A Tamil Guerrilla's Story, Starting at Age 7

A Child Fighter Describes Abduction and Training

Trained since the age of 7 to fight until victory or death and commit suicide upon capture, she did not have a cyanide capsule or grenade handy when Sri Lankan government troops overran the position she was defending several weeks ago.

''If I had had a grenade or cyanide capsule, I would have done it,'' she said through a translator. ''I thought the army would kill me when I was caught.''

The story of Arumuyam Malar, one of the youngest child soldiers captured alive by government forces in their 17-year war against the guerrilla fighters of the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, is a sad tale of abduction and lost childhood.

Her story also reveals the methods employed by the rebels to recruit and train young children into their ranks. The Sri Lankan government claims that many Tamil Tiger guerrilla fighters are children, with nearly one third of the 5,000-strong force under the age of 18.

Captured in late July following a battle with government troops that left most of her all-female unit dead, Miss Malar is being held in the military high security compound on the Jaffna Peninsula.

A small group of foreign journalists who interviewed her, the first reporters permitted onto the peninsula since April, were refused access to the compound where she is held. Nothing she said could be independently verified, and she was interviewed under stressful conditions that could easily have appeared to her as an interrogation.

Seated in a plastic chair on a hot and dusty street in front of a bombed out building, she was surrounded by a dozen camouflage-clad and heavily armed government soldiers. The foreign journalists she spoke with asked questions through a military interpreter, just about the only person with whom she could communicate in her native Tamil.

Her answers were often monosyllabic, occasionally contradictory, and her lack of education hampered communication. Almost all large numbers were described as one thousand. She spent much of the interview with her brow knotted, nervously wringing her hands, twisting a microphone cable and searching for eye contact. She rarely smiled, and she did not laugh once.

Her battle scars spoke volumes. In addition to fresh artillery wounds to her left hip, her right wrist had what an army nurse described as an old bullet wound.

Her transition from infant to child soldier started when at the age of 7, she was home alone. With her father dead and her mother temporarily hospitalized, she was in her uncle's care when a girl called Sylvie dropped by.

''Sylvie said we would go to buy something together at the shop,'' she said. Instead, she was taken from her village in northern Sri Lanka into the Jaffna Peninsula, the operations center for the Tamil Tiger guerrillas.

''They told me I must fight for the country,'' Miss Malar said. ''I lived as brother and sister with other young people who also wanted to fight.'' The Tamil Tigers told Miss Malar that her mother had been informed about her joining the guerrilla army, but she never received any letters or direct messages from anyone in her family.

While in the guerrilla camp, she woke up each day at 4:30 a.m., took a bath and put on the Tamil Tiger's uniform: shirt and trousers with light green and yellow camouflage. She usually studied two hours of radio communication before breakfast.

Then, at 8 a.m., the day's training began, with only a short break for a lunch of rice and curry. Exercises included marching, drilling and practicing counterattacks, including the use of hand grenades and the T-56 semiautomatic rifle, a weapon similar to an AK-47.

As the youngest child soldier in her unit, Miss Malar had difficulty keeping her much shorter legs in step when marching. Speaking about her early training with the assurance of a hardened veteran, she almost mocked herself. ''I really was not very good at marching drills in the hot sun,'' she said. ''I was frequently punished.''

Breaking into a rare grin, she added: ''I did many small steps to keep up.''

Punishment for the child soldiers frequently consisted of holding a four-kilogram (10-pound) T-56 rifle above their heads and doing what she described as ''thousands'' of knee-bends.

At 3 p.m., those who did not have sentry duty could play games. Volleyball was popular, but Miss Malar preferred kabadi, a traditional Sri Lankan game similar to tag. She never owned a toy or played with a doll. Each night members of her unit took turns serving one hour of sentry duty.

Her main instructor and mentor was Sylvie, the girl who recruited her, and a more senior cadre known as Anna. All 48 members of her unit were female and five were her age. ''Anna said the youngest ones were not supposed to fight unless fighting reached the inner cordon,'' Miss Malar said.

