P 120610Z FEB 87
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1264
INFO AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
AMCONSUL MADRAS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 COLOMBO 01041 
 
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR 
TAGS: PINS PINR CE
SUBJECT:  INSIDE THE LTTE:  A LOOK AT THE TIGERS' 
          COMMAND STRUCTURE AND REGIONAL LEADERS 
 
REF: 86 COLOMBO 6174 
 
 
¶1.  CONFIDENTIAL--ENTIRE TEXT. 
 
¶2.  SUMMARY:  PRABHAKARAN HAS DIVIDED HIS LIBERATION 
TIGERS OF TAMIL EELAM INTO FIVE POLITICO-MILITARY 
REGIONS, EACH COMMANDED BY A REGIONAL LEADER RESPONSIBLE 
TO PRABHAKARAN.  IN TURN THESE REGIONAL COMMANDERS HAVE 
SUBORDINATE AREA COMMANDERS UNDER THEIR CONTROL.  THE 
LTTE STRUCTURE IS A TIGHT PYRAMID, WITH POWER CONCEN- 
TRATED AT THE APEX--PRABHAKARAN.  HIS LIEUTENANT IN 
JAFFNA IS KITTU, WHO SPORTS A LEOPARD-SKIN HOLSTER, 
KEEPS A PET MONKEY, AND IS GENERALLY KNOWN AS 
PRABHAKARAN'S "ENFORCER."  THE TOP MAN IN MANNAR IS 
RADHA, THE REPUTED LEADER OF THE LTTE RAID ON 
ANURADHAPURA IN 1985 THAT LEFT 150 SINHALESE CIVILIANS 
DEAD.  IN BATTICALOA THE LTTE LEADER IS KUMARAN, A 
WILY GUERRILLA WHO HAS NARROWLY ESCAPED CAPTURE OR 
DEATH TWICE IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS.  GIVEN WHAT WE 
KNOW OF THE LTTE'S STRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS, IF AN 
LTTE-CONTROLLED TAMIL EELAM WERE TO BE ESTABLISHED, 
IT WOULD BE DOMINATED BY PRABHAKARAN, WOULD BE 
HIGHLY CENTRALIZED AND AUTHORITARIAN (ALTHOUGH NOT 
VERY IDEOLOGICAL), AND BE PLAGUED BY CLEAVAGES BASED 
ON REGION, CASTE, AND RELIGION.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶3.  INTRODUCTION:  THE LIBERATION TIGERS OF TAMIL 
EELAM (LTTE) ARE NOW INDISPUTABLY THE PREDOMINANT 
TAMIL SEPARATIST ORGANIZATION, HAVING COWED RIVAL 
MILITANT GROUPS, SUPPLANTED THE MODERATE TULF 
AS THE LEADING POLITICAL LIGHT OF THE TAMIL CAUSE, 
SLIPPED THE BONDS OF INDIAN TUTELAGE, AND ESTABLISHED 
A FUNCTIONING (IF LIMITED) CIVIL ADMINISTRATION IN 
TERRITORY UNDER THEIR CONTROL.  EMBASSY COLOMBO IN 
PAST WEEKS HAS FOCUSED ON THE LTTE POLITICO-MILITARY 
STRUCTURE IN SRI LANKA AND ON THE LOCAL LTTE LEADERS 
WHO OPERATE UNDER PRABHAKARAN'S DIRECTION IN THE 
NORTH AND EAST.  REFTEL CONTAINS BIOGRAPHIC 
INFORMATION ON THE LTTE LEADER, VELUPILLAI PRABHAKARN, 
WHO RECENTLY RETURNED TO JAFFNA AFTER 3 YEARS OF EXILE 
IN TAMIL NADU.  THE FOLLOWING SECTIONS DESCRIBE THE 
LTTE COMMAND STRUCTURE AND GIVE PROFILES OF SOME 
OF THE LTTE REGIONAL AND SUB-REGIONAL COMMANDERS. 
THIS MESSAGE SEEKS TO PROVIDE A GLIMPSE INSIDE THE LTTE 
AND INFORMATION ON CHARACTERISTIC LOCAL COMMANDERS. 
EMBASSY HAS INFORMATION ON THREE OF THE FIVE REGIONAL 
COMMANDERS AND WILL INFORM ADDRESSEES IF SUBSEQUENT 
DATA ON TRINCOMALEE AND VAVUNIYA LTTE LEADERS COMES 
TO LIGHT.  INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS FROM OPEN, 
PUBLISHED SOURCES, AS WELL AS FROM THE SRI LANKAN 
POLICE, MILITARY, FOREIGN AND SRI LANKAN JOURNALISTS 
WHO HAVE TRAVELED IN THE NORTH AND EAST, AND LOCAL 
PRIVATE CONTACTS. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
ORGANIZATION AND STRUCTURE 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
¶4.  LUCKY FIVE; A REGIONAL COMMAND STRUCTURE: 
THE LTTE HAS DIVIDED THE NORTH AND EAST INTO FIVE 
REGIONAL COMMAND STRUCTURES, EACH WITH AN OVERALL 
REGIONAL COMMANDER WHO REPORTS DIRECTLY TO PRABHAKARAN. 
EACH OF THE FIVE REGIONS IS FURTHER SUBDIVIDED INTO 
SMALLER AREAS, WITH A DESIGNATED LOCAL LEADER WHO 
REPORTS TO THE REGIONAL COMMANDER.  THE FIVE REGIONS 
ARE JAFFNA, MANNAR, VAVUNIYA (COMPRISED OF VAVUNIYA, 
KILINOCHCHI, AND MULLAITTIVU DISTRICTS), TRINCOMALEE, 
AND BATTICALOA (BATTICALOA AND AMPARAI DISTRICTS). 
THE NUMBER FIVE IS CONSIDERED TO BE VERY LUCKY IN 
TAMIL HINDU MYTHOLOGY, AND ONE MILITARY CONTACT SAYS 
PRABHAKARAN SET UP FIVE REGIONAL COMMANDS FOR THIS 
REASON.  THE FIVE REGIONAL COMMANDERS SIT ON THE 
LTTE'S CENTRAL COMMITTEE, ALONG WITH PRAKHAKARAN AND 
A FEW SELECT OTHERS.  THE REGIONAL COMMANDERS ARE 
CONCURRENTLY MILITARY AND POLITICAL LEADERS; THERE IS 
NO DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN THE LTTE'S POLITICAL AND 
MILITARY HIERARCHY. 
 
