View source for Velupillai Prabhakaran

{{short description|Leader of militant Tamil organisation in Sri Lanka (1954–2009)}}
{{Redirect|Prabhakaran|the 2008 film|Prabhakaran (film)}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Tamil name|Velupillai|Prabhakaran}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Velupillai Prabhakaran
| native_name        = வேலுப்பிள்ளை பிரபாகரன்
| native_name_lang   = ta
| image              = Velupillai Prabhakaran.jpg
| image_size         = 220px
| caption            = Prabhakaran in 2006
| birth_date         = {{birth date|1954|11|26|df=y}}
| birth_place        = [[Valvettithurai]], [[Dominion of Ceylon]]<ref name="lttechiefdead-TOI">{{cite news | url = https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Tigers-extinct-now-what-lies-ahead-for-Tamils-in-Lanka/articleshow/4546294.cms | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121023235502/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-05-19/south-asia/28210187_1_tamil-tiger-velupillai-prabhakaran-soosai | url-status = live | archive-date = 23 October 2012 | title = Lanka army sources | date = 18 May 2009 | newspaper = [[The Times of India]] | access-date = 18 May 2009}}</ref><ref name="lttechiefdead-TimesOnline">{{cite news | url = http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6309915.ece | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090519190039/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6309915.ece | url-status = dead | archive-date = 19 May 2009 | title = Tamil Tigers supreme commander Prabhakaran 'shot dead' | date = 18 May 2009| newspaper = Times Online|access-date=18 May 2009| location= London | first = Robert| last = Bosleigh}}</ref><ref name="lttechiefdead-telegraph">{{cite news | url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/srilanka/5342331/Tamil-Tiger-leader-Velupillai-Prabhakaran-shot-dead.html | title = Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran 'shot dead' | last = Nelson | first=Dean | date=18 May 2009| newspaper = Telegraph | access-date = 19 May 2009 | location=London}}</ref>
| death_date         = {{death date and age|2009|5|18|1954|11|26|df=y}}
| death_place        = [[Mullaitivu]], Sri Lanka
| death_cause        = Killed in action<ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videoshow/4546368.cms |title=Tiger leader Prabhakaran killed: Sources-News-Videos-The Times of India |newspaper=The Times of India |date=18 May 2009 |access-date=19 May 2009}}</ref>
| alias              = Karikalan
* '''Nicknames''': Thalaivar, Anna, Thambiyanna, Thamizh Thesiya Thalaivar
| known_for          = [[Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism|Tamil nationalism]], [[Tamil Eelam|National Leader of Tamil Eelam]], Military Tactics.<ref name="auto">{{cite web| url=https://bura.brunel.ac.uk/bitstream/2438/13366/1/FulltextThesis.pdf | title=THE SRI LANKAN INSURGENCY: A REBALANCING OF THE ORTHODOX POSITION | access-date=7 January 2024}}</ref>
| criminal_charge    = Planning [[assassination of Rajiv Gandhi]] in 1991<ref name="timesfin">{{cite news | url = https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Rajiv-Gandhi-assasination-Agency-probing-killing-conspiracy-plods-on/articleshow/8450315.cms | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110909030106/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-05-20/chennai/29564202_1_chief-arms-procurer-ltte-leader-mdma | url-status = live | archive-date = 9 September 2011 | work = [[The Times of India]] | title = Rajiv Gandhi assassination: Agency probing killing conspiracy plods on | date = 20 May 2011}}</ref><ref name=smh /><br />[[Colombo Central Bank bombing]] of 1996<ref name=smh />
| criminal_penalty   = Arrest warrant issued by [[Supreme Court of Sri Lanka|Colombo High Court]]<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/17493 |title=Colombo High Court Issue arrest warrant for Prabhakaran and Pottu Amman |newspaper=Asian Tribune |date=13 May 2009 |access-date=17 May 2009 |archive-date=7 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707175212/http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node%2F17493 |url-status=dead }}</ref><br /> Death warrant issued by [[Madras High Court]], [[India]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7885473.stm |title=Obituary: Velupillai Prabhakaran|publisher=BBC|date=18 May 2009|access-date=3 August 2011}}</ref><br /> Sentenced to 200 years imprisonment by Colombo High Court.<ref name=smh>{{cite news | url = http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/11/01/1036027036781.html | title = Rebel leader sentenced to 200 years' jail as talks start | newspaper = [[The Sydney Morning Herald]] | date = 2 November 2002 | access-date = 3 August 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/02/world/world-briefing-asia-sri-lanka-rebels-protest-leader-s-sentence.html?ref=velupillaiprabhakaran | title = Rebels Protest Leader's Sentence|newspaper=New York Times|date=2 November 2002 | access-date = 3 August 2011 | first = Seth | last = Mydans}}</ref>
| occupation         = Founder & leader of the [[Tamil New Tigers]] in 1972 and [[Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam]].
| spouse             = Mathivathani Erambu (1984–2009)
| children           = Charles Anthony (1989–2009)<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mid-day.com/news/2009/may/180509-Charles-Anthony-Prabhakaran-son-dead.htm |title=Prabhakaran's son dead |publisher=Mid-day.com |date=18 May 2009 |access-date=20 February 2013}}</ref><br />Duvaraga (1986–2009)<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.lankasrinews.com/view.php?221qPcc3nU34dv3f302CQq4d26g30bT7A3e2TOJ4b39Gae |title=National Leader Prabakaran's Daughter Dwaraka's photos released – Most Shocking |publisher=LankasriNews.com |date=16 December 2009 |access-date=20 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141202085152/http://www.lankasrinews.com/view.php?221qPcc3nU34dv3f302CQq4d26g30bT7A3e2TOJ4b39Gae |archive-date=2 December 2014 |url-status=dead  }}</ref><br />[[Killing of Balachandran Prabhakaran|Balachandran]] (1997–2009)<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21509656 |title=BBC News – Balachandran Prabhakaran: Sri Lanka army accused over death |publisher=BBC |date=19 February 2013 |access-date=20 February 2013}}</ref>
| signature          = Vellupillai Prabhakaran Signature.jpg
}}
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{{Sri Lankan Tamil history}}
'''Velupillai Prabhakaran''' ({{audio|En-us-Velupillai Prabhakaran from Sri Lanka pronunciation (Voice of America).ogg|listen (US English)|help=no}}; {{langx|ta|வேலுப்பிள்ளை பிரபாகரன்}}; {{IPA|ta|ˈʋeːlɯpːiɭːaɪ pɾaˈbaːhaɾan|}}; 26 November 1954 – 18 May 2009) was a Sri Lankan [[guerrilla]] and a major figure of [[Tamil nationalism]], being the founder and leader of the [[Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam]] (LTTE). The LTTE was a militant organization that sought to create an independent [[Tamil Eelam|Tamil state]] in the north and east of [[Sri Lanka]] in reaction to the [[Origins of the Sri Lankan civil war|oppression of the country's Tamil population]] by the [[Government of Sri Lanka|Sri Lankan government]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Tamil Tigers |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tamil-Tigers |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. |access-date=13 January 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Sinhala Only Act destroyed peaceful Sri Lanka: Prof. Rohan Gunaratna {{!}} Daily FT |url=https://www.ft.lk/opinion/Sinhala-Only-Act-destroyed-peaceful-Sri-Lanka--Prof--Rohan-Gunaratna/14-650183 |access-date=19 April 2022 |website=www.ft.lk |language=English}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=German Tamils highlight Tamil oppression as Sri Lanka marks 74th Independence Day {{!}} Tamil Guardian |url=https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/german-tamils-highlight-tamil-oppression-sri-lanka-marks-74th-independence-day |access-date=19 April 2022 |website=www.tamilguardian.com}}</ref> Under his direction, the LTTE undertook [[Sri Lankan civil war|a military campaign]] against the Sri Lankan government for more than 25 years.

