Translation of LTTE Leader's speech (13 May 98)

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 May 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The LTTE leader, Mr. Vellupillai Pirabhakaran delivered a speech in Tamil on 13 May 1998, the first anniversary of the launch of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Operation, 'Jaya Sikirui'('Victory Assured' in Sinhala). The following is TamilNet's translation of the speech.

This is an important day in the history of our national liberation struggle. We have fought for an year opposing Jayasikurui, the largest military offensive of our enemy, the Sri Lankan government. This operation, which began with the great propaganda that it would be completed in three months drags on even after one year . As a singular operation which has lasted for one year it gains importance not only in the history of the Tamil Eelam struggle but it has also become significant as a very long offensive in the history warfare. Our liberation movement has established a record in the history of warfare, an unparalleled feat in the Vanni, by ferociously fighting to oppose the invasion of the enemy, stopping his advance, and by cornering him in the jungles of the Vanni.

Operation Jayasikurui is no ordinary offensive. It is the mother of all battles which took place on our soil. The enemy fought this battle by concentrating all his strength and resources in it. A very large force with thirty thousand troops belonging to three divisions, specially trained elite military units and the Navy and the Police as rear forces, was deployed in this battle. A large number of heavy artillery, tanks, bombers and attack helicopters of the SLAF which backed the infantry played an important role in this battle. The Sinhala nation concentrated its forces to launch the offensive into the Vanni, the heartland of Tamil Eelam as though it was invading a foreign country.

What is the military objective and the ulterior political goal of this massive offensive?

The Sinhala government says that the aim of Operation Jayasikurui is to open the Kandy road to make travelling easier for the Tamil people. But this is not the real objective of the operation.

There are very dangerous and destructive motives behind Op. Jayasikurui. The Kandy road cuts through the heart of the Vanni region. The Sinhala chauvinist state thinks that it can carve the Vanni into two by capturing the highway, thereby destroying the territorial integrity of the Tamil homeland.

The Sinhala government understands that the Vanni is under the control of the Liberation Tigers. The enemy knows that the leadership of the Liberation Tigers, their camps and administrative structure are located here. Therefore the Sinhala government assumed that if it launched an offensive into the heart of the Vanni, the Tigers would be compelled to face the battle.

The chauvinists thought that in this situation they could destroy the military strength of the Tigers and through that the national freedom

movement of the Tamil people if they used massive military power and firepower. The Chandrika regime wrongly calculated that the national problem of the Tamil people could be solved militarily if it could destroy the Liberation Tigers and link north Tamil Eelam with Sri Lanka. The Sinhala government refers to this strategy insidiously as the war for peace.

It is with such destructive intention that Operation Jayasikurui began its aggression on the soil of the Vanni.

We understood from the start that the enemy's motive was very dangerous. This was not only a challenge to the unity of our homeland but also to the very existence of our liberation movement. Therefore we were firmly resolved to ferociously oppose this invasion, using all our power. We devised our battle plan and tactics on this determination to stop the Sinhala army of aggression and to deliver a powerful retaliatory blow to the enemy. The Sinhala government and the Sinhala military leadership had an erroneous assessment of our organisation's strength and our determination to fight. The Sinhala government assumed that the Tigers were weak because of our tactical withdrawal from Jaffna and the fact that we did not oppose Operation Edibala. It is because of this that the army leadership set short dead lines and was put to shame.

We were prepared to take on Operation Jayasikurui. We had streamlined and organised our military structure so as to face a massive military offensive. Our fire power was strengthened following the great victory at Mullaitivu. On the basis of this strength, we built new units such as the artillery unit, the anti-tank unit and the anti-aircraft unit. These were created with a tight structure, and as units that could undertake multi-pronged attacks. We devised sophisticated battle tactics and methods of defence on the basis of our long experience with the enemy's military strategy, which would shock him. We constructed very strong defences at strategic points. In this manner, we prepared ourselves to face the largest Sinhala military invasion.

Jayasikirui is a large military operation which has seen very intense battles, large scale attacks, and different types of engagements, beginning on May 13 last year and completing 365 days today. Our premeditated defence attacks and commando attacks on the Sinhala occupation army caused unprecedented losses and have stopped the advance of the enemy forces. Our successful attacks at Thandikulam and later at Karappukuththi and Vingnanakulam dispersed and destablised the enemy forces. The enemy sustained heavy losses in manpower and weapons. These attacks made the

enemy realise that the Tiger army had the power to penetrate any of its paths in any direction on the Vanni soil.

The greatest example of the powerful defensive fighting capability of the Tiger army soldiers was Puliyankulam. Here, our fighters constructed strong defences and for five months defeated without flinching many attempts by the enemy to advance. Unable to face the ferocious defensive attacks of the Tiger soldiers, the Sinhala army had to turn off from the Kandy road and spread itself into the jungles on either side. Later, the daring defensive attacks by the Tigers at Puthur junction, Mannakulam and recently at Olumadu, not only inflicted heavy casualties, but destroyed the enemy's resolve. Our fighters who are now defending Mankulam after Puliyankulam have become a nightmare to the enemy.