Her strongest memories are of people dying in battle, such as when Sylvie was killed or when a cadre, Susila, was given cyanide after receiving a head wound from a shell blast. ''Her face turned blue 30 minutes after taking a cyanide pill,'' Miss Malar said. ''Her body was delivered to her next of kin.''

Now awaiting trial, Miss Malar is held alone in a house in the security compound. She has no playmates, and few people speak her language. A letter sent through the International Committee of the Red Cross to her mother several weeks ago has not yet brought a reply.

How does she feel?

''Lonely.''

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S.Lanka president says to opt out after ending war 21 Aug 2000 13:32GMT

COLOMBO, Aug 21 (Reuters) - President Chandrika Kumaratunga has said she would not contest any elections after solving Sri Lanka's protracted ethnic war through her new constitution that aims to devolve powers to minorities. The state-run Daily News on Monday quoted Kumaratunga as telling an election rally in the central Kegalle town that a fresh six-year mandate for her ruling People's Alliance would help her eradicate the problems faced by the minorities, while ensuring rights of the majority community remained unaffected. We won all elections. We need only six years more to build this country. Once this is done we will not contest elections. Then anybody can come forward to govern the country, the newspaper quoted her as telling the rally on Sunday, her first since she last week set parliamentary polls for October 10. The controversial constitution was shelved earlier this month due to mounting opposition by Sinhala nationalists, who say it would lead to the country's division. The new constitution aims to devolve powers to regions, including one administered by minority Tamils to give them a political alternative to the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The LTTE have been fighting for a separate homeland for Tamils in Sri Lanka's north and east since 1983. As long as Tamil people are attacked and injustices are caused to Moslems, they will join hands with people like LTTE chief (Velupillai) Prabhakaran for their own liberation, Kumaratunga said. She said her party did not want to win the elections on the back of majority Sinhala chauvinism. Kegalle is a largely Sinhalese town. Twenty-eight percent of the population is non-Sinhalese. Do you want us to have them butchered and thrown to the sea? Kumaratunga said the 17-year-old war, which has claimed more than 61,000 lives, could not be solved by weapons alone as Tamils needed political rights. Even if Prabhakaran is killed, another Prabhakaran can emerge. Therefore, those people will have to be vested with power, she told the rally. Kumaratunga has said if her coalition did not get a two-third majority in the new house she would convert it into a constituent assembly and pass the draft constitution with a simple majority.  Back To Top

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Jane’s: India helped Pak airlift arms to Sri Lanka

London, June 16


India and Pakistan are cooperating with each other to help Sri Lanka in its war against the Tamil Tigers, claims the latest edition of Jane’s Intelligence Digest. According to the publication, weapons and ammunition, including artillery shells and multi-barrel rocket launchers, were airlifted in an emergency operation from Karachi to Colombo in May with New Delhi’s cooperation.

“However, there are limits to how much help India would like to see Colombo accepting from Islamabad,” the report added. Aircraft belonging to Shaheen Air, a foundation established by the Pakistan Air Force, were pressed into service soon after the LTTE captured Elephant Pass. “It used its Boeing 707 aircraft to fly weapons and ammunition on three occasions in the first weeks of May. Until 1998, weapons and ammunition were regularly flown from Karachi to Colombo, but the practice was stopped because of its exorbitant cost.”

After the three emergency flights in early May, claims the report, weapons are now being shipped from Pakistan to Sri Lanka. “It is unusual to see Pakistan and India pulling in the same direction over a regional problem and Pakistan is aware that an LTTE takeover of Jaffna will undoubtedly cause problems for India.

Furthermore, the creation of a Tamil homeland in Sri Lanka will create a welcome (from the Pakistani perspective) precedent for Kashmir,” comments the Jane’s report, which attributes Pakistan’s prompt response to Colombo’s request for weapons to Sri Lanka’s pragmatic approach to General Musharraf’s coup last year.

“However, this understanding (between India and Pakistan) ends with the landing of Pakistan weapons in Colombo. Pakistani troops in Sri Lanka will definitely be one mouthful too much for New Delhi to swallow,” said the report.

