MILITARISM WAS IN THE BLOOD AND DNA OF THE SRI LANKAN TAMILS

Militarism is the belief or the desire of a government or a people that a state should maintain a strong millitary capability and to use it aggressively to expand or protect national interests and/or values (culture, heritage, territory, race, language). It may also imply the glorification of the military and of the ideals of a professional military class and the "predominance of the armed forces in the administration or policy of the state"

Tamil Tiger poster during the Tamil insurgency era (1970s to 1983)

The connection between Nationalism and Millitarism dates back to the early 18th century during the “Nation Buliding” era. For the Tamils it came to prominence after continuous State violence and the failure of the Tamil “democratic” spectrum. The 1977 Anti-Tamil pogrom by the Sri Lankan Regime and Sinhalese mobs due to the victory the Tamil Nationalist Party (TULF) which stood for Independence sent many youths to take up arms as a self defence mechanism. TULF won in North East (Tamil Eelam). After the forced expulsion of TULF from Sri Lankan Parliament, militants ruled the Tamil political movement. As a result, the 1970s saw the emergence of more than 30 Tamil militant groups.

Colonel Theepan (left)

Tamils's military strength key to Tamils' future- Colonel Theepan

“Speaking at a sports event commemorating the martyrs of the Special Reconnaissance Wing of the Liberation Tigers Wednesday, in an undisclosed location in Vanni, Northern Region Military Commander, Col.Theepan said, "Tamil peoples' future and victory in the struggle for self-determination are critically dependent on our military strength. Our continued transformation to engage and beat the enemy in all types of warfare is fundamental to our security and to live as a free nation," sources in Vanni said. - TamilNet

Maaveerarkal (Great Hero’s/Great Warrior’s) and Maaveerar Naal (Great Hero’s Day/ Great Warriors Day) was a important part and still is of the Warrior Society the Tamil Tigers tried to bulid. Both the Maaveerar Naal (27th November) and Black Tigers Day (5th July) is remembered every year. Many monuments, parks (Kittu Poonga), gardens, memorials were bulit for them all over Tamil Eelam and even some in Tamil Nadu (India).

Military strength, vigilance key to our freedom - Pottu Amman

Intelligence Chief (TOSIS) and Commander Pottu Amman (Shanmugalingam Sivashankar, second from left

“The Tamil nation gained unprecedented strength through our military feats in the series of battles in Vanni against Sri Lankan armed forces who were intent on annihilating us. This success was made possible because our leaders never lost confidence and cadres believed in our ability to confront the enemy even after the occupation of Jaffna by the Sri Lankan Forces and the attempted rout by the Indian army. The battle of Elephant Pass was a pointer to the military might of the Tamils,” observed Pottu Amman.

Brigadier Balraj’s Millitary Honours, he was a important factor in the Operation Unceasing Waves III which captured the Elephant Pass

“Let us remember that we are a nation forsaken by the international community in our struggle for freedom. It is in such situation that the fortitude of our fighters and their sacrifice gather momentous magnitude. When Tamils mature into a formidable military, political and economic force, the value of the lives sacrificed by our martyrs will attain fruition,” Pottu Amman told thousands of people gathered at the ceremony.

“The historical burden of responsibility placed on us dictates that we become powerful. We need to be vigilant not to fall victim to the snares set by either the Sri Lankan government or its surrogates. It is in our vigilance that our freedom survives. And it is from the might of our strength that our heroic history should be chiselled,” he said.

“If we fail, our enemies will be the scribes of our history in which the lives of our martyrs will be tarnished and ridiculed. It becomes incumbent on us to give our martyrs, the glory they deserve,” added Pottu amman.

“On April 22nd, the Liberation Tigers hoisted their flag (Flag of Tamil Eelam) in the heart of what was once one of the most fortified military garrisons in South Asia. The fall of Elephant Pass, described as "impregnable" by a US army officer who visited the garrison months earlier, established the Tigers as the only non-state military force in the world today capable of complex manoeuvre war fighting.” - TamilNet (25.11.05)

Flag of Tamil Eelam

The jumping tiger was adopted from the emblem of the Chola Empire

, it should reflect the martial history (Veera varalaru) and the national upheaval of the Tamils. The national flag is the symbol of the independent state of Tamil Eelam

to be created, rooted in the martial traditions (Veera marapuhal) of the Tamils," LTTE organ Viduthalai Puligal said in its February 1991 issue.

Vellupillai Prabhakaran

himself mentioned in a Tamil interview the circle and crossed bayonets represent the armed resistance and were based on the historical shield with crossed swords flag of Pandara Vanniyan. The circle sometimes considered to be a "Uthaya Suriyan" (rising sun) which is a symbol of Sri Lankan Tamils and earlier political movements. The LTTE leader was often compared to Pandara Vanniyan of Vannimai, because both had a similar fate and their association to the Vanni Forest and Tamilakam. Pandara Vanniyan

was a freedom fighter during the British colonial era in Sri Lanka.

33 bullets

The bullets symbolise the historical 33 years between 1948

- 1981 (oppression the Tamil population by the Sri Lankan government before the outbreak of Sri Lankan Civil War

). Sri Lanka got independece from the British in 1948 and the Jaffna Library got burned down in 1981. Both are seen as black days by Tamils. Over 90 000 were burnt including manuscripts from the Tamil Sangam period.

• 11 bullets on the left
• 11 bullets on the right
• 11 bullets at the top
• total: 33 bullets

Colours

Flag of the Tamil Democrats with the traditional colors of Tamil Eelam

Four aspects of ideals and mission of Tamil Eelam represented by the four colours are detailed in the published guide book.