The Sinhala occupation army has used every type of tactic to achieve its goal in Operation Jayasikirui. It experimented with new tactics found in the journals of military science , and furthermore, it implemented the battle plans of foreign military experts. However, none of these battle tactics were successful against the Liberation Tigers. These could not break the defensive formations of the Tigers. These tactical attempts to advance caused setbacks and great losses to the enemy.

In this year long battle, the Sri Lankan Army has lost more than 3,000 troops. More than 7,000 have been wounded. In this long battle, several specially trained elite units were destroyed by us. Armoured units have been smashed. Armouries, explosive dumps and military vehicles have been destroyed. The Tigers have captured a very large quantity of military material. The enemy's loss is very great. Despite all these losses, the enemy has not yet reached his goal.

Every battle that we faced in this operation has provided us with new experience in the art of war. As a result, our fighting skills have grown immensely. This war experience has further strengthened the morale and the dedication of our fighters. In the test of fire we have gone through for one year, we were not burnt out, but arose with new life and with strength.

The enemy's military power is great. His firepower is also great. His resources are great. In this sense, the military balance was in the enemy's favour. But we had one strength that the enemy did not have: that is the determination of our fighters. Our most powerful weapon in the Vanni battlefield was the unshakeable determination and the daring which came from it.

We got immense strength from the determination displayed by our fighters in this long battle, although the enemy stood like a mountain in a unequal military balance. It is this immense strength that shook the Sinhala military giant in the Vanni.

I know very well the dangers, the crises and the sufferings our fighters had to face as they fought this year long battle.

Our fighters faced artillery barrages which came down like fire rain and lightning bombing raids without taking rest or sleep and without proper food.

Mother nature was also not kind to us in the Vanni battle field. Our fighters had to bare the heavy monsoon rains, the cold mists, the scorching sun of the dry-season, snakes, mosquitoes and malaria of the Vanni jungles. Our fighters did not rest even when the battle stopped. They were determined to protect our soil by digging trenches, building bunkers and living in them sleeplessly day and night.

The mental strength, alacrity and exceptional endurance which our fighters displayed in the Jayasikurui war is highly commendable. I am proud of these remarkable war qualities of my soldiers.

The role our commanders played in this historical war is important. We were able to achieve victories in the Vanni battlefield due to the unshakeable determination, hardwork of our commanders.

The efficiency displayed by our commanders who organised our military units, implemented attack plans and motivated and led our fighters in the battlefield is greatly commendable.

We faced this massive invasion by unifying the efforts of all our units. Each unit carried out its duty commendably. The artillery unit which broke the backbone of many an attempt made by the enemy to advance. The recce unit which observed and communicated the enemies positions and movements under great dangers, the special anti-tank unit which smashed the enemies armour, the black Tiger unit which destroyed the enemy's determination, the antiaircraft unit which knocked out many attack-helicopters from the battlefield have to be congratulated. The role played by our organisation's medical corps is very great. I congratulate the medical corps which treated, looked after and saved the lives of the large number of fighters who were wounded. I congratulate the video and photography units which amidst dangers and obstacles documented this struggle. My congratulations to the transport and logistical divisions which carried out their duties well in the midst of the shelling and bombing.

The people have also made their contribution. I am extremely happy about this.

My heartfelt congratulations to the great service rendered by the people who provided dry rations, dug trenches to protect our fighters and donated blood to save their lives. The Jayasikurui battle which will be entering its 2nd year tomorrow will continue again for a long time. The Sinhala government doesn't have the courage now to give it a deadline. However, the government will not give up this battle to open the highway because there are political motives which are intertwined with this military operation. The Sinhala government is making hard attempts to activate the tired military machine by changing army commanders and prematurely promoting army officers, and by continuing to grant one amnesty after the other to deserters.

Therefore Jayasikuri battle will continue. The blood of the aggressors will flow again. Their blood will flow again on this unconquerable soil. Thousands upon thousands of innocent Sinhala youth are going to become the victims to the empty pride and blind policies of the Kandyan aristocracy.

The Chandrika regime is blacking out the truth about the situation in the field in operation Jayasikurui. It is cheating the world and the Sinhala people by propagating lies and by covering up its immense losses in the war. However, the government could not cover up the fact that this military operation has been recorded in military history as a unique battle which lasted for one year. The world will assess this operation as a great military setback to the Sri Lankan government when it considers its prolongation and uncertain future.

The fighting capability which our organisation displayed in this battle has surprised military experts. The world has realised the truth that the Tiger force which is the army of the Tamils has grown into a national liberation army.

The Jayasikuri operation has pushed the Chandrika regime into a great crisis. The desire to dominate by suppressing the homeland of Tamils through military power is leading the Sinhala nation on the path to ruin. We love our motherland more than our lives. Our home country is like the life of our nation. Protecting our soil is equal to protecting the soul of our nation. The Jayasikurui battle shall not stop until we drive out the aggressors who have penetrated into the heart of our homeland. The Jayasikurui battle will not stop. I bow my head in salute to the 1300 fighters who fought with courage in the Jayasikuri battle and died for the liberation of our soil.

The thirst of the Tigers is for the homeland of Tamil Eelam

V. Pirabakaran

Leader, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.