Pilliyan, Special Commander of the TamilEela Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal, told that Prabhakaran is now engaged in battle for his survival and not that of the Tamil people.
Prabhkaran exploits the suffering of the Tamils for his own political ends, he said. Citing an example he said: “Recently, when the Government closed entry to the A9 road, Praba group shed crocodile tears over the death of a child who died, according to a report, without proper medical facilities. But from the date of opening the A-9 road, Prabah Group has collected huge sums of money in the form taxes imposed on the passengers.
They haven’t made use of the money collected so far even to build one hospital. They have made use of those monies to line their pockets and to protect their political power. They grieve only because the revenue generated from road taxes is stopped. But the fact remains that they were unable to provide the necessary medical facilities and safeguard a child’s life.
Then what is all this talk about his Separate Administration serving the Tamil people? Separate Government? If even half of the monies received from the people at home and abroad have been utilized productively, many hospitals with modern facilities would have been constructed and no child would have died,” said Kuperan nom de guerre Pilliyan, Special Commander of the TamilEela Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal
The full text of the interview with the TMVP special commander Kuperan alias Pilliyan is given below:
Question: Your Leader Karuna Amman declared a unilateral Ceasefire against the Praba Group prior to the Geneva Talks. But in the last two weeks your special commando attack force penetrated into Muthur region attacked Prabah group and inflicted serious damages. After declaring ceasefire, why did you suddenly change tack and launch attacks on the Prabah group?
Special Commander Pilliyan: We didn’t declare ceasefire just for the sake of Praba Group. We knew well that they will not take it seriously. We declared ceasefire because we did not want to obstruct the efforts undertaken by the Mahinda Rajapakse’s Government and because we were keen that his peace efforts should succeed. Unfortunately during that period our members as well as our supporters were attacked by the Prabah Group. We categorically announced earlier that if in case our people were attacked by the Praba Group, we will attack them. During that said period, three of our members and our three supporters, a total of 6 people were shot and killed by Prabah Group. On 30 May they attacked our Kanthakadu camp. These attacks forced us to take retaliatory measures against them.
Question : So are you saying that the ceasefire declaration made by you earlier is now no more?
Special Commander Pilliyan : We announced a Ceasefire for a trial period of one month. Now the ceasefire has expired.
Question: Praba Group has come up saying that by attacking your Kanthakadu Camp, many truths have been exposed. One of them was the confirmation of your group functioning along with the Sri Lanka Army. What is your comment about this allegation?
Special Commander Pilliyan : Our Kanthakadu camp is not located either in the Government controlled area or in the Tiger controlled area. This is located in the no man’s land. This camp is located 9 kilometers away from Kaddumurichchan. You must understand one thing: if we were with the Sri Lanka Army, then the Army should be waging a war against the LTTE. On the contrary, they are keen on distancing themselves from us. This is a false propaganda let loose by them. Even Praba group know very well that we are not associated with the Sri Lanka Army. But they keep on repeating it because it is good propaganda for them. .
Question: After attacking Kanthakadu, the Tigers alleged that it was your group that abducted the members of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO). Is this true?
Special Commander Pilliyan: Praba Group is leveling this false allegation after seeing our vehicles in the camp. They earlier announced that only one van belonging to the TRO was hijacked. After attacking our camp, now they come up with a new story that, two TRO Vans were hijacked. They keep on changing their stories which reveals their lies. Earlier they lied by alleging that it was we who hijacked van. Now to prove their lies they are coming up with another lie.
Question: Recently in an interview with the Reuters news agency, Anton Balasingham of the Praba Group has complained that the Government has failed to disarm the paramilitary groups as agreed in the peace talks. He went on to say that they have decided penetrate into the Government-controlled areas and personally take steps to disarm especially the arms belonging to the TamilEela Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal. Do you have any comments regarding this?
Special Commander Pilliyan: In fact we are not functioning within the Government controlled areas with arms. After we split from the Tigers they have been targeting us with false propaganda. They first said that the split was an internal matter and told no one should interfere, but now they are begging the Government to disarm us. Those who dare to do it let them come forward. They know well that this is not possible.
Question: Now you have opened up a head office called ‘Meenaham’ in the Eastern Province and is involved in political activities. After the signing of the Ceasefire Agreement in 2002 Praba Group opened up many offices and declared that they were involved in political activities. How do you describe the differences between your political office and the political offices earlier opened up by the Praba Group.