The yellow signifies that Tamils' aspiration to freely govern themselves in their own homeland is a fundamental political and human right. The colour expresses the righteousness of Tamil struggle and reinforces Tamil Nation's will to uphold moral highground during its path towards freedom.

The red represents the realisation that freedom is not complete by establishment of a separate state of Tamil Eelam. Distinctions of caste and class should be abolished. Egalitarianism should become their spiritual principle. Gender equality should permeate Tamil society. The revolutionary changes necessary to spread social justice represented by these principles are reflected by this colour.

The black reminds that march towards freedom is wrought with dangers, death and destruction, that is filled with pain and misery. It signifies determination and resoluteness vital to withstand the adversities and build the new nation of Tamil Eelam, to provide security and to defend the borders.

The white demands purity, honesty and selflessness from the leaders and citizens of Tamil Eelam.

The Tamil Tigers bulit a disciplined millitary culture and even brought back the warrior ancestor worship rituals which we only see in some villages. They meant the decades of British rule had weakned the Tamil spirit, who were previously seen as warriors who bulit the greatest Empires (Chola, Pandiyan, Chera).

LTTE - Tamil Tigress in combat training

The Tamil Tigers were the only Non-State organization to have own AirForce, Navy (including submarine Division), Ground Troops (Conventional Warfare). LTTE successfully assasinated two World Leaders, dozens of High Ranking Sri Lankan Millitary Officers and other Rebel Leaders. They later created a seperate self sacrifice unit called the Black Tigers and this unit had own Tri-Forces (Ground, Air, Sea) and was seperate from the regular forces.

Tamil National Leader and the Tamil Tiger Supremo explicitly stated that an armed struggle is the only way to resist asymmetric warfare

, in which one side, that of the Sri Lankan government (Sinhalese), is armed and the other (Tamils) comparatively unarmed. He argued that he chose military means only after observing that non–violent means have been ineffectual and obsolete, especially after the Thileepan incident. Thileepan, a Lt. Colonel rank officer (LTTE) adopted Gandhian

means (hunger strike) to protest against the IPKF killings by staging a fast unto death from 15 September 1987, and by abstaining from food or water until 26 September, when he died in front of thousands of Tamils who had come there to fast along with him. Annai Poopathy (Mother Poopathy ) did a simillar hunger strike against the Indian Goverment in 1988. It was completely ignored which only fuelled the armed resistance movement.

V.Prabhakaran created one of the histories most powerful Resistance Movements

Tactically, Hon V.Prabhakaran perfected the recruitment and use of self sacrificing units (Black Tigers). His fighters usually took no prisoners and were notorious for assaults that often left every single enemy soldier dead. Interpol

described him as someone who was "very alert, known to use disguise and capable of handling sophisticated weaponry and explosives."

Hon. Balasingham (left) with Political Head Tamilchelvan

Chief Political Strategist, Chief Negotiator and journalist Balasingham, the theoretician of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam

(LTTE), states that the causes of the militarization of the Tamil youth were unemployment, lack of opportunities for higher education, and the imposition of an alien language. He further alleges that the majority Sinhalese government was responsible for these problems, adding that the only alternative left for Tamil youths was a "revolutionary armed struggle for the independence of their nation". Acts like the Sinhala Only Acts of 1956, Standardisation Act of 1971, Citizenships Acts of 1948 and continued atrocities (State Terrorism, massacres, genocide etc) against Tamils and the foreign backup the Sri Lankan Goverment received made the Tamils furious. In 1944 J.R. Jayawardene moved in the State Council that only Sinhala

and not Tamils should replace English as the official language and went against 1936 Motion to declare both Sinhalese and Tamils as Offical languages.

Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Head - Swedish Senior Major General Ulf Henricsson with Colonel Soosai (Tamil Eelam Navy/Sea Tigers)

The Tamil Tigers were also firm that reason why the World and their “enemy” came to the negotionan table was only because of their millitary strength. The Tamil issues were ignored by Sri Lanka and the International community until the Tamils were armed to the teeth and will be ignored if they in the future get disarmed.

Sadly it became a reality today. Even by winning elections Tamil Parties tend get ignored both by Sri Lanka and in the International Arena. The LTTE have argued that minority parties will always get ignored or outvoted in a Majoritian state like Sri Lanka. During 2019 Presidental Election the memorandum (13 Demands) signed by the Oppostion Party (Tamil National Alliance) were ignored by the major Sinhalese parties.

"I am not worried about the opinion of the Jaffna people... now we cannot think of them, not about their lives or their opinion... the more you put pressure in the north, the happier the Sinhala people will be here... Really if I starve the Tamils out, the Sinhala people will be happy."
- President J.R.Jayawardene, Daily Telegraph, July 1983

If there is discrimination in this land which is not their (Tamil) homeland, then why try to stay here. Why not go back home (India) where there would be no discrimination. There are your kovils

and Gods

. There you have your culture, education, universities, etc. There you are masters of your own fate

- Mr. W.J.M. Lokubandara, M.P

 in Sri Lanka's Parliament, July 1981, aftermath of the Burning of the Jaffna Library

The LTTE was the most solidly nationalistic Tamil resistance organization. Furthermore, because of its policies, constructive Tamil Nationalist platform, and desire for national self-determination, the LTTE was supported by major sections of the Tamil community. It even established a de facto state in the areas under its control, called Tamil Eelam

, and had managed a government in these areas, providing state functions

such as courts, a police force, a human rights organization, and a humanitarian assistance board. a health board, and an education board. In addition, it ran a bank (Bank of Tamil Eelam), a radio station (Voice of Tigers) and a television station (National Television of Tamil Eelam).

Tamil Eelam Police Force