Prabhakaran was the youngest of four children, born in [[Valvettithurai]], on Sri Lanka's [[Jaffna]] peninsula's northern coast. Considered the heart of Tamil culture and [[Sri Lankan Tamil literature|literature]] in Sri Lanka, Jaffna was concentrated with growing [[Tamil nationalism]], which called for autonomy for Tamils to protest the discrimination against them by the [[Sinhalese people|Sinhalese]]-dominated [[Sri Lanka government|Sri Lankan state]] and Sinhalese civilians since the country's [[Sri Lankan independence movement|independence from the United Kingdom]] in 1948.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Thottam |first1=Jyoti|title=Prabhakaran: The Life and Death of a Tiger |url=http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1899590,00.html |access-date=11 April 2022 |magazine=Time |publisher=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=19 May 2009}}</ref>

Founded in 1976, after the [[1974 Tamil conference incident|1974 Tamil conference killings]] by Sri Lankan government police, the LTTE came to prominence in 1983 after [[Four Four Bravo|it ambushed a patrol]] of the [[Sri Lanka Army]] outside Jaffna, resulting in the deaths of 13 soldiers. This ambush, along with the [[Black July|subsequent pogrom]] that resulted in the deaths of thousands of Tamil civilians, is generally considered the start of the [[Sri Lankan civil war|Sri Lankan Civil War]]. After years of fighting, including the [[Indian Peace Keeping Force|intervention]] of the [[Indian Army]] ([[IPKF]]), the conflict was halted after international mediation in 2001. By then, the LTTE, which came to be known as the Tamil Tigers, controlled large swathes of land in the north and east of the country, running a ''de facto'' state with Prabhakaran as its leader.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lahiri |first=Simanti |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/876346345 |title=Suicide Protest in South Asia : Consumed by Commitment |date=3 April 2014 |publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]] |isbn=9781317803133 |pages=103, 108 |oclc=876346345 |language=en}}</ref> Peace talks eventually broke down, and the Sri Lanka Army launched a [[Eelam War 4|military campaign]] to defeat the LTTE in 2006.

Prabhakaran, who had said, "I would prefer to die in honour rather than being caught alive by the enemy",<ref>{{cite news |last=Hull |first=C. Bryson |title=Tamil Tiger leader no-surrender vow nears last test |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSCOL402768 |access-date=30 August 2022 |publisher=[[Reuters]] |date=31 March 2009 |language=en}}</ref> was killed in a firefight with the Sri Lankan Army in May 2009.<ref name="lankaw2"/> Charles Anthony, his eldest son, was also killed.<ref name="lankaw2">{{Cite news|date=11 June 2011|title=No peace offer from Prabhakaran – only war|work=Lanka Web|url=http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2011/06/11/no-peace-offer-from-prabhakaran-%E2%80%93-only-war/|access-date=20 June 2011}}</ref> Additionally, the bodies of his wife and daughter were reportedly found by the Sri Lankan army; the Sri Lankan government later denied the report.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/01/17/death-of-the-tiger |title=Death of the Tiger |last=Anderson |first=Jon Lee |date=10 January 2011 |magazine=[[The New Yorker]]  |access-date=17 May 2019}}</ref> His 12-year-old second son was executed a short time later.<ref>{{cite news|last=Mcrae|first=Callum|title=The Killing of a Young Boy|url=http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/the-killing-of-a-young-boy/article4428792.ece|access-date=20 February 2013|newspaper=The Hindu|date=19 February 2013}}</ref> Prabhakaran's reported death and the subsequent ceasefire announcement by [[Selvarasa Pathmanathan]], the Tigers' chief of international relations, brought an end to the armed conflict.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/srilanka/5342331/Tamil-Tiger-leader-Velupillai-Prabhakaran-shot-dead.html |title=Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran 'shot dead' |last=Nelson |first=Dean |date=18 May 2009 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] |access-date=17 May 2019 |issn=0307-1235}}</ref>

A significant figure of [[Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism]], Prabhakaran is often seen as a martyr by Sri Lankan Tamils. However, he is acknowledged to have created one of the most ruthless and sophisticated insurgencies of the modern era, with many of the tactics he pioneered influencing political militant groups globally.<ref>{{cite news |last=Magnier |first=Mark |title=Tamil Tiger leader was seen as ruthless innovator |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-may-19-fg-tamil-tiger19-story.html |access-date=30 August 2022 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=19 May 2009}}</ref> Prabhakaran himself argued that he chose military means only after observing that nonviolent means were ineffectual and obsolete, especially after the Tamil Eelam revolutionary [[Thileepan]]'s fatal [[hunger strike]] in 1987 had no effect. Influenced by Indian nationalists [[Subhas Chandra Bose]] and [[Bhagat Singh]], both of whom participated in the [[revolutionary movement for Indian independence]], Prabhakaran declared that his goal was 'revolutionary [[socialism]] and the creation of an egalitarian society'.<ref>{{cite news |title=Profile of Velupillai Prabhakaran |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/world/profile-of-velupillai-prabhakaran/story-Mz8KirZUxmjG7al0Q2inCP.html |access-date=31 August 2022 |publisher=[[Hindustan Times]] |date=22 April 2009 |language=en}}</ref>

