From Terror to Political Warfare: How Global LTTE Networks are recreating the conditions for Sri Lanka’s next National Security catastrophe

 

 

 

Sri Lanka formally defeated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) militarily in May 2009. However, where the military succeeded the ideological battle tasked to the politicians failed. Armed movements that fail militarily often transition into political warfare networks, relocating operations from the battlefield into international diplomacy, diaspora mobilization, narrative construction, legal activism, and foreign political lobbying.

 

Global LTTE-linked networks continue to operate with the same separatist objective — the creation of an independent Tamil Eelam — by non-military means. Through coordinated diaspora events, ideological commemorations, international lobbying, parliamentary engagement, UN advocacy, and media manipulation, these networks have reconstructed the LTTE’s separatist project into a transnational political warfare apparatus. Beneath this façade lies another ugly truth. This “separatist” propaganda hides a lucrative money-making enterprise those steering it wish to continue under pretext of “separatism” while residing on foreign shores.

 

Simultaneously, Sri Lanka is experiencing systematic demilitarization, strategic troop withdrawals, intelligence downgrading, and the weakening of security presence in historically sensitive regions, alongside increasing pressure on Sinhala Buddhist religious, archaeological, and demographic presence in the North and East. This combination is neither accidental nor isolated. It reflects a strategic convergence between external political pressure and internal policy submissive and appeasement retreat.

 

1. The LTTE’s separatist ideology, symbols, terminology, political objectives, and strategic methods continue uninterrupted under new organizational forms openly even in the countries that continue to ban LTTE.

 

2. Diaspora activism has evolved into a coordinated international political warfare systemthat influences Western governments, international institutions, and multilateral bodies, particularly the UNHRC.

 

3. This external pressure is directly shaping Sri Lanka’s domestic security policy, resulting in dangerous demilitarization and institutional weakening and the safety concerns of Sinhala Buddhists and Buddhist archaeological sites.

 

4. The emerging internal conditions precisely mirror the political, military, and administrative vulnerabilities that enabled the LTTE’s rise in the late 1970s and 1980s.

 

This is not merely a political issue, ethnic grievance, or human rights debate.

It is fundamentally a national security, constitutional, and sovereignty crisis.

 

CANADA

Maaveerar Naal – Toronto (LTTE Heroes Day) – 2025

Source: https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/canadian-tamils-commemorate-maaveerar-naal-1

 

Why This Is an LTTE Event:

 

1. The name itself is LTTE-originated
   “Maaveerar Naal” = Great Heroes Day→ Created by LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran to commemorate dead LTTE combatants, not civilians.

 

2. Photographs show LTTE combat martyr iconography
   Events feature:

• LTTE Tiger emblem
• Flame pyramids
• Fallen cadres portraits
• Uniform-style ceremonial symbolism

These are exclusive LTTE martyr traditions, not civilian memorial practices.

 

3. Absence of civilian victim inclusion
   No memorialization of:

• Sinhalese civilians
• Muslim victims expelled by LTTE
• Tamil civilians killed by LTTE
• Moderate Tamil leaders assassinated by LTTE

Only LTTE cadres are honoured.

 

4. Ideological messaging
   Speeches consistently reference:

• “Sacrifice for Tamil Eelam”
• “Freedom fighters”
• “Liberation struggle”

These are explicit LTTE ideological narratives.

 

This is not a civilian remembrance — it is structured ideological glorification of a terrorist organization.

UNITED KINGDOM

London – Tamil Eelam Flag Projection on Parliament Buildings – 2023

Source: https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/london-landmarks-lit-tamil-eelam-flag-mark-maaveerar-naal

 

Why This Is an LTTE Event:

 

1. Tamil Eelam flag is LTTE’s political flag
   This flag was:

• Created by LTTE
• Used as LTTE’s national symbol
• Never an internationally recognized civil identity symbol

 

2. Purpose of projection
   Explicitly stated:

“To mark Maaveerar Naal”

 

This automatically classifies it as LTTE cadre commemoration, not civilian remembrance.

 

3. Symbolism used
   Includes:

• Tiger iconography
• Flame symbolism
• Martyr glorification language

 

These are exclusive LTTE ideological markers.

