How did Prabhakaran die?

He committed suicide -Karuna

By Manjula Fernando

Earlier last week Karuna Amman alias Vinayagamoorthy Muralithran, a one-time, trusted bodyguard of LTTE leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran and LTTE Eastern Commander turned politician, in an interview with India's Puthiya Thalaimurai TV, stirred a hornets nest, when he claimed Prabhakran was not killed by the Sri Lankan military as claimed but shot himself with his pistol, His claims were however rejected outright by former Army Commander, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka who claimed Karuna Amman who was a virtual prisoner in his own home for his safety till the end of the war, had little or no knowledge of the outside world or about the death of Prabhakaran.

Q: You have claimed in an interview with an Indian TV station that Prabhakaran committed suicide by shooting himself and was not killed by the Sri Lankan Army as claimed. Why did it take you six years to say this?

A: I explained the proper situation. There were many notions about Prabhakaran's death. Some people misinformed by diaspora propaganda accused former president, Mahinda Rajapaksa. They said Prabhakaran was arrested, brought to Colombo and tortured. I gave my personal comments to an Indian TV channel.

I said he died in the battlefield and that he may have committed suicide, it was a guess based on my battelfield experience.

This incident happened around 12.00 to 12.30 am. I did not know about it at the time. Around 5.30am former President Mahinda Rajapaksa gave me a phone call, he said "Pirapaharan was killed by the Army, can you go and identify him. If you identify him I will believe he's dead."

Q: This was on May 18, 2009?

A:No, in the early morning of May 19, he rang me at home. Then Daya Master also joined me. We both went in an Air Force helicopter to the site where his body was found.

I saw the head injury. I was in the LTTE for 20 years. According to my battle field experience I know a close range gunshot causes a bigger wound, a gunshot from a distance will only drill your head.

I knew Pirapaharan used blunt bullets for his pistol. Hollow point bullets, it's a banned type of bullet. When you shoot with a blunt bullet it spreads and creates a bigger hole. He was a right handed man, so I thought he may have shot himself and this bullet was the reason for the big wound on his head.

Q: Former Army Commander, Sarath Fonseka refuted your claim. He says the head injury could have been caused by artillery or shell fire?

A:He also did not know what exactly happened. It was the time Pirapaharan tried to escape an army ambush. I did not want to undermine the army's role. I just weighed in both sides. In the interview they inquired if I was the reason for the LTTE's defeat. I did not give away any information to the Army. But after my defection they lost their strength.

That was the main reason for their defeat. With me defecting, they lost the battle strategy as well. After I broke away, they never engaged in offensive attacks, it was all defensive acts. They once captured Muttur, but that too only lasted two days.I broke away from the LTTE, I went to India, then Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Lakshman Hulugalla met me in India, they invited me to engage in politics. I got SLFP membership and entered mainstream politics right away.

The claims that I operated a para military group are all lies. I was offered a ministerial post by the former President and I did something for the country.

Q: At the latter stages of the election campaign, you spoke in support of the TNA. Was it because you failed to get nomination under the UPFA ticket?

A:I was not rejected nominations. They wanted me to contest. I refused. The SLFP was on a bad wicket and I could not have won the election on the SLFP ticket.

After Janaury 8, everything changed in Sri Lanka. When Mahinda Rajapaksa lost, the party suffered a major setback.I was promised a national seat. Later Susil Premajayantha and Anura Priyadharshana Yapa cheated me.

After the election they did not honour their word. Had they done it before the election, I would have contested alone and won the election. I have people to support me.

I closed the Vanni IDP camp and sent the people to their homes. Iopened the first SLFP office in Batticaloa with President Maithripal Sirisena in 2008. We took him in an armoured vehicle, amidst a lot of threats.

Q: Do you think you will win an election despite your defection from the LTTE?

A: Yes definitely, I have the support of the eastern people. I have saved a lot of people. I sent home more than 6000 cadres. They are still alive. I am the key person who brought peace to Sri Lanka and I am satisfied about what I have done. That is why even you can go to Jaffna, Batticaloa and I can come to Colombo.

My intention in the TV interview was to clear certain things to the Tamil people. I want to give my voice to the Tamil people. Although I am a member of the SLFP I am a Tamil politician.

Q: Some have accused that you are trying to revive the LTTE with your comments?

A:No never, I am the one who stopped the war first of all. I changed the mindset of the Tamil people. I asked the SLFP and the UNP not to be racists. There are racist politicians among these parties. The Tamils don't want another armed struggle. This election has given that message loud and clear. For example in Jaffna, ex-cadres did not get even a thousand votes.

Gajendrakumar's party campaigned on a one-country two-nation platform. They didn't get even a single seat. Suresh Premachandran who was also a hardliner in the TNA lost his seat.

Q: You have also said that you have details of war crimes?

A: For war crimes, the UN has blamed both sides. The LTTE has committed many war crimes and the Government forces have also committed some. I was in Parliament with them when they declared we won the war with zero casualty. I laughed at them. Who is going to believe that. In a war there are casualties on both sides. I did not say this openly but I told them personally, that it was wrong.

Q: The international community seems to be shifting their rigid stance on Sri Lanka.

A:We have to be careful about the international community, they have shown some leniency towards the present government, yet they can't be trusted. In late September, the Human Rights High Commissioner's report will be out. It will not be a good report.

The battlefront is such that when something happens suddenly, no one get the chance to ask for permission or to give permission. At this time the Army Commander or President will be in Colombo.

But you must punish those who are responsible, then they will not blame the President, Defence Secretary or Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka. Now he is also in the war crimes list, among 45 other people.

Q: Do you think the domestic inquiry that they have proposed is a good thing ?

A: Yes it's a good thing, I never liked foreign invasion in Sri Lanka. I am the only one who knew from A-Z as to what happened in Sri Lanka. Even the Sinhala politicians don't know some of them. All LTTE senior level leaders have perished. I know how many countries played on Sri Lanka.

Q: But you were in a safehouse in Colombo, you had no knowledge of what was going on outside ?

A: I am saying when I was in the LTTE, many countries palyed on Sri Lanka. India gave weapons to both sides. They gave training to the LTTE, I also got training in India in 1983.

When Jayasikuru battles were going on, India gave artillery machines to government forces. The European countries supported in a different way. Russian countries played differently. The LTTE bought all the weapons from Ukraine and other Russian states.

I advice the defence authories not to beseech the international community They will once again spoil our country. They need problems in Sri Lanka for their own interest. We must act with caution.

Q: Even if we do a domestic inquiry, do you think the international community will accept the outcome?

A:That is what we have to clear now. Among the TNA, some demand for an international inquiry, so far Sampanthan has been silent on this matter.

My view, we lost many lives, Tamils, Sinhalese and Muslims. I even lost my own brother. I had only one brother and five sisters. LTTE killed him after I broke away.

But if we go for an international inquiry, as demanded by the diaspora and some Indian extremist politicians and hand over the 45 Sinhalese people who have been accused, will the Sinhalese be quiet? Again there will be violence.

We must leave the past behind us. People want a change, Tamil people showed this in the last election.