¶5.  HIGHLY CENTRALIZED:  THE LTTE OPERATIONAL COMMAND 
STRUCTURE IS HIGHLY CENTRALIZED AND IS DOMINATED BY 
PRABHAKARAN.  JAFFNA PLAYS THE KEY ROLE OVERALL, BOTH 
BECAUSE OF THE LTTE CONTROL AND FREEDOM OF OPERATION 
THERE, AS WELL AS THE FACT THAT JAFFNA TAMILS DOMINATE 
THE LTTE'S RANKS.  THE TIGERS RUN A SOPHISTICATED 
RADIO COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK BETWEEN THE REGIONAL 
COMMANDS AND JAFFNA, A SYSTEM WHICH MANY CLAIM IS A 
PRIMARY REASON FOR THE  LTTE'S CENTRALIZED COORDINATION, 
DISCIPLINE, AND EFFECTIVENESS.  THE REGIONAL COMMANDERS 
ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN THEIR AUTHORITY BY MEANS OF 
STRICT CONTROL OF ALL MUNITIONS AND SUPPLIES DISTRIBUTED 
THROUGH THE LTTE STRUCTURE. SUB-REGIONAL COMMANDERS HAVE 
GUNS, AMMO, AND OTHER SUPPLIES DOLED OUT TO THEM BY THE 
REGIONAL COMMANDERS.  ONE POLICE CONTACT CLAIMED THAT THE 
SUBSTANTIAL RANSOM COLLECTIONS MADE BY THE LTTE ARE ALL 
IMMEDIATELY SENT BACK TO JAFFNA, FOR LATER DISTRIBUTION 
FOR THE WHOLE ORGANIZATION AS PRABHAKARAN SEES FIT. 
ACCORDING TO A PRESS REPORT, "EVERYONE IS REQUIRED TO 
TAKE AN OATH OF ALLEGIANCE TO PRABHAKARAN.  THE REGIONAL 
LEADERS ARE HANDPICKED BY PRABHAKARAN HIMSELF ON THE 
BASIS OF TRUST, LOYALTY, AND EXPERIENCE." 
 
