Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization

Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization தமிழீழ விடுதலை இயக்கம் දෙමළ ඊලාම් විමුක්ති සංවිධානය
President	Selvam Adaikalanathan
Secretary	N. Indirakumar
Founder	Nadarajah Thangathurai, Selvarajah Yogachandran (Kuttimani)
Founded	1979 (organisation) 1987 (political party)
Headquarters	34 Ammankovil Road, Pandarikulam, Vavuniya
Ideology	Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism
National affiliation	Tamil National Alliance
Election symbol
Light House
Party flag
Website
telo.org
Politics of Sri Lanka Political parties Elections

The Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO) is an Eelam Tamil organisation campaigning for the establishment of an independent Tamil Eelam in the northeast of Sri Lanka. The TELO was originally created as a militant group, and functioned as such until 1986, when most of its membership was killed in a conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Its surviving members reorganised themselves as a political party, and it continues to function as such today.

The TELO currently has two Members of Parliament. It is part of the Tamil National Alliance, a coalition of Tamil parties which won 2.9% of the popular vote and 14 out of 225 seats at the 2010 parliamentary election in Sri Lanka.

Early history

The TELO evolved out of the group of Tamil student radicals formed by Nadarajah Thangathurai and Selvarajah Yogachandran (better known by his nom de guerre Kuttimani) in the late 1960s. The group formally constituted itself into an organisation in 1979, inspired in part by the LTTE and the Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students (EROS). Soon, it had become the most effective of the Tamil militant groups except the LTTE.

Its success did not last long, however. Both Thangathurai and Kuttimani were captured by the Sri Lankan Army in 1981 while they were in the process of escaping to India. For a while after their arrest, the TELO was led by Sri Sabaratnam as the de facto leader.

India and the Eelam National Liberation Front

The TELO was thereafter relatively dormant until 1983. On 25 July 1983, both Thangathurai and Kuttimani were brutally tortured and killed in a prison riot by Sinhalese prisoners. Sri Sabaratnam then became its head. The trained cadre would be supplied with weaponry, and sent to Sri Lanka to wage a guerrilla war against the army.

In February 1984, the TELO together with the EROS and the Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) set up a common militant front for the Eelam struggle, which was called the Eelam National Liberation Front, or ENLF. The LTTE joined the ENLF in April that year. In co-ordination, the groups began carrying out attacks against government positions in Jaffna. The TELO used its arms to destroy the main police station in Jaffna, and attack military convoys. The combined assaults led to the near-total disappearance of government authority in Jaffna.

Internal dissension and the conflict with the LTTE

As a leader, however, Sri Sabaratnam lacked the charisma which the likes of Prabhakaran had, and he was unable to convey the sense of vision to the TELO which the LTTE had. As a result, the TELO's rapid growth was not backed up by a strong ideology like the LTTE's had been, and a number of its cadre were seen as bullies. Sri Sabaratnam, relying heavily on his association with and support by India, had not acquired the sort of advanced modern weaponry that the LTTE had, and the group therefore began losing its effectiveness. A number of TELO members became unhappy with Sri Sabaratnam's leadership, and dissension grew in the ranks. By 1985, a number of factions had emerged in the TELO. The rivalry between the factions led to the murder of Dass, one of the factional leaders, in April 1986. This led to a split in the organisation, with several dozen members leaving.

In the meantime, differences with the LTTE were also growing. The LTTE was unhappy with the pro-India stance of the TELO. They also were upset that the TELO was getting by far the largest share of contributions from Sri Lankan Tamil expatriates, even though the TELO was not as active or successful as the LTTE. Prabhakaran also feared that India would use the TELO to have him killed.

Matters came to a head with the assassination of two prominent Tamil politicians in Jaffna, M. Alalasundaram and V. Dharmalingam, in September 1985. The TELO and the LTTE blamed each other for the killings. In February 1986, the LTTE pulled out of the ENLF. On 29 April that year, they launched an all-out assault on the TELO. TELO bases across Jaffna were shelled with mortars. TELO cadres, whether armed or unarmed, came under rifle attack and were shot dead. No quarter was given, according to eyewitnesses. Those who surrendered were shot dead as they laid down their weapons, and those who attempted to flee were shot as they ran. Civilians were warned not to shelter fugitives. The few TELO cadres who managed to find refuge with other armed groups such as the EPRLF or the EROS were nearly the only ones who survived. On 5 May, the TELO's leader Sri Sabaratnam was shot dead by Kittu (Sathasivam Krishnakumar) of the LTTE. In all, over four hundred men had been killed, and the TELO had been virtually wiped out.

The LTTE at the time justified its actions as necessary, arguing that the TELO was being used by India to infiltrate the Eelam struggle and reshape it to its own ends. Several years later, however, in 1990, Kittu, who had directed and led the massacres, admitted that it had been a mistake to kill the cadres of the TELO, although the assassination of the top leaders was justified.

