Hardcore Tigers among detainees identified, legal action awaited
The police and security forces have so far identified
737 hardcore terrorists among 11,686 LTTE cadres who surrendered. They
are being held separately from others undergoing rehabilitation at
different government-run centres.
A senior military official said on Monday (July 26)
that those involved in major terrorist attacks would have to be legally
dealt with. He said hardcore terrorists could not be released along with
ordinary LTTE combatants, as they could pose a security threat.
Brigadier Sudantha Ranasinghe, Commissioner General of Rehabilitation
said that the 737 ex-LTTE personnel were among 7,948 persons held by
authorities. He said that they were all men. Asked by The Island whether
among the detained terrorists were Yogiratnam Yogi, one-time LTTE
negotiator and Balakumaran of the EROS, who threw his weight behind
Velupillai Prabhakaran, Brig. Ranasinghe said that he did not have them.
After the conclusion of the war in May last year, the
military with the support of the police questioned surrendered LTTE
cadres to establish their involvement in terrorist operations. Senior
police officials said that they had an opportunity to use LTTE
informants to identify hardcore terrorists taking cover among civilians.
They said that terrorists had fled their frontline positions as the army
advanced into their territory and sought refuge in the government-held
area. They said a sizeable group among them had voluntarily accepted
their involvement, while others made an attempt to secure IDP status.
Rehabilitation and Law Reforms Minister Dew Gunasekera
told The Island that there were two categories of LTTE cadres in
government custody. He said: "There are about 600 to 700 men and women
arrested over a period of time by successive governments. Among them are
persons held in connection with high profile assassination bids
targeting VIPs. The second category comprises those, who were taken in
during the final phase of Eelam war IV."
Minister Gunasekera said that they would make every
effort to expedite cases of those held on terrorism charges.
Acknowledging the difficult task ahead, he said that Tamil political
parties continued to take up the issue regularly in Parliament.
Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa recently told
The Island that a section of the international community constantly
raised the issue to step up pressure on the government. Referring to
ongoing efforts to rehabilitate LTTE combatants and resettle the war
displaced, Defence Secretary Rajapaksa said that those involved in
serious incidents had to be prosecuted.
Government sources said that the International
Organisation for Migration was involved in their programme to
rehabilitate LTTE cadres. A spokesperson for IOM told The Island: "We
were requested by the Government of Sri Lanka to support its efforts
towards implementing programmes to integrating former LTTE/TMVP cadres
into civilian life in both the Eastern and Northern Provinces. We do so
through the implementation of direct support programmes to former LTTE/TMVP
cadres as well as the provision of technical assistance to the
Commissioner General for Rehabilitation (CGR)."
"IOM's support includes tailor made assistance through
the provision of employment opportunities, creation of income-generation
avenues, vocational training and civic education based on face to face
personalised interviews where we identify the actual needs and the level
of skill and capacity to meet them."
Courtesy : Daily news | 
