A GROUP of parents who came to the military on March 27 had revealed a shocking story about a priest, who was living among them in the ‘no fire zone’ in Puthumatalan, and helped the Tamil Tigers to forcibly recruit more than 550 underage children.
According to a mother (whose name cannot be revealed due to security reasons) parents of some 600 children had sent their children to a church located in Walayarmadam, just south of Puthumatalan in order to protect them from the LTTE’s continuing forcible recruitment of underage children and teenagers.
A priest had promised the parents that he would not allow the LTTE to take their children and would take care of them. But on March 24, a large group of LTTE cadres, most of them female cadres had appeared in the area. Soon the parents, who were in the vicinity, had informed the priest about the LTTE’s arrival.
But,he had told the parents to let them come as he would not allow them to take the children away. However when the LTTE cadres entered the premises and ordered the children to go with them the priest had disappeared from the location, leaving the LTTE to do whatever they want.
Several teenagers in the church had tried to attack the LTTE cadres, but some 550 children were forcibly taken away by the Tigers in vehicles. Some fifty teenagers had been able to run away and save their life. Most of the parents had started to attack the LTTE cadres, who in turn had brutally assaulted the parents.
One of the grandmothers, who spoke to the Daily Mirror over the phone, said that she was able to save her 17-year-old grandson after she dragged away one of the female LTTE cadres who tried to capture her grandson. Using the opportunity, the grandson had run away and now the entire family had come to the cleared area.
“The life in the area is like living in hell, the priest is openly helping the LTTE to recruit youth, in the night the priest in LTTE uniform used to go with other LTTE cadres to forcibly recruit youth,” the grieving mother revealed.
She also said that most of those parents are still at the church awaiting the return of their sons and daughters, though they had a chance to escape to the cleared areas.
LTTE planning to evacuate injured senior leaders?
The Navy is on high alert following reports that several top level LTTE leaders who were badly injured in the recent battles, were to be evacuated using the sea route to foreign countries.
Informed ground sources confirmed that already rehearsals are being held in order to carry out this ‘sea operation’. Among the leaders were LTTE senior leader Swarnam, LTTE Leader V. Prabhakaran’s elder son Charles Anthony, special leader Lawrence and several others.
Unconfirmed reports said that the LTTE Spy Chief Pottu Amman and another Intelligence Chief Kapil Amman had been injured in aerial strikes in Puthukuduirippu area recently. Both of them have reportedly received minor injuries.
Twenty-three year- old Charles Anthony has been injured in his shoulder during the breaching of the forward defences of the 58 Division in the north of Iranapalai with some 500 LTTE cadres several weeks ago.
During the same battle another leader Swarnam was also seriously injured and it is learnt that one of his legs had been amputated due to the seriousness of the injuries. Another leader Lawrence too was injured with Swarnam.
During the battle Charles had been evacuated and was receiving treatment in Puthumatalan. However, due to the seriousness of injuries the LTTE chief had reportedly decided to send him overseas for treatment, a top LTTE cadre who was with the LTTE had revealed to the military. He also said that rehearsals are now being conducted on how they could avoid the navy and escape. The Military believe that the recent sea clash off Mullaitivu seas would have been one such rehearsal, where more than 25 LTTE cadres with four boats were destroyed.
On Tuesday LTTE's technical wing Chief S. Kirupakaran alias Madivalahan was confirmed killed following a direct confrontation with the military in the Mullaittivu battlefront.
After his death he had been given a self-styled ‘Lt. Colonel’ status. He was said to be the mastermind and chief coordinator of the LTTE's satellite cum radio communication network.(Courtesy: Daily Mirror)
