Number of Tamil youth deserting LTTE Grip in Kilinochchi

(November 05, Mannar, Sri Lanka Guardian) Naval personnel on patrol in the seas off Vettilaikkeni rescued twenty-one (21) Tamil youth and six (06) children accompanied by a male adult, who were deserting LTTE grip in Kilinochchi on the 04th of November 2008 around morning hours.

The terror stricken youth who had undergone an ordeal of untold hardship, pain of mind, deprivation of freedom, which, under normal circumstances, would have been theirs to enjoy freely, consisted of eleven (12) males and nine (09) females. The male youth are aged 17,19,23,23,24,24,25,26,27,28,28 and 29 while their female counterparts are aged 18, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 26, 26, and 26 respectively. The six children consisted of four (04) boys and two (02) girls. Three of the boys are aged 2, 3 and 5 respectively while the youngest is just 08 months old. One female girl is aged six (06) and the other is a baby infant who is barely eleven (11) months old.

One heart rendering scene was the presence of three single parents in their youth carrying their beloved children despite the risky ordeal, which would have broken the courage of even grown-ups. Terrified and utterly confused by the happenings, the children were clinging to their parents for dear life and were yearning desperately for parental love to be relieved and comforted.

Having sought the assistance of the Navy fleeing on board two dinghies flying white flags for protection, the group disclosed that they had fled from Kilinochchi owing to the increasing unprecedented atrocities inflicted on the innocent youth whenever they show their defiance to follow the dictatorial orders of the merciless terror outfit, LTTE, which is desperately hunting for the innocent civilians to be used as human shields and to be conscripted as its complement of carders is dwindling drastically day by day in the face of the advancing victorius security forces who are conducting a humanitarian mission to liberate the Northern province.

Furthermore, the escapees, of whom the majority were in the prime of their youth longing for a meaningful life away from LTTE terrorism, claimed that they were living in constant fear of being forcefully conscripted despite their vehement displeasure to be in league with the terror outfit waging a senseless killing spree of the innocent and its opponents. They also revealed the constant allegations made by the LTTE and its pro-media that the innocent civilians are being killed by the attacks of the security forces have no bearing at all since the majority of Tamil civilians have now realized the attacks on LTTE terrorists are launched with careful analysis of ground realities based on the zero-civilian casualty principle strictly adhered to by the Government Security Forces.

The escapees, with a great sense of gratitude, thanked the Navy for the safe and cordial manner in which they were rescued, the warm hospitality shown by providing them with the basic needs and the swift measures taken for their immediate wellbeing.

Sri Lanka Navy has now made special arrangements to receive hapless Tamil civilians fleeing from the LTTE clutches. Naval personnel and vessels along with stand-by rescue and medical teams have been on special deployment for this humanitarian assistance mission in the Northern seas.

- Sri Lanka Guardian