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 1.    Sihala Urumaya Policy

 2.    Rigging of Elections

 1.      Sihala Urumaya Policy

                                                                 ONE UNITED SIHALA COUNTRY

 Today, we are confronted with a great national crisis of a magnitude that is  virtually unprecedented  in the history of Sri Lanka.   The very survival of the Sinhala People is now at stake.  Never before have the Sinhala people been so helpless and leaderless   or found themselves with no one to advocate their cause.  Who is primarily to blame for this tragic situation other than certain leaders of  the major parties who, driven by nothing more noble than a naked lust for power and nepotism, set Sinhalese against Sinhalese and ruled this Country  in  rotation for the major period of time since Independence?    It was consequent to  a deep analysis of this pathetic situation that Sihala Urumaya was founded by a group of dedicated men and women who are untainted by corrupt politics.  

Sihala Urumaya is committed to the protection of  the birth  rights of the Sinhala People and the legal rights of all other sections of the populace who consider Sri Lanka to be their only homeland.  It being crystal clear that this task will  not  be achieved by any of the other existing political parties the Sinhalese are left with no alternative other than to make a final attempt at a revival of the Sihala Heritage.  

Sri Lanka which is the only homeland the Sinhalese have in the entire world has not, at any time, been so disgraced as now.  It is against this background that Sihala Urumaya was launched with the pure intention of providing to the Sinhalese People, who, having chased a mirage by voting in turn for one or the other of the two major political parties have had their hopes and expectations  brought to naught, with a new Party, which is both possessed of the capacity to champion their cause and one with which they could identify themselves without reservation. Accordingly, to whatever party you may belong, in whatever religion you may believe, and whatever your place in society may be, if you are a Sinhalese by birth or one who sympathises with the Sinhalese, we cordially invite you to consider this good news with objectivity.

“Sinhala Urumaya” is not just another political party.   It is a powerful social force that arose as the need of the hour to safeguard for all time, the historical, environmental, economic and socio-cultural heritage of the Sinhalese.   Sihala Urumaya has a clear vision about the future of our land and  a set of policies it truly expects to implement, as well as a team of enlightened and genuinely dedicated men and women.  We present to you a summary of our principal policies.   We intend placing before you a comprehensive manifesto in due course.

A UNITED SIHALA COUNTRY AND A CLEAN ADMINISTRATION

·        The writ of the Government of  Sri Lanka will be re-established throughout the length and breadth  of this Country and the rule of law will be applied to the letter to all citizens regardless of rank or race.

·        The unitary character and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka will be protected and any attempt at dividing the Country will be so wholly destroyed that the ugly head of separatism could never again be raised in our Land.

·        The Sinhalese race which has from time immemorial founded the civilization of this Country and  members of all other races who regard Sri Lanka as their only motherland will be guaranteed their birthrights of living in and travelling to any part of this Island without fear and  engaging in any occupation of their choice.

·        The Provincial Council system which was foisted on the People and has resulted in the wastage of an enormous sum of money in excess of  Rs.25,000,000,000.00 annually will be abolished; a system of `Development Regions’ based upon river basins in consonance with the geographical realities of the Country will be established,  and the institutions of the Local Government strengthened after a re-demarcation of their boundaries.

·        A long term plan to move the seat of government (the governmental capital) to the ancient city of Anuradhapura which has been the cradle of the Sinhalese civilization and the capital of our land for about 1500 years (or to a place in close proximity thereto in the Rajarata) will be formulated and implemented. This will, in turn, bring the seat of government closer to the residents of the Northern and Eastern Provinces and pave the way for the development of the under-developed areas of the dry zone. Colombo will, however continue to be  our commercial capital.

·        The Public Administration will be cleansed of corruption, sycophancy and waste and a public service which  is efficient and committed to serving the needs of the People re-established.

·        The Buddha Sasana will be guaranteed the rights/privileges  conferred upon them by Article 5 of the Kandyan Convention of 1815 and reflected in the Buddhist Commission Report of 1956 and State patronage given for the performance by Temples of those services traditionally rendered by them to society.

·        A foreign policy which does not permit Sri Lanka to  cow down to any foreign force or non-governmental organization which is inimical to Her sovereignty will be followed.

