The Voice of Pottu Amman

COLOMBO, May 11: As the country paused on Friday for three-day Vesak Poya (Sinhala for Buddha Purnima) celebrations, cold news emerged from the North, where the Sri Lankan Army managed to intercept certain wireless communications. According to top sources, a three-minute conversation intercepted late on Thursday confirmed the presence of Pottu Amman, nom de guerre of Shanmugalingam Sivashankar, the LTTE’s intelligence, covert operations and Black Tigers chief. While it won’t admit it officially, the Army feels that if LTTE chief Prabhakaran has any chance at all of escaping from the formidable Sri Lankan ground-sea cordon, it will be through the singular time-tested cunning of this one man.

“Pottu cannot be underestimated. He is well aware that we can intercept their communications. In the past he has provided false clues knowing that we are listening,” an officer here told Headlines Today. “Without him, Prabhakaran is nothing. We can get him in minutes.”

On April 8, the Army said it had intelligence reports to suggest that Pottu had in fact assumed overall command of the Tamil Tigers, since it was apparently necessary for Prabhakaran to be isolated for security reasons. At this time, it was also revealed that Prabhakaran had appointed Velawan as the ad hoc military chief.

Three days earlier, on April 5, the Army announced that it had listened in to a conversation where Pottu had apparently told cadres after a violent confrontation with the Lankan forces, “Forgive me. This is it. Everything is beyond my control.” For the next few days, he apparently went “silent” – the Army says he used the time to organize the activation of weapon and ammunition stockpiles in the No Fire Zone. In the latest three-minute intercept, sources said Pottu could be heard frantically dishing out instructions for the movement of men and materials.

Minister for Social Welfare Douglas Devananda, a former Tamil militant and the target of at least eight assassination attempts by the LTTE feels the only way to destroy the LTTE is to eliminate Pottu Amman. “Pottu is everything for the LTTE. It will be shaken if not for him. He has so much craze for blood,” the Minister said.

Another minister in the Rajapaksa government, Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Colonel Karuna Amman, a former LTTE commander who worked closely with Pottu Amman in the nineties said, “Pottu is not a fighter. He is skilled at other things. He can orchestrate the destruction of economical targets and assassinations of politicians. But he is not a fighter.”

While the Tigers have put up stiff resistance to closing Lankan ground forces, especially on the Northern bank of the Nanthikadal Lagoon, it is understood that Pottu has organized formidable defences, including bunkers and gun batteries towards the Southern parts of the No Fire Zone, where the final face-off between the Tigers and Lankan troops will in all likelihood take place. Troops of the 58 and 53 Divisions continued their ground advance within the No Fire Zone today, restricting the Tigers and thousands of civilians to a space of less than four square kilometers.

7 thoughts on “The Voice of Pottu Amman”

  1. Hats of to the Sri Lankan Govt and the Military for the successful operations against the LTTE. Had it been India we would have had some jokers clamouring for withdrawal of AFSPA, some wanting the Army to be tethered, some hogging media limelight by accusing the Army of excesses, the IAS/IPS lobby trying to butt in where they have failed and trying to pull down and malign the Military and the Media reporting half baked spice. In Srilanka when the Army Chief called Tamil Politicians ‘Jokers’, the political pack did not hound him.
    But then what do you expect from an INDIA UNDER ITALIAN OCCUPATION?
    JAI HO????

  2. ^^^
    Had it not been for India’s covert co-operation with the Sri Lankan Forces, they would never have got this far.

    And nice article Shiv!

  3. Just a few more square kilometers of Tiger territory left. We have heard this for a long time. I have a sneaking suspicion the army is just prolonging this war just for Rajapakse to be in power longer. Once you officially ‘end’ the war, you can no longer impose emergency curfews, oppress freedom of the press and be the lone source of war information all in the name of contingency and turning Sri Lanka effectively into a Military State. Is the Sri Lankan government following a carrot and stick policy to retain the popular support and feed the populace with victory after victory? If yes, are these tactics sustainable?
    Why should the ethnic Tamils of Lanka suffer for a greed of a few people? Was it their mistake that they were taken as slaves under the erstwhile British empire to work in the plantations of the then Ceylon? I know you cant give answers or insight into these questions with your limited ‘report’ing ability.

    I am a Tamilan from TN and have followed the Sri Lankan crisis in earnest from its start although in no way connected to the conflict except of course the language.
    My only question to the Indian Government and Indians who oppose LTTE’s struggle for Tamil rights (although you might argue they are just power hungry.. we might never come to know) is whether we will intervene using our soft/hard powers if the oppression against Tamils continues in the post-LTTE Sri Lanka?

    Seriously dude, this whole Sri Lankan ‘report’ing bullshit is boring. Its a puzzle why you took all the trouble of traveling to Sri Lanka to copy past stuff from Govt Propaganda. Maybe sight seeing?
    Just stick to what you are good at, posting picture of our LCAs, missiles and stuff. I really loved those better. Sorry about my rudeness, I’m just fed up with your non existing reporting prowess.

    -Vel

  4. Well said Vel.I agree with you…

    Shiv,
    I enjoy visiting your blog to read about our LCAs and related things…I just have a feeling you are getting your hands wet with blood…You will need a bath in Kasi when you get back

    -Siv

  5. Vel: you’re right. you do have absolutely no connection with what happens here, and even the language is quite different. i was born and grew up in TN as well, incidentally. don’t flatter yourself into thinking you’ve followed the conflict “in earnest” since the beginning. i have no such illusions about myself. you should try not to have any. that’s what’s buggered this whole country up. idiots like you who think they understand everything. stick to what you know — nothing.

  6. to vishal @ 9:28 pm

    no dude, you are completely wrong….our intelligence agencies have been a total failure on the srilankan front…..the resurgence of the lankan troops now is due to the support provided by China, both economically and militarily.
    Try reading articles which emerged from SL since the past 8 mnths….also try to read abt the chinese offer of building a SEZ in northern SL…and the conditions attached with the offer.

  7. China is planning to fight with India they help srilanka for getting their support and land for setting their military troop. At the same time now the srilanka is giving training to pakistan army, this is an indirect way of helping them to start attack over Indian people. You Indians just enjoy your life till then because you are shameless letting tamils to die in srilanka, you will never question nor fight for your blood relations, You will react only if it comes to you, Indians will also be killed soon by your nearby country people. Shame over Indians.

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