==Early life==
Velupillai Prabhakaran was born in the northern coastal town of [[Valvettithurai]] on 26&nbsp;November 1954, the youngest of four children.<ref>{{cite news|title=Obituary: Velupillai Prabhakaran|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7885473.stm|access-date=27 December 2014|work=BBC News}}</ref><ref name=father-son>[http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/1295 Prabhakaran, Veluppillai and the father-son relationship] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200127212411/http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/1295 |date=27 January 2020 }} – DBS Jeyara Accessed 25 November 2016</ref> His parents, Thiruvenkadam Velupillai and Vallipuram Parvathy, belonged to the [[Karaiyar]] community.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Account Suspended |url=http://www.lankalibrary.com/cgi-sys/suspendedpage.cgi |access-date=30 November 2023 |website=www.lankalibrary.com}}</ref><ref name="lp-first">{{cite news | title=First Political Assassination Of Prabhakaran | date=25 February 2009 | url =http://www.lankapuvath.lk/index.php?view=article&id=273:first-political-assassination-of-prabhakaran-&option=com_content&Itemid=80 | work =Lankapuwath | access-date = 17 May 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title=Profile of Velupillai Prabhakaran | date=22 April 2009 | url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/srilanka/Profile-of-Velupillai-Prabhakaran/Article1-402963.aspx | work=Lankapuwath | access-date=17 May 2009 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150711134720/http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/srilanka/Profile-of-Velupillai-Prabhakaran/Article1-402963.aspx | archive-date=11 July 2015 }}</ref> Thiruvenkadam Velupillai was the District Land Officer in the Ceylon Government.<ref name=father-son/><ref>{{cite book|author=Chellamuthu Kuppusamy|title=பிரபாகரன்: ஒரு வாழ்க்கை / Prabhakaran: Oru Vaazhkai|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AU0cr3mOa_QC|publisher=New Horizon Media|isbn=978-81-8493-039-9|page=28|trans-title=Prabhakaran: A Life|date=1 December 2008}}</ref> He came from an influential and wealthy family who owned and managed the major [[Koil|Hindu temples]] in Valvettithurai.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W3aAB9IFVdkC&q=prabhakaran+kadalodiekal&pg=PA20|title=Sri Lankan Tamil Nationalism: Its Origins and Development in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries|last=Wilson|first=A. Jeyaratnam|date=2000|publisher=UBC Press|isbn=9780774807593|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xDzfBQAAQBAJ&q=prabhakaran+valvettithurai&pg=PA206|title=South Asia in the World: An Introduction|last=Wadley|first=Susan S.|date=18 December 2014|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317459590|pages=206|language=en}}</ref>

Angered by the [[Sinhala Only Act|discrimination]] and [[List of riots in Sri Lanka|violent persecution]] against Tamil people by successive Sri Lankan governments, Prabhakaran joined the student group ''Tamil Youth Front'' (TYF) during the [[Policy of standardisation|standardisation]] debates.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BoqdAAAAMAAJ|title=Education, Conflict and Social Cohesion|last1=Tawil|first1=Sobhi|last2=Harley|first2=Alexandra|date=1 January 2004|publisher=Unesco, International Bureau of Education|isbn=9789231039621|pages=388|language=en}}</ref> In 1972, he founded the [[Tamil New Tigers]] (TNT),<ref name="father-son" /><ref>{{cite book |title=The Tamil Tigers: Armed Struggle for Identity |last=Heilmann-Rajanayagam |first=Dagmar |year=1994 |publisher=Franz Steiner Verlag |location=Stuttgart, Germany |pages=37–38}}</ref> a successor to many earlier organizations that protested against the post-colonial political direction of the country, in which the minority [[Sri Lankan Tamils]] were pitted against the majority [[Sinhalese people]].<ref>Sunil Bastian (September 1999) [http://www.brad.ac.uk/acad/confres/assets/CCR2.pdf The Failure of State Formation, Identity Conflict and Civil Society Responses – The Case of Sri Lanka] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090407095318/http://www.brad.ac.uk/acad/confres/assets/CCR2.pdf |date=7 April 2009 }}. Working Paper 2, Centre for Conflict Resolution, Department of Peace Studies, University of Bradford</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080911032223/http://www.paradisepoisoned.com/PDFs/Preview21.pdf How it Came to This – Learning from Sri Lanka’s Civil Wars]. paradisepoisoned.com. Retrieved on 22 June 2012.</ref>

In 1975, after becoming heavily involved in the Tamil movement, he carried out the first major political assassination by a Tamil group, shooting [[Alfred Duraiappah]], the mayor of [[Jaffna]], at point-blank range in front of the Hindu temple at Ponnaalai. The assassination was in response to the killings of Tamils in the [[1974 Tamil conference incident]], for which Duraiappah was blamed<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uthr.org/Book/CHA02.htm#_Toc527947383 |title=Welcome to UTHR, Sri Lanka |publisher=Uthr.org |access-date=19 May 2009}}</ref> due to having backed the then-ruling [[Sri Lanka Freedom Party]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.atimes.com/ind-pak/DA26Df04.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020213090010/http://www.atimes.com/ind-pak/DA26Df04.html |url-status=unfit |archive-date=13 February 2002 |title=Asia Times: Sri Lanka: The Untold Story |publisher=Atimes.com |date=26 January 2002 |access-date=19 May 2009}}</ref>

==Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam==
===Founding of the LTTE===
In the early 1970s, United Front government of [[Sirimavo Bandaranaike]] introduced the [[policy of standardisation]] which made the criteria for university admission lower for the [[Sinhalese people|Sinhalese]] than for the Tamils.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L431UcNtY6AC&q=%22+Standardisation+Policy%22|title=Sri Lanka's Post-conflict Strategy: Restorative Justice for Rebels and Rebuilding of Conflict-affected Communities|last=Dharmawardhane|first=Iromi|date=2014|publisher=Research & Monitoring Division, Department of Government Information, Sri Lanka|isbn=9789559073284|pages=16|language=en}}</ref> Several organizations to counter this act were formed by Tamil students. Prabhakaran, aged 15, dropped out of school and became associated with the ''Kuttimani-Thangathurai'' group (which evolved later into [[Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization|TELO]]) formed by [[Selvarajah Yogachandran]] (known as Kuttimani) and [[Nadarajah Thangathurai]] who both also hailed from Valvettithurai.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZdTZCgAAQBAJ&q=Tamil+Manavar+Peravai&pg=PA25|title=Pain, Pride, and Politics: Social Movement Activism and the Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora in Canada|last=Amarasingam|first=Amarnath|date=15 September 2015|publisher=University of Georgia Press|isbn=9780820348148|pages=25|language=en}}</ref>