·        Sihala Urumaya will strive to unite all Sinhalese who are now divided on political, religious and social lines and to defeat all efforts made at dividing the Sinhalese People.

A NATIONAL ECONOMY THAT PROTECTS THE SIHALA HERITAGE.

·        A modern development program which is both speedy and  designed to protect the environmental heritage and the natural resources of  Sri Lanka as well as the needs of future generations, and ensures to the entire people of Sri Lanka a high standard of living, will be implemented.  

·        It is the aim of Sihala Urumaya to build a strong economy founded on the vision of a just society and nationalism, in which abject poverty no longer exists, and the disparity of income levels is reduced to a minimum.

·        It is the aim of Sihala Urumaya to make our Country self sufficient in food and  secure in Her ability to feed our People despite whatever instability there may be in the world economy in the future, and to thereby minimise the threats that could be made to our security and independence by powerful nations.

·        In as much as it is the Sinhalese who most suffered the adverse effects of the existing open economy and received the least benefits therefrom, steps will be taken  to minimise such adverse effects.

·        Agriculture which is the principal  means of livelihood of the Sinhalese People will be resuscitated by following a protectionist policy and maximizing production by the use of  new technology which is harmonious with the environment.

·        The local entrepreneur, the small and medium scale industrialists and those engaged in the service sector of the economy will be encouraged by the provision of modern technology and State protection.

·        A program will be implemented to make the country self-sufficient in essential goods and to provide optimum facilities for distribution and marketing so as to ensure that the cultivator is able to sell his produce for a higher price [than that at which he now sells it]  while the consumer is enabled to purchase it at a lower price [than that at which he now buys it].

·        Such practical and long-term measures as are necessary to cushion the unbearable burden of the cost of living that  the public has got to bear will be taken without delay.

·        Steps will be taken to establish  balanced development in all parts of the Country by the application of a greater percentage of  the national investment in development to the most under-developed areas of the country.

·        Steps will be taken to relieve the acute landlessness of the Kandyan peasantry and the others similarly circumstanced by providing them, as a matter of priority, with land from productive estates which have been abandoned and are located in proximity to the places of their residence.

·        A  program will be implemented whereby `security villages’ are created in close proximity to unprotected villages in the Northern and Eastern Provinces by the grant, to members of the security forces who fought for the Country and the People  regardless of risk to life and limb,  of such land as is necessary to ensure for them a stable future.

·        New systems and methods to provide  to all, employment according to their skills and remuneration which is geared to productivity will be implemented.

·        Sihala Urumaya intends to adapt to the needs of the modern age, the indigenous technological knowledge which is harmonious with the environment and has come down to us over the generations, and to embark upon a path of development which is both our own and consonant with our traditional values and norms.

A CONTENTED SOCIETY

·        Our youth will be regarded, not as a burden on society but as an invaluable resource  and a program of human resource development designed to realise the full potential of their skills will be followed.

·        Sihala Urumaya is committed to destroying the present system whereby the attainment of political leadership is dependent on one’s birth and family connections and to throwing open the doors of opportunity to political leadership to all those born with talent and natural leadership qualities who have earned the respect of society.

·        State patronage will be given to all measures taken to absorb all citizens of Indian origin into the mainstream of our national and cultural life. 

·         Schemes will be implemented for the purpose of  protecting aged pensioners who have expended their energies in the service of the nation, those who are physically handicapped and those who are in a helpless condition due to other reasons as well as for the purpose of developing their skills.

·         Steps will be taken to provide public servants working in remote rural areas with official quarters and incentive payments in addition to their salaries in accordance with the hardships encountered by them having regard to the facilities available in such areas.

ONE NATION, ONE LAW, ONE PEOPLE

·        While any law that may be passed for the public benefit in respect of any subject including subjects such as the possession/ownership of land, birth control etc., will be implemented throughout the length and breadth of the Country in respect of all races and communities without distinction, steps will also be taken to make such amendments to the existing personal/territorial laws of the country which are applicable to only some and not to other segments of the People, so as to make the same laws applicable to all the People of the country without distinction on the basis of race, caste, place of residence and/or religion.