 
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JAFFNA 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
¶6.  KITTU; MACHO ANIMAL LOVER: 
THE JAFFNA REGION COMMANDER AND REPUTEDLY THE 
SECOND MOST POWERFUL MAN IN THE LTTE IS KITTU 
(WHOSE REAL NAME IS SATHASIVAM KRISHNAKUMAR). 
KITTU, 27, IS SAID TO BE A CLOSE RELATIVE OF 
PRABHAKARAN AND IS FROM THE SAME FISHERMAN 
CASTE (KARAYAR) AND HOMETOWN (VALVEDDITURRAI). 
HE IS REPORTED TO SPEAK ONLY TAMIL--ALTHOUGH 
HE MAY UNDERSTAND SOME ENGLISH--AND TO HAVE 
COMPLETED THE "ORDINARY LEVEL" EXAMS (10 YEARS 
OF EDUCATION).  PICTURES HAVE APPEARED IN THE 
COLOMBO PRESS OF KITTU HOLDING HIS PET MONKEY, 
"BILL," AND ONE FOREIGN JOURNALIST WHO INTERVIEWED HIM 
SAID HE WAS CONSTANTLY SURROUNDED BY A PACK OF 
FRIENDLY DOGS.  HE IS A NOTORIOUSLY BAD DRIVER; THE 
JOURNALIST CITED ABOVE CLAIMED KITTU TOOK HIM FOR A 
HAIR-RAISING RIDE AROUND JAFFNA.  GSL REPORTS IN 
SEPTEMBER 1986 THAT KITTU HAD BEEN BADLY WOUNDED 
BY MORTAR FIRE WERE BASED ON THE FACT THAT, ACCORDING 
TO TAMIL SOURCES, KITTU HAD SMASHED UP HIS LEG RATHER 
SERIOUSLY IN AN AUTO WRECK.  RECENT REPORTS FROM JAFFNA 
OF KITTU ZIPPING AROUND ON A SCOOTER INSTEAD OF HIS 
CAR HAVE BEEN ATTRIBUTED TO (1) A DEMOTION WITHIN THE 
LTTE HIERARCHY, OR (2) EFFECTS OF THE GSL FUEL EMBARGO 
IN JAFFNA.  IT MAY BE THE CASE, HOWEVER, THAT KITTU 
SIMPLY HAS SMASHED UP HIS CAR ONCE AGAIN. 
 
¶7.  KITTU, DESCRIBED BY ONE JOURNALIST AS LOOKING LIKE 
"AN ECCENTRIC BUT RICH UNDERGRADUATE," ALSO HAS A 
DARKER, TYRANNICAL SIDE.  ONE CONTACT SAID HE HAD A 
"MACHO SWAGGER" AND CARRIES A .45 IN A LEOPARD-SKIN 
HOLSTER (ANOTHER REPORT IDENTIFIES HIS SIDE-ARM AS 
A .357 MAGNUM).  THE JOURNALIST CITED IN PARA 6 
SAID THAT WHILE ON A TOUR OF THE JAFFNA AREA, KITTU 
WOULD STOP THE CAR, PULL OUT HIS PISTOL, AND BLAST 
AWAY AT CROWS ("HE NEVER HIT ANYTHING," THE JOURNALIST 
ADDED).  HE ALSO REPORTEDLY WEARS A POTASSIUM CYANIDE 
CAPSULE AROUND HIS NECK IN ORDER TO COMMIT SUICIDE IF 
CAPTURED, A PRACTICE COMMON WITH LTTE CADRE.  ACCORDING 
TO A VARIETY OF SOURCES, KITTU  IS RUTHLESS WHEN DEALING 
WITH TAMILS SUSPECTED OF COOPERATING WITH THE GSL; ONE 
INTERVIEWER STATED, "THE HEADMASTER OF A WELL-ESTABLISHED 
JAFFNA SCHOOL WAS KILLED ON KITTU'S ORDERS FOR THE CRIME 
OF PLAYING FOOTBALL WITH THE ARMY."  (WE ASSUME THIS 
TO REFER TO EDWIN ANANDRAJAM, THE PRINCIPAL OF ST. 
JOHN'S COLLEGE, WHO WAS SHOT AND KILLED JUNE 26, 1985. 
HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW TOLD POLCOUNS THAT THE LTTE HAD 
EXECUTED HIM FOR HAVING ALLOWED HIS SCHOOL TO PLAY 
AGAINST AN ARMY TEAM.)  A GSL SOURCE, IN COMMENTING 
ON KITTU'S TEMPER AND VIOLENT NATURE, SAID THAT A 
RECENT MEETING TOOK PLACE AT KITTU'S HOUSE WITH A 
DOZEN OR SO LTTE CADRE.  MANY OF THE CADRE HAD PARKED 
THEIR BICYCLES OUTSIDE HIS HOUSE, AND WHEN A GSL 
HELICOPTER FLEW OVER THE AREA KITTU ORDERED THE MEN 
TO MOVE THEIR BICYCLES FOR SECURITY REASONS.  WHEN 
HIS ORDERS WERE NOT IMMEDIATELY CARRIED OUT, KITTU 
GOT AN AX, WENT OUTSIDE, AND DEMOLISHED THE BICYCLES. 
 