Special Commander Pilliyan: I can’t accept the statement made by you whether Praba Group was involved in political activities. As far as we are aware, their activities were all about collecting ransoms and abducting people. But we are not going to be ever involved in such criminal acts. We are not acting against the people. We have come forward to work truly and passionately for the Tamil people. This is only the beginning and soon we are going to dedicate ourselves completely to work for the basic needs and rights of our people.
Question: We learn that your ‘Meenaham’ Secretariat is located in the high security zone and it is given security by the Army?
Special Commander Pilliyan: If the lives of those working in an organization is threatened, then according to the law of the land, it is the foremost duty of the Government to provide security, Even if Prabakaran comes forward to the democratic mainstream of politics and open an office, then the Government forces would provide security. Who is providing security to the MPs and the cadres of the Tamil National Alliance? It is only the Government security forces.
Question : What has been the response of the people after the opening up of your political office and were you able to perceive any foreseeable changes in the people’s mindset ?
Special Commander Pilliyan: We have seen a noticeable change in the attitude of the people towards us. Their confidence in us is growing daily. We are now very near to them. We will not forsake them. This is a basic change. We will lead our people in the due and correct path. We are receiving enormous amount of support from the people. We receive a large number of people in our office. You can witness this personally if you visit our office.
Question: The last SLMM chief has said that he has seen your cadres in the Government controlled area with arms and because of this people’s normal life is disturbed. Is this true?
Special Commander Pilliyan: The armed persons supposed to have been seen by him was said to be not wearing any uniform or any special kit. They were in normal civilian dress and were carrying weapons he said. Based on this statement how can you say that they are our members. It could be also possible for the Praba’s cadres to come in this area with arms and introduced themselves as our members. That is what would have happened. Even today if you go to Valaichenai, you can see Praba group people roaming with weapons. We have never moved in the Government controlled area with arms. We have never functioned in any way to disturb the normal life of the civilians.
Question: There are several anti-Prabah political parties. Are you going to work with them? Or else are you planning to work alone?
Special Commander Pilliyan : Regarding this, we already released a statement after our split. We invited all the anti-Prabakaran forces to come and work together. At this juncture you have to take into consideration an important factor. To fight against Prabakaran is not our only aim.
After getting rid of Prabakaran the right solutions has to be placed on behalf of the Tamil people. Prabakaran is not important to us. Prabakaran, is only a temporary road bloc to achieving our reasonable solutions which have to be obtained honorably.
A sustainable peace has to be achieved. These are our cherished aims and objectives. To achieve these noble goals Prabakaran remains a stumbling block. Because of this we are ready to have common working program and work with all the political parties. While working together we should carefully avoid unnecessary power struggles and the competition for superiority over others in the group. Each group has to work without loosing their own identity for the benefit of our people. We are always prepared to cooperate with any alliance when they come forward to work for the welfare of the people without sacrificing the people for their personal power an authority,
Question : In the beginning, Muslims too were involved in Tamils’ struggle. But after 1990, when so many bitter incidents occurred, Muslims gradually withdrew their participation and retreated. Even now it is clearly evident that Muslims fear that they would be ignored in case the Tamils were able to achieve favorable solutions for their grievances. As a responsible people’s organization, what is your comments regarding the Muslims reasonable fear in this case?
Special Commander Pilliyan : We have a clear position regarding the Muslim people. We have taken up the position that Tamils and Muslim must live together peacefully without interfering in the other’s rights. At the same time, we should also address the rights of the Sinhala people living in our midst.
We are putting forward a working program and work in such a way so that the other brotherly ethnic groups may have confidence in us.
By crushing or suppressing other communities none of the communities could survive. Our intention is that the three ethnic groups that live in the East must live together with understanding of each others needs and with mutual trust on each others. When a sustainable peace is achieved it should reflect the reasonable aspirations and the rights of all the three ethnic groups.
If we have a solution acceptable to all, then only we will be able to move forward towards a sustainable peace. It must be understood clearly that the ethnic issues became so complex because of the rejection numerous reasonable aspirations of the Muslim community. Due to an individual’s greed power – Prabakaran, he undertook ethnic cleansing of the Muslims in 1990. Now we are determined that such ethnic cleansing should never occur in the future of the history of Tamils and Muslims relationship.
Question: Since of late, it is said that in the East, your organization is making use of your name and the stationeries of your organization to threaten and demand money as ransom and warning those working in the non-government organizations to leave their employment.
Special Commander Pilliyan : We are not involved in any of these activities. Thos who demand ransom, I am sure will not make use of names and stationeries of an organization which will be easily exposed. We are not going to repeat the same mistakes which are being committed by the Praba group.
This is the handy work of the Praba Group. I think I can tell you two examples regarding matter.