·        A special court will be established with full powers to deal with all those who engage and/or have engaged in dishonest and/or treasonous and/or anti-national activities to enrich themselves at the expense of the Country in respect of defence contracts and the privatisation of public assets regardless of their rank, status or family connections.

This struggle launched by Sihala Urumaya is not directed against any non-Sinhalese segment of the populace but is, on the contrary, a righteous struggle to protect the birthrights and the simple way of  life of the Sinhalese as well as our cultured society which are fast being devastated.  The principal weapons which will be used in this struggle are truth and justice.   Let not our noble struggle be desecrated by any kind of violence of whatever nature.

SIHALA URUMAYA

655, Elvitigala Mawatha

Colombo 5

Tel 501412/596821

Fax: 596820/075 344801

Email – info@sihalaurumaa.org

2.      Rigging of Elections -

RIGGING OF ELECTIONS

The foundation of true democracy is the result of free and fair elections.

If elections are rigged people lose confidence in democracy. In Sri Lanka there has been a trend since of late for much election malpractices, culminating in the infamous Wayamba elections which is considered to have been totally rigged. There are many accusations that even the armed forces and police were partial and supportive of the ruling party, thus making the election a total fraud.

There were also accusations that the armed forces and the police were actively utilized  in support of the ruling party at the last Presidential elections, in areas such as Wattegama, Madawela and Katugastota, in the electorate from which the deputy minister of defence hails.

It is now rumoured that efforts are on the way to rig the forthcoming general elections with the assistance of the armed forces and police. On or about the 24th of this month, the present army commander is supposed to relinquish office. When a commander of the army relinquishes office, the next most senior officer below the age of 55 is appointed to succeed him. If such is the case when the present army commander, Lt. Gen. Srilal Weerasooriya relinquishes office the obvious person to succeed him would be Major Gen. Janaka Perera who is the present second most senior officer, below the age of 55,  who is now the chief of staff of the Sri Lanka army.

However Major Gen. Lionel Balagalle who retired from service recently is still being retained on a  super numeral capacity. It is therefore feared that there is a clear intention of appointing  him as the next commander of the army. If  such an appointment is made, while it would be against all accepted principles in the appointment of an army commander , it would also pave the way for the ruling party to hand over the command of the army to a political appointee. Such an appointment, could then be used very effectively by those in power for the rigging of the next general elections

Major Gen. Lionel Balagalle has a proven track record of failures in military campaigns, Whilst Major Gen. Janaka Perera has a proven record of success in every military campaign he has commanded.  It is prudent to mention that it was Major Gen. Janaka Perera who defeated the LTTE terrorists at  Weli oya in 1995. He lost only one soldier and one grama arakshaka  in this encounter while the LTTE suffered a humiliating defeat with the loss of 498 of its cadres and many more were injured. This probably is the greatest achievement in the history of warfare in world history. In 1996, it was Major Gen. Janaka Perera, as a brigadier who was overall commander for the liberation of  Jaffna and subsequently the liberation of Point Pedro and Kilinochchi. This year we saw the near fall of Jaffna peninsula and it was Gen. Janaka Perera who as overall operations commander prevented such a catastrophe.

For his efforts at liberating the Jaffna peninsula, he was awarded a merit promotion and he thus superseded Major Gen. Lionel Balagalle. However when the then chief of staff relinquished office  on or about April 1999 the merit promotion bestowed on Major Gen. Janaka Perera was withdrawn for the  purpose of appointing  Major Gen. Lionel  Balagalle a supporter of the ruling party as chief of staff of the Sri Lanka army.  If the accepted procedure is overlooked once more by the government and if Major Gen. Lionel Balagalle who is now a retired officer on super numeral strength is appointed army commander over and above the  present chief  of staff who is a professional soldier with no political affiliations, it is adequate proof that the government  has a clear intention of  rigging the general elections to remain in power, with no intention whatsoever of defeating the separatist terrorists to bring peace and  tranquillity to our nation.

Sumedha

August 2000.

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