 

This constitutes public glorification of a banned terrorist organization’s political project.

UNITED KINGDOM

Wembley Arena – Mass Maaveerar Naal Event – 2015

Source: https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/thousands-british-tamils-commemorate-maaveerar-naal-london

 

Why This Is an LTTE Event:

1. Event title
   “Maaveerar Naal” → Official LTTE martyr day.

 

2. Stage symbolism
   Photographs show:

• LTTE flags
• Tiger emblem banners
• Fallen cadres tribute walls

 

3. Absence of civilian names

• No civilian memorial listing
• No inclusive mourning
• Only LTTE cadres honoured.

4. Chants and slogans
   “Tamil Eelam will rise”
   “Martyrs never die”

These are LTTE revolutionary slogans.

 

This is a mass ideological rally, not a civilian grief event.

FRANCE / GERMANY / BELGIUM / SWITZERLAND

Tamil Eelam Women’s Uprising Day (Europe-wide) – 2024

Source: https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/tamil-eelam-womens-uprising-day-marked-across-europe-0

 

Why This Is an LTTE Event:

 

1. Historical origin
   “Women’s Uprising Day” commemorates:

• LTTE’s female combat wing (Birds of Freedom) – Not civilian women.

 

2. Visual propaganda
   Includes:

• Female LTTE cadres in uniform
• Tiger emblem
• Military honour rituals

 

• Language used
  “Female fighters”
  “Martyr heroines”
  “Liberation warriors”

These are armed militant glorification terms.

This is celebration of LTTE female combatants, not civilian women.

UNITED STATES

Tamil Genocide Day – Congressional Lobbying – 2025

Source: https://tamilguardian.com/content/members-us-congress

 

Why This Is LTTE-Linked Political Warfare:

1. Narrative framing
   Uses LTTE-originated casualty figures & terminology.

 

2. Terminology weaponization
   “Mullivaikkal Genocide” is:

• Coined by LTTE diaspora networks
• Not recognized by any international judicial body

3. Political objective
   Goal:

• International intervention + sanctions + legal action
• This aligns directly with LTTE diaspora political strategy documents.

 

This is strategic diaspora political warfare, not civilian remembrance.

AUSTRALIA

Pongu Thamil – Melbourne

Source: https://www.tamildiasporanews.com/tamils-rise-in-melbourne-pongu-tamil-2025-for-freedom-and-justice/

 

Why This Is an LTTE Event:

1. Pongu Thamil was initiated by LTTE
   It began inside LTTE-controlled areas as political mass mobilization for separatism.

 

2. Slogans used

• “We want Tamil Eelam”
• “Self-determination”
• “Our martyrs guide us”

These are LTTE political slogans.

 

3. Use of Tiger emblem
   Consistently present.

This is separatist political mobilization, not humanitarian protest.

INDIA

Prabhakaran Birthday & Martyr Memorials – 2015

(Shankar remembered in Madurai)

Source: https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/lt-shankar-remembered-madurai

 

Why This Is an LTTE Event:

1. Honours named LTTE cadres
   Specific LTTE fighters honoured — not civilians.

 

2. Visual propaganda
   LTTE portraits
   Uniform imagery
   Tiger emblem

 

3. Messaging
   “Martyr sacrifice for Tamil Eelam”

This is direct glorification of an internationally banned terrorist leader & cadres.

 

 

Let us first identify and distinguish a civilian remembrance

 

What defines a civilian remembrance?

• Victims of violence (all ethnicities)
• Non-political grief
• Inclusive mourning
• No armed symbols
• No political slogans
• No militant glorification

What defines LTTE ideological events?

• LTTE-originated terminology
• Tiger emblems
• Martyr glorification
• Separatist slogans
• Armed struggle justification
• Exclusive focus on LTTE cadres
• Political mobilization narratives

 

These events do not meet the criteria of civilian memorials.

They instead constitute:

Ideological glorification, political legacy preservation of a designated terrorist organization and its separatist demands.

