The Sri Lankan Army releases the first images of the body of Prabhakaran

New Delhi, 19 may 2009. - The Sri Lankan Army today released the first images of the body of the head of the Tamil Tigers (LTTE), Vellupillai Prabhakaran, hours after the president of Sri Lanka announced officially ended 26 years of war.
"The body of V. Prabhakaran, leader of the most barbaric psychopath terrorist organization in the world, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has been found recently, "the defense ministry said in a statement.
The video released by Defense showed a group of soldiers around the body of the guerrilla leader, rebel uniform provisions on a stretcher and attacked by flies, his face swollen and apparent gunshot wounds to the head.
The discovery was made ​​by the Army in the vicinity of Lake Nanthikadal, where troops on Monday rejected a last attempt by guerrillas to escape the suffering siege, which caused, according to the official, 352 dead in rebel ranks.
"The victory we have achieved by defeating the LTTE is the victory of our country, our homeland. Protect the Tamil people is my responsibility and my duty, "Rajapaksa said in his testimony before Parliament, received continuous applause.
Rajapaksa appealed to the international community to rebuild the north, ravaged by war, but refused to "import" a political solution to give autonomy to minority Tamils, the main victims of the conflict.
"We have no time to experiment with the solutions suggested by other countries," said Rajapaksa, after providing for national reconciliation and advocate for the integration of all.
The fighting guerrillas and the army in recent months have killed at least 6,500 civilians, according to UN figures, 265,000 while others are confined in camps set up by the Government not get out of them.
"Our goal was to protect the Tamils ​​from the clutches of the LTTE. To protect innocent Tamil civilians our soldiers sacrificed their lives, "said Rajapaksa, who declared tomorrow a public holiday in commemoration of the" defeat of terrorism. "
During his speech, Rajapaksa was silent on Prabhakaran, fueling speculation for a few hours of his death, further reinforced because a senior guerrilla in exile denied the death of their leader.
"The Government of Sri Lanka makes unverified claims. I can only say that our national leader is alive and safe, "he said in an interview for the website Tamilnet, akin to the guerrillas, the head of international relations of the LTTE, S. Pathmanathan.
Official sources confirmed on Monday the death of Prabhakaran, who allegedly tried to flee the area aboard an armored vehicle and an ambulance with his number two, Pottu Amman, the head of the naval division, Soosai.
The guerrillas was surrounded for weeks by the army in a small strip in the northeast where it is also crammed tens of thousands of civilians, victims of shelling by the troops and rebel repression when attempting to escape.
After the final match on Monday, the Army published a list of 18 names of dead guerrilla leaders in which Prabhakaran was not, although his closest associates and his eldest son, Charles Anthony, head of technology.
Today, Pathmanathan troops accused of committing a "crime against humanity" by the "murder" of the political leader of the LTTE, B. Nadesan, the head of the secretariat of peace (LTTEPS), S. Puleedevan, who tried to negotiate with the troops unarmed and carrying white flags.
"What happened on Monday was a well-planned slaughter of several officers unarmed civilians by the LTTE in order to annihilate its political structure," the Tamilnet website, which pointed to a "tall figure of Defense" is responsible.
The LTTE launched an armed uprising against Sri Lanka in 1983 to claim an independent state in the north and east of the island controlled by the Sinhalese majority, and since then has killed more than 80,000 victims of violence.
The international community already focused attention on the fate of civilians confined in the fields of government, awaiting the visit Friday to the island of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

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