The Structure and Power of the Tamil Tigers
The Tamil Tigers had two main wings – the military wing and the political wing. The military wing consisted of a massive eleven separate divisions and each had its vital role to play in order to achieve the social equality they all desired. The divisions included the conventional fighting forces, the unfortunate Suicide Wing and its members who were known as the “Black Tigers”, the Air Wing (Air Tigers), the Naval Wing (Sea Tigers), the Tamil Tigers leaders’ personal security divisions, and auxiliary military units. The Sea Tiger division was founded in 1984 with Thillaiyampalam Sivanesan alias Soosai, at its helm. Upon the acquisition of its first light aircraft in the late 1990s, Vaithilingam Sornalingam, alias Shankar, became the leader and the creator of the
Air Tigers division. The Air Tigers conducted nine airborne attacks between 2007 and 2009, including a final suicide air raid that targeted the Sri Lanka Air Force Headquarters in Colombo in 2009. Being the sole terrorist-proscribed organisation to have had acquired aircraft, the Tamil Tigers were a great force to be reckoned with during its time.
Had you asked any prominent member of the Tamil Tigers if a political solution was their final goal, the answer would have been a resolute ‘NO’. The Tamil Tigers were never truly serious about considering a political solution, and their powerful political wing was used to take over and control a large portion of the Northern and Eastern parts of Sri Lanka as a virtually independent mini-state.
To add to their image of brutality, the Tamil Tigers were also guilty of several crimes against humanity. These include attacks on civilians, the use of child soldiers and a variety of war crimes.
The situation in Sri Lanka has improved significantly since the Tamil Tigers have been defeated and the reign of violence has come to an end.