¶8.  KITTU'S POLITICAL LEANINGS ARE NOT WELL KNOWN; IT 
MAY BE THAT BEYOND MILITANT TAMIL NATIONALISM HIS 
IDEOLOGICAL COMMITMENTS ARE THIN.  IN AN AUGUST 1986 
INTERVIEW WITH JON SWAIN OF THE "SUNDAY TIMES" KITTU 
IS QUOTED AS SAYING, "THE TIGERS ARE REVOLUTIONARY 
SOCIALISTS WHOSE ULTIMATE AIM IS THE CREATION OF A 
ONE-PARTY SOCIALIST STATE." 
 
¶9.  THE COLOMBO PRESS IN PAST MONTHS HAS PLAYED UP THE 
ALLEGED FALLING OUT BETWEEN KITTU AND PRABHAKARAN. 
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES REPORTED THAT KITTU HAD VANISHED AND 
MAY HAVE BEEN KILLED IN LTTE IN-FIGHTING, CHAFFED AT 
HAVING PRABHAKARAN RETURN TO JAFFNA AFTER KITTU HAD 
BEEN TOP DOG THERE FOR 3 YEARS, AND THAT KITTU WAS TO 
MARRY A TAMIL DOCTOR AND WAS NOW MORE INTERESTED IN 
MAKING LOVE THAN WAR.  MANY OBSERVERS FEEL THAT THE 
KITTU-PRABHAKARAN RIFT WAS EITHER INVENTED BY THE GSL, 
OR MAGNIFIED IN ORDER TO FOSTER THE PERCEPTION THAT 
THE TIGERS WERE GOING TO BE TORN ASUNDER. 
 
¶10.  RAHIM; TRILINGUAL ARISTOCRAT: 
KITTU'S PURPORTED NUMBER TWO, INTERPRETER, AND 
JAFFNA REGION LTTE SPOKESMAN IS REPORTEDLY 22 
YEARS OLD, ALTHOUGH HIS AGE IS OFTEN GIVEN AS 19 BY 
FOREIGN MEDIA.  HIS REAL NAME IS BALASUBRAMANIAM 
CANAGARATNAM.  WHEN THE JULY 1983 COMMUNAL RIOTS 
BROKE OUT, RAHIM WAS A SECONDARY STUDENT AT TRINITY 
COLLEGE IN KANDY.  HIS FATHER WAS A SENIOR PLANTER 
ON A STATE TEA PLANTATION AND EVIDENTLY BORE THE 
BRUNT OF SINHALESE IRE IN THE AREA.  RAHIM IMMEDIATELY 
QUIT SCHOOL AND MOVED TO JAFFNA WITH HIS FAMILY AND 
SHORTLY THEREAFTER JOINED THE LTTE.  RAHIM HAS TWO 
UNCLES WHO ARE WELL-KNOWN SURGEONS, HIS GRANDFATHER 
WAS SRI LANKA'S AUDITOR-GENERAL, AND THE FAMILY IN 
GENERAL WAS PART OF THE "ASSIMILATED" TAMIL ESTABLISH- 
MENT.  RAHIM, A MEMBER OF A HIGH JAFFNA TAMIL CASTE, 
SPEAKS ENGLISH, TAMIL, AND SINHALA FLUENTLY.  HE 
BECAME SOMEWHAT OF AN ISLAND-WIDE PERSONALITY DURING 
RECENT VISITS TO JAFFNA OF A SINHALESE POLITICIAN WHO 
MADE A VIDEO TAPE OF HIS TRIP WHICH WAS DISTRIBUTED 
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.  IN THIS VIDEO TAPE RAHIM 
APPEARS AS THE HANDSOME, SLENDER, ARTICULATE LTTE 
SPOKESMAN, IN CONTRAST TO THE PUDGY, BALDING, 
BESPECTACLED, AND MONOLINGUAL KITTU.  RAHIM'S COMBAT 
EXPERIENCE AND CAPABILITIES ARE LARGELY UNKNOWN. 
 
