S. P. Thamilselvan
Encyclopedia
Suppayya Paramu Thamilselvan, commonly known as S. P. Tamilselvan, (sometimes transscribed as "Tamilchelvan"), was the leader of the political wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
, an organisation fighting for a separate state for the ethnic Tamil minority in northern Sri Lanka
from majority Sinhalese govt. He was a prominent negotiator and one of the closest associates of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran
.
, Jaffna in 1967, joined the LTTE in 1984,. At one point, he was the personal bodyguard for the LTTE's leader, Vellupillai Prabhakaran. He became the LTTE organisation area commander for Jaffna
during the IPKF intervention in the late 1980s. In 1993, he suffered a shrapnel wound at the Punarin battle
which left him with a permanent limp and since then he walked with the aid of a cane. In 2001, he narrowly avoided being killed by the Sri Lankan Army's Deep Penetration Unit.
Thamilselvan began to rise in the movement after the capture of Jaffna city by government forces in the late 1990s. He was the international face of the separatist group led by Velupillai Prabhakaran
and outlawed as a terrorist organisation by some countries. When Norway
began mediating in the peace efforts, he began to become more prominent due to the worsening health of the LTTE's international spokesman, Anton Balasingham
, and led the LTTE's delegation during peace talks in Geneva
.
. Thamilselvan's fortified bunker was hit by Sri Lankan Bunker Blaster bombs of the SLAF fighter jets (mig 27, kfir
), igniting fuel tanks stored inside and collapsing the structure.
and the defeat of LTTE, Thamilselvan's widow Sasirekha and two children surrendered to the government forces. From May 2009 to May 2011, they were kept under protective custody at a chalet in the Panagoda
army cantonment. They were allowed to maintain "supervised" contact with close relatives. In May 2011, they were released under a restricted release order. Thamilselvan's children attend an international school in Colombo
.
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was a separatist militant organization formerly based in northern Sri Lanka. Founded in May 1976 by Vellupillai Prabhakaran, it waged a violent secessionist and nationalist campaign to create an independent state in the north and east of Sri Lanka for Tamil...
, an organisation fighting for a separate state for the ethnic Tamil minority in northern Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
from majority Sinhalese govt. He was a prominent negotiator and one of the closest associates of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran
Velupillai Prabhakaran
Thiruvenkadam Velupillai Prabhakaran was the founder and leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a militant organization that sought to create an independent Tamil state in the north and east of Sri Lanka...
.
Biography
Thamilselvan, who was born in ChavakacheriChavakacheri
Chavakacheri is a town in the Jaffna peninsula of Sri Lanka which has been badly devastated in the Sri Lankan civil war. Today, the people of Chavakacheri have rebuilt the town, but the population remains drastically lower than the pre-war years....
, Jaffna in 1967, joined the LTTE in 1984,. At one point, he was the personal bodyguard for the LTTE's leader, Vellupillai Prabhakaran. He became the LTTE organisation area commander for Jaffna
Jaffna
Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...
during the IPKF intervention in the late 1980s. In 1993, he suffered a shrapnel wound at the Punarin battle
Battle of Pooneryn
The Battle of Pooneryn was a battle fought on November 11, 1993 for the town of Pooneryn.-Background:The main target of the LTTE in the shorline offensive was the Sri Lankan government naval base at Pooneryn...
which left him with a permanent limp and since then he walked with the aid of a cane. In 2001, he narrowly avoided being killed by the Sri Lankan Army's Deep Penetration Unit.
Thamilselvan began to rise in the movement after the capture of Jaffna city by government forces in the late 1990s. He was the international face of the separatist group led by Velupillai Prabhakaran
Velupillai Prabhakaran
Thiruvenkadam Velupillai Prabhakaran was the founder and leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a militant organization that sought to create an independent Tamil state in the north and east of Sri Lanka...
and outlawed as a terrorist organisation by some countries. When Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
began mediating in the peace efforts, he began to become more prominent due to the worsening health of the LTTE's international spokesman, Anton Balasingham
Anton Balasingham
Anton Stanislaus Balasingham was the chief political strategist and chief negotiator of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam a militant organization...
, and led the LTTE's delegation during peace talks in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
.
Death
Thamilselvan, along with 5 other high ranking Tamil Tiger rebels were killed in sleep on November 2, 2007 by a precision air strike carried out by the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) on an undisclosed location near the LTTE's stronghold town of KilinochchiKilinochchi
Kilinochchi is a city in the Kilinochchi District, part of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. Kilinochchi is situated at the A9 road some south-east of Jaffna...
. Thamilselvan's fortified bunker was hit by Sri Lankan Bunker Blaster bombs of the SLAF fighter jets (mig 27, kfir
KFIR
KFIR is a radio station licensed to Sweet Home, Oregon, USA, the station serves the Willamette Valley. Albany, Corvallis, Lebanon, Salem, Sweet Home. News/Talk with Dennis Miller, Glenn Beck, Lars Larson, & Coast to Coast weekdays. The station is currently owned by Radio Fiesta Network,...
), igniting fuel tanks stored inside and collapsing the structure.
Widow and children
With the end of the Sri Lankan civil warSri Lankan civil war
The Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...
and the defeat of LTTE, Thamilselvan's widow Sasirekha and two children surrendered to the government forces. From May 2009 to May 2011, they were kept under protective custody at a chalet in the Panagoda
Panagoda
Panagoda is a town in Western Province, Sri Lanka of Sri Lanka. Its 20 km away from Colombo. Situated there is the Panagoda Cantonment, the largest military base in the country....
army cantonment. They were allowed to maintain "supervised" contact with close relatives. In May 2011, they were released under a restricted release order. Thamilselvan's children attend an international school in Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
.