 

When an organization is banned, but its ideology, symbols, propaganda methods, funding flows, and political objectives continue under new names, it constitutes continuity of purpose — not a new civilian movement and relevant international legal doctrines include:

• Doctrine of Organizational Continuity
• Material Support & Ideological Support Doctrine
• Political Warfare Doctrine
• Proxy Conflict Doctrine

 

1. Evidence of Continuity of Purpose

From the global events and organizations documented we can conclude:

 

1. Same Goal

Tamil Eelam – independent separatist state

Not:

• Federalism
• Power-sharing
• Minority rights
• Cultural autonomy

But explicitly:

Creation of a separate sovereign Tamil state carved from Sri Lanka.

 

 

 

2. Same Symbols

• LTTE Tiger emblem
• Tamil Eelam flag
• LTTE martyr iconography
• Prabhakaran glorification

These are not cultural symbols. They are organizational-political symbols.

 

3. Same Terminology

• Maaveerar Naal (LTTE-instituted martyrs day)
• Pongu Thamil (LTTE mass mobilization campaign)
• Mullivaikkal Genocide (LTTE-originated propaganda framing)

 

4. Same Strategy — Shift from Armed Struggle → Political Warfare

 

Post-2009 operational shift:

Pre-2009	Post-2009
Armed insurgency	Political warfare
Suicide bombings	International lobbying
Territorial control	Narrative control
Military recruitment	Diaspora radicalization
Battlefield victories	Diplomatic pressure
Guerrilla operations	Legal activism

 

This is a classic insurgent strategic transformation, not a civilian movement.

 

The LTTE did not end.
It transformed from a military insurgency into a transnational political warfare network.

This constitutes:
Ongoing separatist conspiracy under international law.

 

EXTERNAL INFLUENCE MECHANISM AGAINST SRI LANKA

This explains how diaspora activism converts into political pressure on Sri Lanka.

 

1. Operational Chain of Influence

Diaspora Events → Political Lobbying → UNHRC → Western Governments → Sri Lankan Government Pressure

 

Step 1 — Mass Mobilization

Large-scale commemorations, rallies, protests, and political events across:

• Canada
• UK
• France
• Germany
• Australia
• USA
• EU

These:

• Manufacture perception of grievance
• Mobilize voting blocs
• Create political leverage

 

Step 2 — Parliamentary Capture

 

Diaspora groups:

• Engage MPs
• Influence election blocs
• Provide campaign support
• Organize lobbying events

 

This results in:

• Parliamentary motions
• Resolutions
• Diplomatic statements
• UNHRC voting pressure

 

Step 3 — UNHRC Narrative Institutionalization

Diaspora lobbying ensures:

• LTTE-originated casualty figures become UN documentation
• One-sided conflict framing
• Sri Lanka continuously isolated

This converts terrorist propaganda → international legal pressure.

 

Step 4 — Sri Lankan Political Compliance

Under:

• Trade pressure
• Aid conditionality
• IMF leverage
• Diplomatic isolation threats

Sri Lankan governments:

• Reduce military presence
• Demilitarize sensitive zones
• Alter security doctrine
• Restrict military operations

 

INTERNAL DESTABILIZATION OPERATIONS INSIDE SRI LANKA

 

Proxy Civil Unrest Operations

Inside Sri Lanka we now observe:

• Organized protests
• Religious site obstruction
• Encroachment challenges
• Mobilized grievance campaigns
• Strategic litigation

 

These:

• Appear spontaneous
• But followexternal narrative synchronization

 

Strategic Pattern

Global narrative → local agitation → international amplification → diplomatic pressure

This is a classic destabilization doctrine used in hybrid warfare.

 

DISCRIMINATION AGAINST SINHALA BUDDHISTS AS A DESTABILIZATION TOOL

This is not communal grievance — this is strategic demographic & cultural weakening.

 

Observable Pattern

• Obstruction of Buddhist religious sites
• Harassment of monks
• Encroachment disputes selectively weaponized
• Archaeological heritage suppression
• Language and administrative marginalization
• Removal of Sinhala public services

 

Strategic Objective

Weaken historical civilizational presence → alter territorial narrative → prepare long-term separatist legitimacy.

 

DEMILITARIZATION & CAMP CLOSURES: HISTORICAL PARALLEL

What Happened in the 1970s–1980s?