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BATTICALOA 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
¶11.  KUMARAN:  SIXTH SENSE: 
THE LTTE COMMANDER IN CHARGE OF THE BATTICALOA AND 
AMPARAI DISTRICTS GOES BY THE NOM DE GUERRE KUMARAN 
(OR AT TIMES IS REFERRED TO AS KUMARAPPAN).  WE 
DO NOT KNOW HIS REAL NAME.  HE IS SAID TO BE A 
SUPERB TACTICIAN AND LOGISTICIAN, RUNNING A CLASSIC 
GUERRILLA OPERATION FAR FROM HIS SOURCE OF SUPPLIES 
AND REINFORCEMENTS.  KUMARAN, A HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT, 
WAS RAISED IN BATTICALOA.  HIS MOTHER WAS A BATTICALOA 
TAMIL, WHILE HIS FATHER WAS FROM JAFFNA, THUS MAKING 
HIM ACCEPTABLE TO THE BATTICALOA CADRES AS WELL AS THE 
JAFFNA-DOMINATED CENTRAL STRUCTURE.  ON A NUMBER OF 
OCCASIONS HE HAS BARELY AVOIDED CAPTURE OR DEATH.  ONE 
SERIOR GSL SECURITY OFFICER TOLD POLOFF OF AN AMBUSH 
SET SPECIFICALLY TO KILL KUMARAN.  THE AUTHORITIES 
LEARNED THAT KUMARAN WAS PERSONALLY TO COME COLLECT 
A KIDNAPPING RANSOM FROM A TAMIL FAMILY OUTSIDE OF 
BATTICALOA.  THE FAMILY COOPERATED WITH THE GSL, WHO 
SET UP AN AMBUSH SITE ON THE ROAD TO THE FAMILY'S HOUSE. 
KUMARAN AND ANOTHER MAN CAME DOWN THE ROAD ON A MOTOR- 
CYCLE TOWARD THE AMBUSH, WHEN FOR NO APPARENT REASON 
KUMARAN STOPPED THE MOTORCYCLE, GOT OFF, LOOKED DOWN 
THE ROAD, AND THEN TURNED AROUND AND WENT BACK THE 
WAY HE HAD COME.  THE SECURITY OFFICER SAID, "I DON'T 
KNOW HOW HE COULD HAVE POSSIBLY SPOTTED THE AMBUSH-- 
HE MUST HAVE SOME SIXTH SENSE."  HE ALSO NARROWLY ESCAPED 
THE STF DURING A LATE JANUARY RAID ON AN LTTE BASE CAMP 
IN BATTICALOA.  THE TROOPS REPORTEDLY MANAGED TO CAPTURE 
HIS COMMAND VEHICLE IN THE RAID--A 4-WHEEL DRIVE CAMOU- 
FLAGED PICKUP WITH THE WORD "BEIRUT" STENCILED ACROSS 
THE HOOD. 
 
