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‘We
have been hit by another tsunami’ A combination of red and yellow flags and LTTE flags lined the path along which the coffins of Kaushalyan and three other cadres were brought to the cemetery for burial. This was after the bodies were taken to eight villages within the districts of Batticaloa and Ampara. LTTE political wing leader, S.P.Thamilselvan and other senior members were ringed by their own personal security members. Before the burials took place the bodies were kept at the Thandiadi Tamil Maha Vidyalaya, less than 100 metres from the cemetery, for villagers and LTTE cadres to pay their last respects. During the funeral orations, speaker after speaker blamed the government for the killings of Kaushalyan, former TNA Parliamentarian, Ariyendran Chandra Nehru his driver and three others. Visibly moved and emotionally charged the speakers were strong in their condemnation of the killings and LTTE's former military wing leader for Ampara and Batticaloa, Ramesh openly broke down. In his speech, Thamilselvan compared the blow of Kaushalyan's death to that of another tsunami. "Our people have been struck by one tsunami after the other. After we were hit by the December 26 disaster we thought that southern politicians had learnt a lesson, but it doesn't seem to be so. Since 2002 we have been tested so many times but we have been patient. Our leadership will decide soon on our future. People assume that because our guns are silent we are in a weak position. But that is a wrong assumption," a visibly moved Thamilselvan declared. He assured the people of a good future and vowed to carry on the work begun by Kaushalyan who was the LTTE Batticaloa-Ampara poitical wing leader even when the area was under Karuna. Former EROS leader and now advisor to the LTTE, V.Balakumar, Karuna's successor, Ramesh and LTTE Womens' wing leader Thamilini were among those speakers who declared though Kaushalyan's death was a blow to the LTTE they would overcome it. LTTE sympathisers were heard chanting slogans of 'why are you keeping silent', 'We can't wait for another killing' and 'we have sacrificed too much'. The LTTE, who blamed the security forces for the assassinations took the bodies of their slain cadres to Karuna's village Kiran, earlier in the day. They also took the bodies to Valachchenai, Sandhiveli, Batticaloa town, Akkaraipattu, Thirukkovil and Kalmunai two days before the funeral. Despite allegations made by the LTTE, police and the army were seen providing escort to the funeral procession as it made its way through the security forces controlled areas. The security forces allowed LTTE vehicles without number plates to enter the government controlled areas, while the coffins all draped in LTTE flags were also placed in the security force controlled areas without any hindrance. The assassination that occured around 7.45 p.m. on Monday in the government controlled area of Pillaiyaradi, along the Polonnaruwa- Batticaloa main road still remains a mystery. On one side of the scene of the attack are paddy fields and on the otherside was an area demarcated as a mine field. Two police constables who were part of the security escort of TNA Parliamentarian, Chandra Nehru were the only survivors of the attack and had sustained injuries. According to their statement Kaushalyan was to join them in Polonnaruwa and they were all to proceed to Tirukkovil in Ampara. Shortly before dusk Kaushalyan had arrived in a red double cab and boarded the blue Dolphin van. They had proceeded more than 25 kilometres when they came under attack. They were about 2 kilometres away from the Namalgama army detachment and the next camp at Ruwanpitiya three kilometres away from the scene of the shooting. According to the policemen a white van had overtaken their vehicle and blocked their path. Thereafter six people dressed in uniforms similar to those of the army had alighted and opened fire, first at the driver and then at the rest of the group. Meanwhile, troops from the nearby Punani and Kadwathmadu army camps on hearing cracks of small arms gunfire, had immediately searched the area, and had spotted the bullet-riddled blue Toyota Dolphin van which had skidded off the road. They found nine people, including the dead trapped inside the vehicle. Troops also subsequently recovered a revolver and a T-56 weapon from the place of the attack. The two policemen and one LTTE cadre had escaped, with gun shot injuries. Chandra Nehru who had also sustained injuries had been transferred to Colombo along with the others but he succumbed to his injuries the following day. The bodies of Kaushalyan and the three other cadres were taken to Polonnaruwa hosptial but the JMO had refused to conduct the postmortem due to security reasons. The release of the bodies was delayed by more than 20 hours and eventually the LTTE contacted the SLMM and the TNA who intervened to secure the release of the bodies which were then taken to Batticaloa hospital for an autopsy. The bodies had been mutilated with the gunmen reportedly shooting them at close range after killing them. The LTTE leadership appeared to have been shaken by the killing and immediately after the funeral, Thamilselvan met area leaders in the guest house at Karadianaru where LTTE leaders reportedly stayed overnight. Thamilselvan was to attend Chandra Nehru's funeral on Saturday in Tirukkovil. Another senior LTTE cadre Marshal has been appointed as the LTTE’s new eastern leader. |
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