Prabhakaran along with [[Kuttimani]], [[Pon Sivakumaran|Ponnuthurai Sivakumaran]] and other prominent rebels joined the ''Tamil Manavar Peravai'' formed by a student named ''Satiyaseelan'' in 1970. This group comprised Tamil youth who advocated the rights of students to have fair enrollment.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vjtuAAAAMAAJ&q=manavar|title=Indian intervention in Sri Lanka: the role of India's intelligence agencies|last=Gunaratna|first=Rohan|date=1993|publisher=South Asian Network on Conflict Research|isbn=9789559519904|pages=66|language=en}}</ref>{{refn|group=note|The name is variously translated as Tamil Students League or Tamil Students Federation, later also known as Tamil Ilaynar Peravai (TIP), translated as Tamil Youth Front (TYF),<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-sIRxpjfd-EC&q=tamil+manavar+peravai&pg=PA350|title=Paradise Poisoned: Learning about Conflict, Terrorism, and Development from Sri Lanka's Civil Wars|last=Richardson|first=John Martin|date=2005|publisher=International Center for Ethnic Studies|isbn=9789555800945|pages=350|language=en}}</ref>}} In 1973, Prabhakaran teamed up with ''Chetti Thanabalasingam'' and with a fraction of the Tamil Manavar Peravai to form the [[Tamil New Tigers]] (TNT).<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=42kMAQAAMAAJ&q=kuttimani|title=Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies|date=2007|publisher=Published under the auspices of the Pakistan American Foundation|pages=81|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vuu0wNAkFGQC&q=Tamil+students+leaguge&pg=PA126|title=Volatile Social Movements and the Origins of Terrorism: The Radicalization of Change|last=Rinehart|first=Christine Sixta|date=2013|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=9780739177709|pages=126|language=en}}</ref> Their first notable attack was held at the Duraiappa stadium in [[Jaffna]] placing a bomb in an attempt to murder the Jaffna Mayor [[Alfred Duraiappah]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bxWyCQAAQBAJ&q=tnt+duraiappah+stadium&pg=PA34|title=Peaceful Intervention in Intra-State Conflicts: Norwegian Involvement in the Sri Lankan Peace Process|last=Talpahewa|first=Dr Chanaka|date=28 May 2015|publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.|isbn=9781472445353|pages=34|language=en}}</ref> A member of the [[Sri Lanka Freedom Party]] who was loyal to Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Duraiappah was seen as a traitor by the Tamil masses.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6RSHzj2EU-cC&q=alfred&pg=PA275|title=Blowback: Linguistic Nationalism, Institutional Decay, and Ethnic Conflict in Sri Lanka|last=DeVotta|first=Neil|date=2004|publisher=Stanford University Press|isbn=9780804749244|pages=169|language=en}}</ref> Failing the attempt, Prabhakaran managed to shoot and kill Duraiappah who was on a visit at a Hindu temple at Ponnalai on 27 July 1975.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZdTZCgAAQBAJ&q=duraiappah+prabhakaran&pg=PA26|title=Pain, Pride, and Politics: Social Movement Activism and the Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora in Canada|last=Amarasingam|first=Amarnath|date=15 September 2015|publisher=University of Georgia Press|isbn=9780820348148|pages=26|language=en}}</ref>

On 5 May 1976, the TNT was renamed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), commonly known as the ''Tamil Tigers''.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Rinehart|first=Christine Sixta|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vuu0wNAkFGQC&q=Tamil+Students+Federation&pg=PA118|title=Volatile Social Movements and the Origins of Terrorism: The Radicalization of Change|date=2013|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=9780739177709|pages=118|language=en}}</ref>

=== Eelam War I ===
The LTTE by the 1980s operated in more attacks against police and military forces. On 23 July 1983, the LTTE ambushed an army patrol and killed 13 Sri Lankan soldiers in [[Thirunelveli, Sri Lanka]].<ref name=":0" /> As a response to this were one of the worst government sponsored [[Black July|anti-Tamil riots]] held (the event known as ''Black July'') resulting in the destruction of Tamil houses and shops and deaths of hundreds of Tamils and making over 150,000 Tamils homeless.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/3436931|title=Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies|date=2007|publisher=Published under the auspices of the Pakistan American Foundation|pages=83|oclc=3436931 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aOFjCb7sJugC&q=black+july|title=Diminishing Conflicts in Asia and the Pacific: Why Some Subside and Others Don't|last1=Aspinall|first1=Edward|last2=Jeffrey|first2=Robin|last3=Regan|first3=Anthony|date=2 October 2012|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781136251139|pages=104|language=en}}</ref> As a result of the riots several Tamils joining the LTTE and the LTTE marked the beginning of the [[Eelam War I]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kFHEMaLZx6gC&q=%22eelam+war+I%22&pg=PA88|title=When Counterinsurgency Wins: Sri Lanka's Defeat of the Tamil Tigers|last=Hashim|first=Ahmed|date=2013|publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press|isbn=978-0812244526|pages=88–89|language=en}}</ref> With Prabhakaran being the most wanted man in Sri Lanka,<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Perera|first=Amantha|date=6 April 2009|language=en-US|magazine=Time|url=http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1889653,00.html|title=Sri Lanka Closes In on Leader of the Tamil Tigers|access-date=11 May 2020|issn=0040-781X}}</ref> he had said in 1984, "I would prefer to die in honour rather than being caught alive by the enemy."<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Tamil Tiger leader was seen as ruthless innovator|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-may-19-fg-tamil-tiger19-story.html|date=19 May 2009|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|access-date=11 May 2020}}</ref> Prabhakaran held his first speech on 4 August 1987 at the [[Suthumalai]] Amman temple in front of over 100,000 people explaining the position of the LTTE.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vjtuAAAAMAAJ|title=Indian intervention in Sri Lanka: the role of India's intelligence agencies|last=Gunaratna|first=Rohan|date=1 January 1993|publisher=South Asian Network on Conflict Research|isbn=9789559519904|pages=212–213|language=en}}</ref> This speech is seen as a historic turning point in the [[Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o01uAAAAMAAJ|title=The Tamil national question and the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord|last1=Seevaratnam|first1=N.|date=1 January 1989|publisher=Konark Publishers|pages=69|isbn=9788122001389|language=en}}</ref> In the same year, ''[[Asiaweek]]'' compared Prabhakaran to revolutionary [[Che Guevara]], while ''[[Newsweek]]'' called him "the stuff of legend".<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Prabhakaran ruined what he created|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/latest-headlines/story/prabhakaran-ruined-what-he-created-48007-2009-05-19|last1=Ramachandran|first1=Rajesh|date=19 May 2009|website=India Today|language=en|access-date=11 May 2020}}</ref>

=== Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi ===
The LTTE were allegedly involved in the [[assassination of Rajiv Gandhi]], the ex-prime minister of India in 1991, which they denied involvement and alleged the event as an international conspiracy against them.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dibjAAAAMAAJ&q=ltte+rajiv+gandhi|title=Rajiv Gandhi: An Assessment|last=Aggarwala|first=Adish C.|date=1993|publisher=Amish Publications|isbn=9788190028905|pages=5|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IQJXAAAAMAAJ|title=Summary of World Broadcasts: Asia, Pacific|date=1999|publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation|pages=6|language=en}}</ref> However, in a 2011 interview, [[Selvarasa Pathmanathan|Kumaran Pathmanathan]], who was the Treasurer of LTTE and its chief arms procurer, apologized to India for Velupillai Prabhakaran's "mistake" of killing former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. He further said Rajiv's assassination was "well planned and done actually with Prabhakaran and (LTTE intelligence chief Pottu Amman). Everyone knows the truth".<ref>{{cite news |title=Top LTTE leader apologizes to India for Rajiv's killing |newspaper=The Economic Times |date=24 May 2011 |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/top-ltte-leader-apologizes-to-india-for-rajivs-killing/articleshow/8555212.cms}}</ref> The TADA Court issued an arrest warrant for plotting of the assassination of [[Rajiv Gandhi]]. In October 2010 the charges against Prabhakaran  were dropped by the TADA Court after the [[Central Bureau of Investigation]] filed a report stating that he was dead and the case was closed.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Year-after-death-LTTE-chiefs-case-closed/articleshow/6812117.cms | title=Year after death, LTTE chief's case closed | publisher=[[The Times of India]] | work=A Subramani | date=26 October 2010 | access-date=27 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/rajiv-trial-names-of-prabhakaran-pottu-amman-dropped-437343 | title=Rajiv trial: Names of Prabhakaran, Pottu Amman dropped | publisher=NDTV | date=26 October 2010 | access-date=27 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/7359/year-after-death-ltte-chiefs-case-closed | title=LTTE chief's case closed | publisher=Daily Mirror | date=26 October 2010 | access-date=27 June 2020}}</ref>

=== Peace talks ===
Prabhakaran's first and only major press conference was held in [[Killinochchi]] on 10 April 2002.<ref name="tnr">{{cite news|url=http://hindu.com/2002/04/11/stories/2002041103800100.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015044335/http://hindu.com/2002/04/11/stories/2002041103800100.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 October 2012 |title=Time not ripe to give up Eelam goal: Prabakaran |date=11 April 2002 |newspaper=[[The Hindu]] |access-date=17 May 2009}}</ref>  It was reported that more than 200 journalists from the local and foreign media attended this event and they had to go through a 10-hour security screening before the event in which [[Anton Balasingham]] introduced the LTTE leader as the ''"President and Prime'' ''Minister of Tamil Eelam."'' A number of questions were asked about LTTE's commitment towards the erstwhile peace process and Prabhakaran and Dr. Anton Balasingham jointly answered the questions. Repeated questions about his involvement in the [[Rajiv Gandhi]] assassination were only answered in a sober note by both Balasingham and Prabhakaran. They called it a "tragic incident" ("Thunbiyal Chambavam", as quoted in Tamil) they requested the press "not to dig into an incident that happened 10 years ago."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mehta |first=Raj K. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/505913483 |title=Lost Victory : The Rise & Fall of LTTE Supremo, V. Prabhakaran |publisher=Pentagon Security International |year=2010 |isbn=978-81-8274-443-1 |edition=1st |location=New Delhi |pages=166 |language=en |oclc=505913483}}</ref>

During the interview, he stated that the right condition has not risen to give up the demand of Tamil Eelam. He further mentioned that "There are three fundamentals. That is Tamil homeland, Tamil nationality and Tamil right to self-determination. These are the fundamental demands of the Tamil people. Once these demands are accepted or a political solution is put forward by recognising these three fundamentals and our people are satisfied with the solutions we will consider giving up the demand for Eelam." He further added that Tamil Eelam was not only the demand of the LTTE but also the demand of the Tamil people.<ref name=tnr />

Prabhakaran also answered a number of questions in which he reaffirmed their commitment towards the peace process, quoted "We are sincerely committed to the peace process. It is because we are sincerely committed to peace that we continued a four month cessation of hostilities".  He was also firm in de-proscription of the LTTE by Sri Lanka and India, "We want the government of India to lift the ban on the LTTE. We will raise the issue at the appropriate time."

Prabhakaran also insisted firmly that only de-proscription would bring forth an amenable solution to the ongoing peace process mediated by [[Norway]]: "We have informed the government, we have told the Norwegians that de-proscription is a necessary condition for the commencements of talks."<ref>Assignment Colombo at page xv(15), {{ISBN|81-220-0499-7}}, published by Konark Publishers Pvt Ltd, delhi</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=S. L. Gunasekara|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wWpuAAAAMAAJ|title=The wages of sin|publisher=Sinhala Jathika Sangamaya|year=2002|isbn=978-955-8552-01-8}}</ref>

=== Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive and death ===
When the Sri Lankan military rapidly advanced into the last LTTE held territory in the final days of [[2008–2009 SLA Northern offensive]], Prabhakaran and his top leadership retreated into Vellamullivaikkal, [[Mullaitivu]]. Fierce fighting occurred between LTTE and the [[Sri Lanka Army]] during these last few days. At around 3:00&nbsp;a.m. on 18 May 2009, Prabhakaran's son Charles Anthony tried to break the defenses of the Army, but was unsuccessful. He died along with around 100 other LTTE fighters. Troops found 12 million rupees in his possession.<ref name="lankaw2"/> By noon that day, reports emerged that Prabhakaran was killed by a rocket attack while trying to flee the conflict zone in a captured ambulance and his body was badly burned.<ref name="hindus2">{{Cite news|date=18 May 2009|title=Prabhakaran is dead|work=The Hindustan Times|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/Prabhakaran-is-dead/Article1-411894.aspx|url-status=dead|access-date=20 June 2011|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130125070401/http://www.hindustantimes.com/Prabhakaran-is-dead/Article1-411894.aspx|archive-date=25 January 2013}}</ref> But this rumour was proven false in a short while. Skirmishes occurred also in the evening of 18 May around eastern bank of Nandikadal lagoon. A team of LTTE cadres consisting of 30 most loyal bodyguards of Prabhakaran and Prabhakaran himself tried to sneak through the mangrove islands of Nandikadal to its west bank. It has been alleged that one bodyguard had a can of gasoline with him to burn the Tiger leader's body if he was killed or committed suicide. This was to prevent the enemy seizing his body.<ref name="dbsjey2">{{Cite news|date=22 May 2009|title=The last days of Thiruvenkadam Veluppillai Prabhakaran|work=Lanka Web|url=http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/615|access-date=20 June 2011|archive-date=11 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511181353/http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/615|url-status=dead}}</ref> Clearing and mopping-up operations were carried out by troops under [[Colonel]] G. V. Ravipriya from 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm that evening, but they did not encounter this last group of LTTE fighters that day. At 7:30 am next morning, mopping-up operations started again. This time, they were confronted by the fighters, led by Prabhakaran himself. Fighting went on until 9:30 am 19 May 2009. The firing stopped as all LTTE fighters died in the battle. Troops started collecting bodies again. This time, [[Sergeant]] Muthu Banda, attached to Sri Lanka Army Task Force VIII, reported to Ravipriya that a body similar to Prabhakaran's had been found. After the body, which was floating among the mangroves, was brought ashore, Colonel Ravipriya positively identified it as that of the leader of the LTTE.<ref name="lankaw2" /> A dog tag marked ''001'', two pistols, a [[Type 56 assault rifle|T56]] rifle with telescopic sight, a [[satellite phone]], and a canister filled with diabetic medicine were found along with the body.

At 12:15 pm army commander [[Sarath Fonseka]] officially announced Prabhakaran's death on TV. At around 1:00 pm his body was shown in [[Swarnavahini]] for the first time.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sri Lanka Army – Defenders of the Nation|url=http://www.army.lk/vgallery.php?galid=29|publisher=Army.lk|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090523092610/http://www.army.lk/vgallery.php?galid=29|archive-date=23 May 2009|access-date=19 May 2009}}</ref> Prabakaran's identity was confirmed by [[Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan|Karuna Amman]], his former confidant, and through DNA testing against genetic material from his son, who had been killed earlier by the Sri Lankan military.<ref name="DNA2">{{Cite news|last=Bosleigh|first=Robert|date=9 May 2008|title=DNA tests on body of Prabhakaran, Sri Lankan rebel leader|work=The Times|location=London|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6313072.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090521125345/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6313072.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=21 May 2009|access-date=2 May 2010}}</ref> Circumstantial evidence suggested that his death was caused by massive head trauma; several claims on his death have been made and it's alleged that his death was due to a shot at close range. There are also allegations that he was executed, a claim vehemently denied by Sri Lankan authorities. Karuna Amman claimed Prabhakaran shot himself but it was denied by Fonseka who claimed the injury was from shrapnel citing the lack of an exit wound.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Fonseka Refutes Karuna's Contention That Prabhakaran Shot Himself|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/world/Fonseka-Refutes-Karunas-Contention-That-Prabhakaran-Shot-Himself/2015/08/31/article3003126.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150831204336/http://www.newindianexpress.com/world/Fonseka-Refutes-Karunas-Contention-That-Prabhakaran-Shot-Himself/2015/08/31/article3003126.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=31 August 2015|website=The New Indian Express|access-date=9 November 2015}}</ref> A week later, the new Tamil Tiger leader, [[Selvarasa Pathmanathan]], admitted that Prabhakaran was dead.<ref>{{cite news |last1=McDonald |first1=Mark |title=Tamil Tigers Confirm Death of Their Leader |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/26/world/asia/26lanka.html |access-date=11 April 2022 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=25 May 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=24 May 2009|title=Tamil Tigers confirm leader's death|work=[[Al Jazeera English]]|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2009/05/2009524124042406562.html|access-date=24 May 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=24 May 2009|title=Tamil Tigers admit leader is dead|work=[[BBC News]]|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8066129.stm|access-date=24 May 2009}}</ref>

==Alleged claims of survival==
Despite the announcement of his death by both the Government and LTTE remnants, certain groups and media have claimed that Prabhakaran survived the war and managed to escape. In 2009 a Tamil website showed an image showing Prabhakaran viewing a news report of his death in TV which was sent to [[France 24]] as proof of his survival. But France 24 noted that the photo appeared to be photoshopped.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tamil Tiger leader still alive! |date=21 May 2009 |url=https://observers.france24.com/en/20090521-tamil-tiger-leader-still-alive-velupillai-prabhakaran-sri-lanka |access-date=26 September 2020}}</ref> In 2010 Pro-LTTE website TamilWin claimed that the body of Prabhakaran shown belonged to a Sri Lankan soldier showing images of a Prabhakaran look-alike in the Sri Lankan army.<ref>{{cite news |title=Prabhakaran's dead body was fake, claims website |url=https://archive.siasat.com/news/association-muslim-professionals-organizes-job-drive-1055699/ |access-date=26 September 2020}}</ref> The theory of Prabhakaran's survival is also supported by Tamil Nadu politician [[Vaiko]] who claims Prabhakaran would emerge from hiding at the right time.<ref>{{cite news |title=Prabhakaran not dead, claims Vaiko |url=https://m.hindustantimes.com/india/prabhakaran-not-dead-claims-vaiko/story-YlOWX0KERArpjQI3DendIL.html |access-date=26 September 2020}}</ref> The claim of Prabhakaran's survival was reiterated in 2023 by Indian activist [[Pazha Nedumara]]n, who declared through a press conference held at Thanjavur that the slain leader of LTTE is "still alive and doing well" and that he has been in contact with Prabhakaran's family. The claim was rejected by Sri Lanka which issued a statement stating that Prabhakaran's corpse had been confirmed by his close associates as well as DNA testing.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/prabhakaran-still-alive-who-is-p-nedumaran-how-ltte-chief-killed-8442875/|title='Prabhakaran still alive': Who is P Nedumaran, and how the LTTE chief was killed|date=13 February 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Have no doubt about Prabhakaran's death; SL Army responds |url=https://www.dailymirror.lk/breaking_news/Have-no-doubt-about-Prabhakarans-death-SL-Army-responds/108-254066 |access-date=13 February 2023}}</ref>

