | TERRORISM | OPINION | VIEWS

Madhu, an Example of How Tamil Tigers Use Human Shields

Dilrook Kannangara

The world’s most ruthless terrorists always had a special affiliation to places of religious worship. Like predators hang around waterholes for prey, LTTE terrorists dwell around religious shrines. If atrocities against religious shrines are added-up, there is no other terror group in the whole wide world that can challenge the LTTE.

LTTE terrorists drew its first blood killing a senior Tamil politician – Alfred Duraiappah, Mayor of Jaffna in the mid 1970s while he was praying in a famous Hindu temple in Jaffna. Since then there was no turning back. A number of Hindu temples were desecrated by the LTTE for its terror campaign. In the mid 1980s LTTE terrorists sprayed bullets on pilgrims at the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura, one of the most sacred Buddhist places of worship in the country.

A large number of Buddhists died right under the watchful eyes of gods. In 1987 terror struck again. This time victims were Buddhist monks, mostly young monks (samaneras). Terrorists massacred more than thirty monks in the most barbaric style imaginable. During the time of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF), LTTE used human shields with a touch of novelty. Scores of people were packed into churches in the north. Thereafter LTTE would fire at Indian planes and helicopters from the church attracting swift and ferocious attacks on the church killing everyone inside.

This practice was aimed at discrediting India (a Hindu majority country) in the eyes of the Christian West. It was so widespread that a former tiger strongwoman RajiniThiranangama broke ranks with them and started exposing the sheer barbarity of the LTTE until she was silenced by the tigers. In early 1990s tigers attacked a large number of mosques in the East in an attempt to ethnically cleanse Muslims from the region. Hundreds were brutally killed during Friday mid-day prayers in repeated attacks. These are just a summary of innumerable attacks LTTE has unleashed on places of religious worship. Knowing the history of Tamil Tigers brutality helps understand why they are using the Holy Madhu Shrine as a human shield.

In selecting its targets, Tamil Tigers consider both terrorist and propaganda needs of their outfit. While it is important to hold on to the Madhu area as it provides LTTE terrorists with a safe sanctuary unthinkable in the battlefront, it is also important for them to trick the world into believing that the Sri Lankan military attacks places of religious worship. The importance of Madhu is even higher as it is a Catholic shrine of some international repute.

Madhu is undoubtedly the most revered Catholic shrine in the country that attracted hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from all parts of the country before the LTTE started it’s bloody terror campaign in the mid 1970s. Things took a really nasty turn by the mid 1980s when open war broke out. Therefore the fourth reason for the LTTE to occupy Madhu and turn it into a battlefield is to create communal mistrust between Buddhist Sinhalese and Catholic Sinhalese.

Catholic Sinhalese have been a very powerful force against the LTTE and the number of Catholics holding senior government military offices is higher than their population percentage. As usual the LTTE planned their attack on Madhu very well. They got rid of the Catholic Affairs Minister who was the Chief Government Whip at the start of the Madhu liberation campaign by the security forces. This was aimed at liquidating any means of reconciliation between Catholics and Buddhists.

Madhu was under the control of government troops until 2002 when a Norway brokered ‘peace’ deal paved the way for the tigers to invade it and occupy it without a fight. The ‘peace’ deal that was more in the nature of surrender on the part of the government had no checks on the LTTE. It quickly fortified its defences in and around the Madhu shrine in spite of the declaration of a no-war zone. History has proved too often that LTTE is quite incapable of honouring agreements.

Now the security forces have rounded up the Madhu area with a large number of LTTE armed terrorists trapped inside. They are making a valiant attempt to get back the Norwegians to save them as gods have deserted them long ago. LTTE heavy gun positions in the region were also neutralised by the security forces recently adding to further worries of the terror outfit. Now it is just a matter of time since the LTTE is decisively beaten in Madhu which provided them the safest hiding place in the northern battlefront. Tamil Tigers are holding the Shrine to ransom and demand from the government to give up its right to establish law and order throughout the island of Sri Lanka after more than twenty years. This exemplifies the Tigers’ use of human shields.

LTTE is in the forefront of using human shields. Contrary to wide spread beliefs, LTTE terrorists are not hiding in the deep jungles of Vanni. They take to the jungle only to launch attacks on villages bordering it or to launch attacks on the army. Top tiger leaders are hiding near schools, hospitals and populated areas so that it would be difficult for the security forces to get to them. Sri Lanka Air Force bombed an identified LTTE target last November in very close proximity to the Killinochchi Government School injuring the LTTE leader! The latest suicide bomb attack on a senior government minister was done under the cover of a sporting event participated by civilians. The former Indian Premier Rajiv Ghandi was also killed by a LTTE suicide bomber while participating in a public gathering. Such is its skill in exploiting human shields.

Any concession it may get by using the Madhu shrine as a human shield is going to further strengthen its belief that human shields are very effective. Therefore LTTE terrorists should not be allowed to score any victory using human shields. The government should not fall prey to this extortion demand and must continue with its military campaign to liberate the whole north.

If the LTTE gets any concession owing to its use of human shields, that will further approve its conduct. Force must be used to beat the LTTE out of Madhu.

The international community need to come to terms with the reality that as long as the LTTE uses human shields, civilian casualties will remain high. To be constructive the international community must put more pressure on the LTTE to give up human shields.

Disclaimer: The comments contained within this website are personal reflection only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the LankaWeb. LankaWeb.com offers the contents of this website without charge, but does not necessarily endorse the views and opinions expressed within. Neither the LankaWeb nor the individual authors of any material on this Web site accept responsibility for any loss or damage, however caused (including through negligence), which you may directly or indirectly suffer arising out of your use of or reliance on information contained on or accessed through this Web site.
All views and opinions presented in this article are solely those of the surfer and do not necessarily represent those of LankaWeb.com. .

BACK TO LATEST NEWS

DISCLAIMER