Deserted LTTE “Policemen” Narrate Their Tales

DESERTION by three so-called “LTTE Policemen” in their twenties with uniforms, and their subsequent most recent arrival in MANNAR with pleas for clemency from the troops, amply proves that the terrorist outfit appears now terribly shaken and thrown into disarray, as defeat becomes inevitable to the terrorists.

Those three LTTE deserters, AMALA SUMANYAN (26), RATHNAKUMAR SADEESH (23) and SEBASTIAN PILLAI ARULRAJ (26), according to their confessions made to the troops, had shunned LTTE “Police duties” on several occasions as separate individuals, but the LTTE had repeatedly arrested them and finally confined all three of them to LTTE's KANAGAPURA prison in KILINOCHCHI on different counts where all three of them met together and became friends.

On that fateful day on 31st March 2008 terrorist leaders unlocked them from the prison and made their way to the north of MANNAR across dense jungles with thirty-four more “LTTE Policemen,” including three of them for deployment for LTTE duties. Consequently, twenty-five of those “Police” youngsters were ordered to serve PARAPPAKANDAL area, north of UYILANKULAM, and the remaining nine “Policemen” had been brought to a “Police” point near CHETTIYARKATTAI ADAMPAN, to the east of GIANT TANK to replenish some 15 Tiger “policemen” who had by then vacated the area, leaving only two “policemen” behind for work at that point. An LTTE leader called, ELIL KANNAN in MADU area conducted the nine-member team to CHETTIYARKATTAI ADAMPAN LTTE checkpoint, but was furious to find that even those remaining two “policemen” had also gone missing from the point with no trace, according to those escapees.

The three protagonists, despite their exhaustion and fatigue finally made up their minds on 2nd April 2008 and managed to exit secretly to the check point in CHETTIYARKATTAI ADAMPAN, on the opposite bank of the GIANT TANK, manned by members of the Armed Forces and the Police where they sought refuge with them.

The LTTE “Police” deserter AMALA SUMANYAN (26) of KANNADIADAMPAN, MANNAR after he was conscripted by force to the LTTE, had once escaped and crept into ILUPPUKADEWELI area, but the terrorists again abducted him on 20th April 2007 and forced upon him to serve LTTE route clearing and picket duties after he had been given LTTE “Police” and weapon training.

The other one, SEBASTIAN PILLAI ARULRAJ (26) from CHAMPIANPATTU, THALADY had a different story to relate after he was abducted by LTTE terrorists on 18th June 2007. He was subjected to LTTE's “Police training” at an LTTE training base in IRANAMADU area and was later deployed for route clearing and picket duties in various places in WANNI. He further went on record saying that over eighty percent of the LTTE conscripts under LTTE diktats in WANNI are now fully up against the LTTE hierarchy and the organization, and are actually marking time to abandon and disappear at any given moment. Heated arguments had prevailed, escapees said.

The youngest one, RATHNA KUMAR SADEESH (23) of AKRAYANKULAM, KILINOCHCHI has been abducted on 17th June 2007 by Tiger terrorists and ordered to serve many areas as a “policeman” afterwards until he too ended up in LTTE jail some time back after he ran away from “police duty” where he had the chance to meet other affected colleagues.

Those three surrendered LTTE “policemen,” now handed over to the Police are receiving short-term rehabilitation under a special programme before they are referred to the special rehabilitation programme conducted by the government.

Evidence as well as ground realities of this nature that speaks of the desperate inner works of the LTTE terrorist machine mirrors the extent to which the LTTE is now despised, if not completely opposed openly by their own trained personnel of the above nature. More deserters are to follow, they say.

PS: Names of those in photographs are not released for security concerns and questions of Human Rights.