Recently, some one living in Kalladi in Batticaloa received a letter in my name demanding money. In that letter the name of the Bank as well as the Bank account numbers were given. When we received details about this threat, we hastened to investigate and found out the Bank account given in the letter belongs to the Praba Group.
In Kalmunai, making use of something similar to our stationery, a letter was sent demanding office space to open up an office or else to give rupees five lakhs. When we investigated, we came to know that it was the work of the Praba Group.
We possess arms only to safeguard our people as well as us from the Praba Group. With our weapons we will not at any given circumstances, try either to harass or threaten our people. We believe that these type deceptive activities are carried on by Praba Group and by a few individual miscreants.
Our letter heads are used to threaten those working in the non-government organizations. Regarding this issue a meeting was recently held in our ‘Meernaham’ office with the representatives of the NGOs’ and our position was very clearly explained to them by our representatives at the meeting.
At the same time I wish to emphasize that those working in the non-government organization must understand one thing very clearly. They must be determined to uphold our traditions, values and customs while discharging their duties.
Question: The main accusation against the Praba group is the forceful recruitment and abduction of the underage children. Recently Tamilselvan in the last meeting held at Geneva has alleged that your organization is responsible for the forceful recruitment and for the abduction of the underage children. Is Tamilselvan right?
Special Commander Pilliyan : Our Leader was the one who sent back the children abducted by the Tigers to their homes. There were 6000 cadres who remained under his command. We are never involved in forceful recruitments. Praba Group had many press conferences to criticize us. In those press conferences they made similar accusations against us. But many knew how those press conferences were organized and conducted. In our organizations we only accept those who come forward to enroll with us willingly and voluntarily.
When ever school students come forward to join us, we advise them to continue with their studies and face their educational examinations successfully.
Question: Since of late, in the North and East, killings have increased and the normal lives of the peoples are disrupted. People are living in the midst with fear and uncertainty. After your split, it is commonly believed that the killing spree has increased. What in your opinion is the real situation?
Special Commander Pilliyan : Regarding this Praba Group have to take the full responsibility. The killings are going on unabated and with impunity. The armed groups of youth are created by them. Sadly, it is our Tamil Teachers, loyal to the Praba group, are in a big way responsible for the creations of these armed cadres.
What they do is, they take the students in the upper classes such as in the GCE Ordinary Levels and Advance Levels to Wanni in the guise of study tours. In Wanni these school children are given a 9-day crash training on handling arms and other lethal weapons. They are being trained to handle claymore mines and grenades. These students trained in Wanni are then used to launch attacks in public places. Their new name is ‘Tamil People Upsurge Group.’
Nearly 10 percent of this so called People’s Upsurge armed group operate in the East and 90 percent operate in the North.
I feel sorry for the parents of these students. Parents send their children to schools for studies, but Praba group not only make use of them for their terrorists activities, ruining their future but also they are sent to killing fields to perpetrate serious criminal offences. In some cases they pay few others to kill the people. Killings are increasing because of the genocidal activities of the so-called Tamil People’s Upsurge group.
Kindly take a note of an important factor that the killing spree escalated only after the killing of Vigneswaran in Trincomalee. Once those loyal to Praba Groups are killed, the killings increases automatically following attacks on the Sri Lanka Military Commander and subsequently with the bombing of the Tamils and Muslims. These cannot be condoned or excused.
Not only that, Praba group has shot and killed many innocent youths accusing them of being our supporters. In fact we never have anything to do with those youths who were killed by the Praba Group.
Praba Group is forcefully giving arms training to government servants. If Praba Group is really genuine in waging a war, let them declare a war and see whether that all those trained by them would join them in their war and support them. They are with them because of fear.
At the end of such a war, I am certain only the children of the leaders of the Praba group are likely to survive, because those children are safely away and are studying in the foreign countries. Sooner or later the Tamil people will rise against the Praba’s leadership and kill him. This is a certainty. At present those people living in Wanni are living in the open prison of Prabakaran.
The Praba Group claims that they are protecting our people. That does not really mean the average Tamil person. What they mean is safeguarding their own children by sending them to foreign countries for their safety and security.
Where is Prabakaran’s wife and two children? Where are the children’s of B. Nadesan , Puthuvai Rasathurai, Tamilselvan , Balakumar? .. the list is very long.
Prabakaran is now engaged in a struggle to hold on to power for his own survival. This is Prabhkaran’s war and not the war of the Tamil people. But the tide has turned against him. His days are numbered. The international community, and the Tamil people are now fully behind the campaign to get rid of him. Now it’s a matter of time before he goes.
(http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/240)
