Tamil nationalist leader Pazha Nedumaran claimed on Monday, February 13 that Vellupillai Prabhakaran, leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), is still alive. Nedumaran made this claim in Thanjavur during a press conference. The claim was denied by Sri Lanka’s Director of Media and Army Spokesperson Brigadier Ravi Herath. Prabhakaran was declared dead by the Sri Lankan Army on May 18, 2009, marking the third and final phase of the Srilankan Civil War.
At the press conference, Nedumaran claimed, “This current global situation and following the explosive protest by the Sinhala people that brought down the Rajapaksha regime, this is the time to make this announcement. Tamil national leader Prabhakaran is alive and well. I’m profoundly happy to tell this to Tamils all over the world. This news will be a full stop to all the rumours and fears spread about him so far.” Nedumaran further claimed that “Prabhakaran will soon announce the plans he has for the Tamil Eelam people. We ask that Eelam Tamils and Tamil across the world offer their support to him.”
This is, however, not the first time that Nedumaran has claimed that Prabhakaran is alive. In 2010, at a press meet in Thoothukudi, Nedumaran said that war would happen again in Eelam and Prabhakaran would lead the war. Later, in February 2016, Nedumaran said at a press meet in Coimbatore that Prabhakaran was alive and that the Indian government never confirmed his death.
Also in May 2009 a photo went viral and was used as “proof” that Prabhakaran had not been killed during the War. In the picture the LTTE leader can be seen watching the news of his death on TV. It was later proved that an old picture of Prabkharan was doctored.
At the same conference, Nedumaran also claimed that “during the height of their power, the LTTE did not allow any of India’s enemy nations to set foot in their soil. Prabhakaran was firm on the idea that he would not take help of any kind from India’s enemy nations at any given time. Presently, China is taking big steps to create opposition to India in Sri Lanka. I ask the Indian government to intervene and prevent the danger of Chinese domination in the Indian Ocean.”
Nedumaran also asked at this conference that the Tamil Nadu state government, all the political parties in Tamil Nadu, and the Tamil people should stand together in support of Prabhakaran.