¶12.  DAVID; POLICE BARBER'S SON: 
KUMARAN'S SUBORDINATE IN CHARGE OF SOUTHERN BATTICALOA 
DISTRICT AND NORTHERN AMPARAI DISTRICT IS DAVID (REAL 
NAME NOT KNOWN TO US),  THE SON OF A BARBER FROM POTUVIL 
IN AMPARAI DISTRICT WHO REGULARLY SERVED AS THE POLICE 
BARBER IN THE AREA.  THE COMMANDANT OF THE STF TOLD 
POLOFF IN AUGUST 1986 THAT DAVID HAD A BAND OF 12 TO 15 
MEN WHO OPERATED IN SOME OF THE LEAST ACCESSIBLE JUNGLES 
ON THE ISLAND.  THE COMMANDANT STATED THAT THE TROOPS 
HAVE FREQUENTLY ZEROED IN ON DAVID'S RADIO COMMUNICATIONS 
BUT HAVE NEVER MANAGED TO RESPOND QUICKLY ENOUGH TO NAB 
THE GUERRILLA BAND.  THE REPORTED MASSACRE OF SOME 40 
SINHALESE CIVILIANS IN FEBRUARY 1987 OCCURRED IN THE 
AREA OF DAVID'S COMMAND, BUT IT IS NOT KNOWN WHETHER HE 
LED OR DIRECTED THE KILLINGS. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
MANNAR 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
¶13.  RADHA; BUTCHER OF ANURADHAPURA: 
THE MANNAR REGIONAL COMMANDER, RADHA (REAL NAME, 
ANTHONY KATHTHIAR), IS A HIGH-CASTE HINDU FROM 
ARIALAI IN THE JAFFNA PENINSULA.  APPROXIMATELY 
24 YEARS OLD, HE ASSUMED THE MANNAR COMMAND IN 
OCTOBER 1986 FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF VICTOR, THE 
POPULAR MANNAR COMMANDER.  VICTOR, A CATHOLIC 
FROM MANNAR (CATHOLICS CONSTITUTE 42 PERCENT OF 
MANNAR DISTRICT'S POPULATION, HINDUS 25 PERCENT 
AND THE REMAINDER ARE MUSLIM)  HAD A STRONG PERSONAL 
FOLLOWING AMONG THE LTTE FIGHTERS IN MANNAR.  WHEN 
PRABHAKARAN CHOSE A JAFFNA HINDU TO REPLACE HIM, 
A NUMBER OF LTTE MEMBERS TRIED TO RESIGN.  PRABHAKARAN 
ALLEGEDLY DISPATCHED KITTU TO REMIND THE DISAFFECTED 
MANNAR "BOYS" THAT NOBODY RESIGNS FROM THE LTTE. 
ACCORDING TO A MILITARY SOURCE, THE LTTE HAS UNDER- 
TAKEN NO OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS EXCEPT FOR THREE LAND- 
MINE EXPLOSIONS IN MANNAR DISTRICT SINCE RADHA REPLACED 
VICTOR IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR.  THE OFFICER ADDED 
THAT IT WAS RADHA, THEN WORKING UNDER VICTOR'S COMMAND, 
WHO ORGANIZED AND EXECUTED THE ATTACK IN MAY 1985 ON 
THE HOLY BUDDHIST TOWN OF ANURADHAPURA IN WHICH OVER 
150 CIVILIANS WERE KILLED.  RADHA REPORTEDLY SPENDS 
A GOOD DEAL OF TIME IN VALVEDDITTURAI ON THE JAFFNA 
PENINSULA.  BEFORE ASSUMING THE MANNAR COMMAND 
HE WAS IN SOUTH INDIA FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD, IN 
CHARGE OF TRAINING THE "FOURTH BATCH" OF LTTE RECRUITS. 
 
¶14.  SHAHJAHAN; MANNAR DANDY: 
RAHDA'S DEPUTY IS SHAHJAHAN, A LOCAL FROM MANNAR DISTRICT 
WHO HAS TAKEN VICTOR'S PLACE AS THE POPULAR FAVORITE 
AMONG LTTE SUPPORTERS IN MANNAR.  HE IS REFERRED TO AS 
"THE INDIAN MOVIE STAR" BOTH BECAUSE OF HIS NOM DE 
GUERRE AND DASHING GOOD LOOKS. 
 
¶15.  SALIM; CORRUPT COMMISSAR: 
SALIM, ANOTHER LEADER IN THE MANNAR LTTE STRUCTURE, HAS 
BEEN TASKED WITH ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS SUCH AS "TAX 
COLLECTION," MAGISTERIAL DUTIES, PROPAGANDA EFFORTS, ETC. 
ACCORDING TO ONE SOURCE, RADHA HAS COMPLAINED TO PRABHAK- 
ARAN THAT SALIM IS EMBEZZLING FUNDS AND IS GENERATING 
POPULAR RESENTMENT IN THE AREA AGAINST THE LTTE.  IF 
TRUE, SALIM'S TENURE IS LIKELY TO BE SHORT-LIVED, ACCORD- 
ING TO THIS REPORT. 
 