==Philosophy and ideology==
Prabhakaran was influenced by prominent Indian nationalists [[Subhas Chandra Bose]] and [[Bhagat Singh]], both of whom participated in the [[revolutionary movement for Indian independence]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/3236030.stm|title=The enigma of Prabhakaran|publisher=news.bbc.co.uk | first=Alastair|last=Lawson|date=18 May 2009}}</ref> Prabhakaran never developed a systematic philosophy, but did declare that his goal was 'revolutionary socialism and the creation of an egalitarian society'. His rare interviews, his annual Tamil Eelam Heroes Day speeches and the LTTE's policies and actions can be taken as indicators of Prabhakaran's philosophy and ideology. Religion was not a major factor in his philosophy or ideology; the Tamil Tigers' ideology emerged from [[Marxist-Leninist]] thought and was explicitly secular. Its leadership professed opposition to religion.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Bermana|first=Eli|author2=David D. Laitin|year=2008|title=Religion, terrorism and public goods: Testing the club model|journal=Journal of Public Economics|volume=92|issue=10–11|pages=1942–1967|doi=10.1016/j.jpubeco.2008.03.007|citeseerx=10.1.1.178.8147|s2cid=1698386 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism|last=Pape|first=Robert|publisher=Random House|year=2006|isbn=978-0-8129-7338-9}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=No end to war: terrorism in the twenty-first century|last=Laqueur|first=Walter|publisher=Continuum|year=2004|isbn=978-0-8264-1656-8}}</ref> It focused single-mindedly on attaining an independent Tamil Eelam. The following are important aspects of Prabhakaran's philosophy and ideology.

===Eelam Tamil nationalism===
Prabhakaran is often seen as a [[martyr]] to the Eelam Tamil people.<ref name=":1" /> His source of inspiration and direction was [[Eelam Tamil nationalism]], and his stated and ultimate ideal was to get [[Tamil Eelam]] recognised as a [[nation]] as per the U.N. Charter that guarantees the right of a people to political independence.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hrweb.org/legal/cpr.html |title=UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights |publisher=Hrweb.org |date=7 July 1994 |access-date=17 May 2009}}</ref> The LTTE also proposed the formation of an [[Interim Self Governing Authority]] during Peace Negotiations in 2003. Former Tamil guerrilla and politician [[D. Siddarthan|Dharmalingam Sithadthan]] has remarked that Prabhakaran's "dedication to the cause of the [[Tamil Eelam]] was unquestionable, he was the only man in Sri Lanka who could decide if there should be war or peace."<ref name="SunGodWar">{{cite web|url=http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Asia/Story/STIStory_378372.html |title='Sun God's' Life of War |access-date=20 May 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101112085518/http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Asia/Story/STIStory_378372.html |archive-date=12 November 2010 }}. ''Straits Times'', 18 May 2009</ref>
[[File:LTTE Sea Tigers cadre transport.JPG|thumb|The LTTEs [[Sea Tigers]] wing]]

===Militarism of the LTTE===
Prabhakaran explicitly stated that an armed struggle is the only way to resist [[asymmetric warfare]], in which one side, that of the Sri Lankan government, is armed and the other comparatively unarmed. He argued that he chose military means only after observing that [[Nonviolence|non–violent]] means have been ineffectual and obsolete, especially after the [[Thileepan]] incident. Thileepan, a Lt. colonel rank officer adopted [[Gandhi]]an means to protest against the IPKF killings by staging a fast unto death from 15 September 1987, and by abstaining from food or water until 26 September, when he died in front of thousands of Tamils who had come there to fast along with him.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3i1uAAAAMAAJ&q=thileepan|title=Sri Lanka: the arrogance of power : myths, decadence & murder|last1=Hoole|first1=Rajan|date=2001|publisher=University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna)|isbn=9789559447047|page=227|language=en}}</ref>

Tactically, Prabhakaran perfected the recruitment and use of [[suicide bomber]] units. His fighters usually took no prisoners and were notorious for assaults that often left every single enemy soldier dead.<ref name="SunGodWar" /> [[Interpol]] described him as someone who was "very alert, known to use disguise and capable of handling sophisticated weaponry and explosives."<ref name="SunGodWar" /> He was called a "military genius" by western military experts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.rediff.com/column/2010/may/12/nitin-gokhale-on-the-lttes-defeat.htm|title=Recalling Prabhakaran's end|first=Nitin|last=Gokhale|website=Rediff}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tamilnation.org/forum/sachisrikantha/090618mervyn_vp.htm|title=Mervyn de Silva on Prabhakaran – 19 Years Ago|website=tamilnation.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|chapter-url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt22h6r7h.15|title=Crime – War in Sri Lanka|last1=Braithwaite|first1=John|last2=D’Costa|first2=Bina|chapter=Crime–war in Sri Lanka |year=2018|journal=Cascades of Violence|pages=363–392|jstor=j.ctt22h6r7h.15 |isbn=9781760461898 }}</ref><ref name="auto"/>

==Personal life==
Prabhakaran was married to Mathivathani Erambu on 1 October 1984 at Tirupporur, near Chennai.<ref name="health">{{cite web|url=http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/889|title=Health card of Prabakaran is not so rosy as it ought to be}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://photogallery.indiatimes.com/news/world/prabhakarans-family-album/articleshow/4563426.cms |title=Late LTTE chief Prabhakaran getting married |access-date=5 June 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114214635/http://photogallery.indiatimes.com/news/world/Prabhakarans-family-album/articleshow/4563426.cms |archive-date=14 November 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=archive |first=From our online |date=2012-05-15 |title=Prabhakaran’s Achilles’ heel |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/opinions/2009/May/19/prabhakarans-achilles-heel-50340.html |access-date=2025-06-10 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> The military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said in May 2009 that there was no information about the whereabouts of the remaining members of Prabhakaran's family. "We have not found their bodies and have no information about them," he said.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=49660|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090618032706/http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=49660|archive-date=18 June 2009|title=Prabhakaran's body cremated |author=Dianne Silva|work=Daily Mirror|date=22 May 2009}}</ref> It is thought that the entire family was wiped out; the bodies of Mathivathani, Duvaraga and Balachandran reportedly were found in a bushy patch about 600 meters away from where Prabhakaran's body was found.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=49739|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090621022922/http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=49739|archive-date=21 June 2009|title=Last days of Thiruvenkadam Veluppillai Prabhakaran |work=Daily Mirror|date=23 May 2009}}</ref> It is now alleged that his 12-year-old son was executed.<ref>{{Cite web|date=26 February 2013|title=Handed a snack, and then executed: the last hours of the 12-year-old|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/handed-a-snack-and-then-executed-the-last-hours-of-the-12yearold-son-of-a-tamil-tiger-8500295.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220811/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/handed-a-snack-and-then-executed-the-last-hours-of-the-12yearold-son-of-a-tamil-tiger-8500295.html |archive-date=11 August 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=14 August 2021|website=The Independent|language=en}}</ref>