Military camps were:

• Reduced
• Withdrawn
• Relocated
• Politically restricted

This led to:

• Smuggling networks
• Arms movement
• Cadre recruitment
• Terror infrastructure
• Formation of LTTE operational bases

Result → 30-year war.

 

Current Policy (2020s)

We now observe:

• Camp closures
• Troop withdrawals
• Surveillance reduction
• Intelligence downgrading
• Soft security doctrines

This recreates the exact security vacuum that allowed LTTE to rise.

 

LEGAL LIABILITY OF THE STATE

Constitutional Breach

Under Sri Lanka’s Constitution:

The State is obligated to:

• Protect sovereignty
• Preserve territorial integrity
• Ensure national security
• Protect Buddhism
• Protect citizens’ fundamental rights

Deliberate weakening of national defense under known threat constitutes:

Negligence of sovereign duty.

 

Doctrine of Preventive National Security

International law allows:

• Preventive military deployment
• Preventive surveillance
• Preventive intelligence operations

Removing armed presence when active ideological networks exist violates security doctrine.

 

Sri Lanka is facing a continuing separatist campaign executed through political warfare, diplomatic pressure, and internal destabilization, coordinated by transnational networks that evolved from a banned terrorist organization.

 

NATIONAL SECURITY REALITY:

Weakening the armed forces, dismantling camps, and demilitarizing sensitive zones under such conditions is strategic self-sabotage.

 

HISTORICAL WARNING:

The LTTE rose because of exactly this kind of political appeasement and security retreat.

 

KEY QUESTIONS THAT MUST BE LEGALLY RAISED AND ANSWERED BY GOVT

 

1. Why is Sri Lanka demilitarizing while transnational separatist networks remain active?
2. Who benefits strategically from weakening Sri Lanka’s territorial security?
3. Why are armed forces being withdrawn from zones historically targeted for separatism?
4. Why are Sinhala-Buddhist heritage and demographic presence being systematically eroded?
5. Is Sri Lanka being externally pressured to create conditions for renewed separatist legitimacy?

 

The evidence establishes a clear and continuous strategic trajectory:

• The LTTE did not disappear in 2009.
  It transformed.

 

It shifted from armed insurgency to political warfare, from battlefield operations to diplomatic pressure, from territorial occupation to narrative domination, and from suicide bombings to international lobbying.

 

The goal, however, remains unchanged: the creation of a separate sovereign Tamil state carved from Sri Lanka not necessarily for Tamils.

Living in foreign shores, allowed to operate inspite of bans, with international players more than willing to support the “cause” are all not coincidental. Connect the dots and see the bigger picture.

 

At the same time, Sri Lanka is witnessing:

• Strategic demilitarization of sensitive regions
• Closure and relocation of military camps
• Surveillance and intelligence downgrading
• Weakening of preventive security doctrine
• Escalating pressure on Buddhist religious and archaeological heritage
• Demographic, administrative, and cultural marginalization of Sinhala communities

 

This convergence recreates the exact conditions that permitted the LTTE’s original rise — a security vacuum, political appeasement, territorial vulnerability, and weakened state authority.

 

History provides a stark warning:

The LTTE emerged not because Sri Lanka was too strong, but because it was strategically weakened.

 

To repeat that mistake in the face of an active global political warfare network is not reconciliation — it is strategic negligence and governance stupidity.

 

Under Sri Lanka’s Constitution, the State bears a non-derogable obligation to protect sovereignty, territorial integrity, national security, and the civilizational foundations of the nation. Deliberate weakening of military readiness, security presence, and territorial defense while transnational separatist networks remain operational constitutes a breach of sovereign duty.

 

This is not merely a governance failure.
It is a national security risk of the highest order.

 

Sri Lanka now stands at a critical crossroads:

• Either learn from history and reinforce sovereign resilience, or
• Repeat past errors and once again expose the nation to destabilization, conflict, and tragedy.

 

The questions raised in this brief demand urgent, transparent, and accountable answers.

The security of the nation, the stability of the state, and the future of peaceful coexistence depend upon it.

 

 

 

Shenali D Waduge