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CONCLUSIONS 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
¶16.  THE PRIMACY OF VELUPILLAI PRABHAKARAN IN NEARLY 
EVERY ASPECT OF THE LTTE'S ORGANIZATIONAL ACTIVITIES-- 
BE IT APPOINTING REGIONAL COMMANDERS, DIVYING UP 
RANSOM MONEY, DECIDING ON THE QUANTITIES OF MUNITIONS 
AND SUPPPLIES FOR THE VARIOUS REGIONS, ETC.--BECAME 
QUICKLY APPARENT AS WE LOOKED AT THE LTTE'S FUNCTIONING 
STRUCTURE IN SRI LANKA.  IF PRABHAKARAN WERE TO LEAVE 
THE SCENE FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN 
TO THE LTTE?  KITTU IS BEST PLACED TO TAKE OVER THE 
ORGANIZATION, BEING THE COMMANDER OF THE MOST IMPORTANT 
REGION AND GENERALLY  RECOGNIZED AS PRABHAKARAN'S 
DEPUTY.  HOWEVER, IT IS NOT ENTIRELY CLEAR IF KITTU 
HAS THE PERSONAL AND/OR ORGANIZATIONAL AUTHORITY TO 
DICTATE TO THE ORGANIZATION AS PRABHAKARAN THUS FAR HAS 
BEEN ABLE TO.  THE IRON DISCIPLINE AND EFFECTIVE 
COORDINATION OF THE LTTE, ONE KEY TO THE TIGERS' 
SUCCESSES SO FAR, WOULD PROBABLY BE WEAKENED IN A POST- 
PRABHAKARAN POWER STRUGGLE. 
 
¶17.  IF THE CURRENT POLITICO-MILITARY "MANAGEMENT STYLE" 
OF THE LTTE COMMAND STRUCTURE IS ANY INDICATION (AND 
WE BELIEVE IT IS), THEN IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT OF THE 
ESTABLISHMENT OF AN LTTE-CONTROLLED TAMIL EELAM WE WOULD 
MOST LIKELY SEE AN AUTHORITARIAN, HEAVILY CENTRALIZED 
ADMINISTRATION.  THE REGIME IS APT TO BE A MILITARY 
DICTATORSHIP IN THE GUISE OF A (REHETORICALLY) SOCIALIST 
ONE-PARTY SYSTEM, BEING NEITHER PARTICULARLY BENEVOLENT 
NOR IDEOLOGICAL.  A MORE LIEKLY PROSPECT IS THAT 
PRABHAKARAN COULD BECOME THE NORTHERN PROVINCE CHIEF 
MINISTER UNDER SOME DEVOLUTION SCHEME.  UNDER THIS 
SETUP HIS AUTHORITARIAN TENDENCIES WOULD PROBABLY BE 
ATTENUATED TO SOME DEGREE BY THE DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM 
OUTLINED IN THE GSL'S PROVINCIAL COUNCIL PROPOSALS. 
 
¶18.  CLEAVAGES ALREADY VISIBLE WITHIN THE LTTE WOULD BE 
EXACERBATED IN THE EVENT OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF TAMIL 
EELAM UNDER LTTE CONTROL.  DOMINATION BY LOW- AND MIDDLE- 
CAST HINDUS FROM JAFFNA, CURRENTLY THE CORE OF LTTE POWER 
WOULD  RANKLE MANY TAMILS, ONCE "DOMINATION" BY THE 
SINHALESE BUDDHISTS WERE THROWN OFF.  RIFTS WOULD LIKELY 
APPEAR BETWEEN JAFFNA--NON-JAFFNA TAMILS, HINDUS-- 
CHRISTIANS, BETWEEN CASTE GROUPINGS, EASTERNERS- 
NORTHERNERS, ETC.  THE NONDEMOCRATIC INCLINATION OF 
PRABHAKARAN WOULD LEAVE LITTLE OR NO  OUTLET FOR 
DISSENT BASED ON THESE CLEAVAGES.  IN SHORT, AN 
LTTE-CONTROLLED TAMIL EELAM WOULD LIKELY BE AN 
UNHAPPY PLACE FOR MANY TAMILS, EVEN MANY OF THOSE 
SUPPORTIVE OF THE SEPARATIST MOVEMENT TODAY. 
 
 
SPAIN