Prabhakaran's parents, Thiruvenkadam Velupillai and Parvathi, both in their 70s, were found in the [[Menik Farm]] [[Sri Lankan IDP camps|camp for displaced people]] near the town of Vavuniya. The Sri Lankan military and the government gave public assurances that they would not be interrogated, harmed or ill-treated.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8072081.stm|title=Tamil Tiger chief's parents found (BBC News) | date=28 May 2009 | access-date=6 January 2010|first=Alastair|last=Lawson}}</ref> They were taken into Sri Lankan military custody until Vellupillai's death in January 2010.<ref>{{Cite news|date=21 February 2011|title=Sri Lanka Tiger leader Prabhakaran's mother dies|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12526490|access-date=14 August 2021}}</ref> Prabhakaran has a sister, Vinodini Rajendaran.<ref>{{Cite magazine|author=M. C. Rajan |date=18 January 2010 |title=Cousin wants Prabhakaran mother sent to Tamil Nadu|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/south/story/cousin-wants-prabhakaran-mother-sent-to-tamil-nadu-65184-2010-01-18|access-date=14 August 2021|magazine=India Today|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/1295|title=Prabhakaran, Veluppillai and the father-son relationship|access-date=24 August 2014|archive-date=27 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200127212411/http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/1295|url-status=dead}}
</ref>

One of Prabhakaran's personal bodyguards was [[Captain Mayuran (Saba)]], who served in his close protection unit in the early 1990s and was killed in the Battle of Pooneryn in 1993.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://irruppu.com/2021/05/26/%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%88%E0%AE%B5%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D-%E0%AE%85%E0%AE%B5%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%B3%E0%AF%88%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AA%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%95/ |title=தலைவர் அவர்களைப் பாதுகாக்க |language=ta |website=Irruppu.com |date=26 May 2021 |access-date=7 February 2025 }}</ref>
===Other names===
Prabhakaran had over the years built up the LTTE into a powerful movement running a shadow state and had acquired the status of being "Thesiya Thalaivar" (National Leader of the Land).<ref name="Administrator">{{Cite web|date=1 June 2021|title=The Downfall of the LTTE Led by Prabhakaran at Mullivaaikkaal|url=http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/73063|access-date=14 August 2021|website=dbsjeyaraj.com|language=en-US|archive-date=29 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230129082817/https://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/73063|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was called ''thambi'', meaning "younger brother", by Eelam Tamil elders, which was also his pet name since he was the youngest in his family.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rise and fall of the LTTE – Part I |url=https://www.ft.lk/columns/Rise-and-fall-of-the-LTTE-–-Part-I/4-718001|access-date=14 August 2021|work=Daily FT |language=English}}</ref> He was also called as ''Anna/Annai'', meaning 'elder brother' by his younger cadets and the younger Eelam Tamil people.<ref>{{Cite web|agency=PTI|date=18 May 2009|title=Prabhakaran, a ruthless fighter for Eelam |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/prabhakaran-a-ruthless-fighter-for-eelam/articleshow/4548900.cms|access-date=14 August 2021|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref> Prabhakaran was also called "Karikalan" for his bravery and his administration (in reference to [[Karikala Chola]], a famous [[Chola]] king who ruled in [[Sangam Age]]). He was additionally raised to divine status as ''Sooriyathevan'' (God of the Sun) by his followers. This was a title used by some of his supporters and within the LTTE to emphasize his leadership and charisma. It is important to note that Prabhakaran was a controversial figure and his moniker as "Sooriyathevan" was symbolic rather than a religious or widely accepted title.<ref name="Administrator"/>

==See also==
* [[LTTE Commanders]]
* [[Nadarajah Thangathurai]]
* [[Ponnuthurai Sivakumaran]]
* [[Selvarajah Yogachandran]]
* [[Seeman]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* [[Rajan Hoole|Hoole, Rajan]] (2001). [https://www.amazon.com/dp/9559447041/ ''The Arrogance of Power'']. Colombo, Sri Lanka: [[UTHR(J)]].  {{Isbn|978-9559447047}}.
* {{Cite book |last=Kuppusamy |first=Chellamuthu |url=https://www.nhm.in/shop/978-81-8493-168-6.html|title=Prabhakaran: The Story of His Struggle for Eelam |publisher=New Horizon Media Pvt Ltd|year=2009|isbn=978-81-8493-168-6|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121117103238/http://nhm.in/shop/978-81-8493-168-6.html|archive-date=17 November 2012}}
* {{Cite book |last=Kuppusamy |first=Chellamuthu |url=https://www.nhm.in/shop/978-81-8493-039-9.html|title=பிரபாகரன்: ஒரு வாழ்க்கை|publisher=New Horizon Media Pvt Ltd|year=2008|isbn=978-81-8493-039-9|access-date=7 December 2012|archive-date=26 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121226135408/https://www.nhm.in/shop/978-81-8493-039-9.html|url-status=dead}}
* [[Anita Pratap|Pratap, Anita]] (2001). ''Island of Blood: Frontline Reports from Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Other South Asian Flashpoints''.

==External links==
* [[United States Pacific Command]] [http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items07/250407-5.html Assessment of Prabhakaran]
* BBC Profile – [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/212361.stm The enigma of Prabhakaran]
* BBC News Report – [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1922478.stm Reclusive Tamil rebel leader faces public (2002)]
* [http://www.sangam.org/PIRABAKARAN/Part1.htm ''The Pirabaharan Phenomenon'']
* [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Final-showdown-for-Tamil-Tiger-chief-Prabhakaran/articleshow/4439368.cms Final Showdown for Tamil Tiger Chief Prabhakaran] ''The Times of India'', 23 April 2009
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090520074559/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6315330.ece Claims of Massacre as Tamil Tiger Leaders Die] by Robert Bosleigh, ''The Times'', 19 May 2009

===Interviews and speeches===
* {{cite web|url=http://www.eelamweb.com/leader/ |title=Veluppillai Prabhakaran's interviews |access-date=31 December 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071024141206/http://www.eelamweb.com/leader/ |archive-date=24 October 2007 }}
* {{cite web|url=http://www.eelam.com/interviews/ |title=A short assorted list of his interviews |access-date=7 March 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080822034930/http://www.eelam.com/interviews/ |archive-date=22 August 2008 }}
* [http://www.frontlineonnet.com/fl1909/19090040.htm Prabakaran in First Person – T.S. Subramanian – April 2002 – Press Meet]

{{Sri Lankan Civil War}}
{{Sri Lankan Civil War graphical timeline}}
{{Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam}}
{{Authority control}}

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