COLOMBO :  COMMANDER OF THE ARMY, GENERAL SARATH FONSEKA WHO HAS BEEN THE NATION’S TOWER OF STRENGTH AND HOPE FOR ERADICATION OF  LTTE TERRORISM RIGHT THROUGHOUT WITH THE SUPPORT OF NAVY, AIR FORCE, POLICE AND CIVIL SECURITY DEPARTMENT  A FEW MINUTES AGO AT ABOUT 12;15 NOON ON TUESDAY  (19) DECLARED THAT THE DEAD BODY OF THE LTTE LEADER VELUPILLAI PRABHAKARAN HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AND RECOVERED.

      General SARATH FONSEKA in his capacity as the Commander of the Army made the announcement on behalf of His Excellency, the President MAHINDA RAJAPAKSA and Secretary Defence GOTABHAYA RAJAPAKSA.  

     “A few hours ago on Tuesday morning  (19), our ground troops confirmed that they have recovered the dead body of the world’s most ruthless terrorist leader.  I make this disclosure with responsibility and pleasure as millions of Sri Lankans as well as the Army would be the most delighted at this news,” General FONSEKA said.
 
       The world’s most-feared and ruthless terrorist leader, VELUPILLAI PRABAKARAN alias THAMBI alias KIRUBAKARAN alias THURAI alias HARRY alias KARIKALAN alias ALIPHA alias JUZO alias PIRABHAHARAN who massacred at least 30,000-40,000 human-beings in the past three decades is dead and gone.

       Megalomaniac PRABHAKARAN (54) sustained his bloodbaths after founding his LTTE organization on 5th May 1975 infusing eternal agony and fear- psychosis to the masses. His vicious cycle of violence commenced on 27 July 1975 after butchering Jaffna Mayor, Alfred Duraiappah in a shoot-out.  As the brainchild behind all those atrocities, he engineered the assassination of a Sri Lankan President, an Indian Prime Minister, a host of Ministers, Buddhist monks, Hindu, Catholic and Muslim priests, Chiefs of the Armed Forces and the Police, Thousands of innocent villagers and almost anybody who does not tread his line.  Bomb explosions, massacres, bloodbaths and heinous crimes against humanity were his bread and butter and part of the daily agenda.  

        He was responsible for the spate of illegal international and local rackets such as smuggling of weapons and men, money laundering, extortions, bank robberies, ransom taking, tax collections, thefts of vehicles and almost all criminal activities.  PRABHAKARAN while nursing and caring for his three children, CHARLES ANTHONY and DUWARAHA and his wife MADIVADANI conscripted thousands of Tamil minors for weapon training and terrorist activities, despite protests from parents and adults. He even defied international pressure while leading a luxurious life away from others and maintained more than four security layers and protective rings. As founder member of the LTTE, he stretched his dictatorship over his own comrades and went to the extent of decimating all those who he felt a threat to him.  MAHATTAYA was one of PRABHAKARAN’s well-known victims.  

        Most wanted by Indian Police as well as by the Interpol, this terrorist leader has been put on Red Alert Most Wanted Notice at international level.  He has been indicted for more than 75 serious crimes in Sri Lanka including assassination of President Premadasa and hundreds of civilians, bomb explosions and other heinous crimes.

         PRABHAKARAN, true to his form and vicious intentions took the International Community (IC) for a ride on many occasions, despatching his cohorts to so-called international forums and peace talks where he conveniently bought time and earned international recognition.  More significantly, his statements were taken as Gospel truth and the armed organization was offered everything they asked for on a platter.  Some of those terrorist leaders slipped the customs unchecked and were escorted at state expense by Air Force helicopters.  A handful of western and Nordic countries pumped millions of hard currency to the LTTE coffers, presuming that the LTTE would give-up violence and revert to the main stream democracy.  It was not to be so.  When considered the hauls of arms and ammunition those terrorists had collected in the past three years alone, it is obvious that a sound international Mafia network was providing a towering strength to the terror outfit until recent times.

     His terror targeted not only the Sinhalese but also the lives of respected Tamil intellectuals, politicians, democrats, artists, civilians and all anti-LTTE men and women. Former Foreign Minister LAKSHMAN KADIRAGAMAR. Dr. NEELAN THIRUCHELVAM, SAM THAMBIMUTTU and a host of others. Incumbent Minister DOUGLAS DEVANANDA and moderate TULF leader, V. ANANDA SANGAREE escaped LTTE death squads several times.

     In addition, many more national leaders were the preys of the blood-thirsty PRABHAKARAN right throughout. The list included former Defence Minister RANJAN WIJERATHNA, Ministers GAMINI DISSANAYAKE, LALITH ATHULATHMUDALI, WEERASINGHA MALLIMARACHCHI, G.M. PREMARATHNA, C.V. GUNARATHNA, JEYERAJ FERNANDO PULLE, D.M. DASSANAYAKE and a large number of local politicians.