Some attempts were made during the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) period to revive the TELO as a militant group, and to avenge those killed by the LTTE. They were assisted by the Indian Army, which armed them and used them to try and contain the LTTE, who opposed the IPKF presence. However, they came under constant LTTE attack and suffered heavy casualties, losing as many as 70 in a single attack in September 1987. Once the IPKF withdrew, the military strength of these groups melted away, with most of their members surrendering to the LTTE in fear of reprisals. Since then, the TELO has never revived as an effective militant group.

The TELO as a political party

After the killing of Sri Sabaratnam, Selvam Adaikalanathan became the leader of the TELO. Following the melting away of its cadre after the IPKF's withdrawal, he decided that the TELO would never recover and therefore eventually reconstituted it as a political party.

TELO formed an alliance with the Eelam National Democratic Liberation Front, EPRLF and Tamil United Liberation Front to contest the 1989 parliamentary elections. The alliance won 188,593 votes (3.40%), securing 10 of the 225 seats in Parliament. 2 of the 10 alliance MPs were from TELO.

TELO formed an alliance with EROS and People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam to contest the 1994 parliamentary elections. The alliance won 38,028 votes (0.48%), securing 3 of the 225 seats in Parliament. None of the 3 alliance MPs were from TELO.

At the 2000 parliamentary elections TELO contested on its own and won 26,112 votes (0.30%), securing 3 of the 225 seats in Parliament.

The TELO maintained an ambivalent position with relation to the LTTE for some years, but starting from the mid-1990s, it began to take an increasingly pro-LTTE stand. In 2001, it joined the Tamil National Alliance, a coalition of pro-independence Tamil parties, which supported, and was supported by, the LTTE. In an interview, Adaikkalanathan explained the contradiction behind the TELO supporting a group to which it was once opposed. While the TELO does not accept internecine killing and can never forget what the LTTE has done, he says it would be betraying the Tamil people to oppose the LTTE, because victory could only be achieved if all Tamil groups set aside their differences and present a united front.^[1]

2001 Parliamentary General Election

In the first parliamentary election contested by the Tamil National Alliance, the 5 December 2001 election, the TNA led by Rajavarothiam Sampanthan won 3.88% of the popular vote and 15 out of 225 seats in the Sri Lankan parliament.

Votes and seats won by TNA by electoral district

2004 Parliamentary General Election

In the 2 April 2004 parliamentary election in which the United People's Freedom Alliance alliance led by President Kumaratunga came to power, the Tamil National Alliance led by Rajavarothiam Sampanthan won 6.84% of the popular vote and 22 out of 225 seats in the Sri Lankan parliament.

Votes and seats won by TNA by electoral district

2010 Parliamentary General Election

In the 8 April 2010 parliamentary election in which the United People's Freedom Alliance alliance led by President Rajapaksa retained power, the Tamil National Alliance led by Rajavarothiam Sampanthan won 2.9% of the popular vote and 14 out of 225 seats in the Sri Lankan parliament.

Votes and seats won by TNA by electoral district

References

• Hellmann-Rajanayagam, D. (1994) "The Goups and the rise of Militant Secessions". in Manogaram, C. and Pfaffenberger, B. (editors). The Sri Lankan Tamils. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-8133-8845-7
• Narayan Swamy, M. R. (2002) Tigers of Lanka: from Boys to Guerrillas, Konark Publishers; 3rd ed. ISBN 81-220-0631-0

External links

• The TELO's website
• Sri Sabaratnam Memorial Lecture 1987, by Nadesan Satyendra
• Sri Sabaratnam revisited 1999 by Nadesan Satyendra

Political parties in Sri Lanka
Major parties	UNFGG/UNF United National Party All Ceylon Makkal Congress Jathika Hela Urumaya Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Tamil Progressive Alliance Democratic People's Front National Union of Workers Up-Country People's Front UPFA Sri Lanka Freedom Party Ceylon Workers' Congress Jathika Nidahas Peramuna Liberal Party Mahajana Eksath Peramuna National Congress Socialist Alliance Communist Party of Sri Lanka Democratic Left Front Desha Vimukthi Janatha Pakshaya Lanka Sama Samaja Party Sri Lanka Mahajana Pakshaya Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal
Third parties	Larger TNA Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (Democratic People's Liberation Front) Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization Smaller Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna Democratic Tamil National Front Democratic People’s Congress Eelam People's Democratic Party Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students (Eelavar Democratic Front) Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (Sri wing) Tamil United Liberation Front
Others outside parliament	Bahujana Nidahas Peramuna Bodu Jana Peramuna Ceylon Communist Party (Maoist) Ceylon Democratic Unity Alliance Crusaders for Democracy Democratic Party Democratic United National Front Eelam National Democratic Liberation Front Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (Padmanaba) Left Liberation Front Lanka Sama Samaja Party (Alternative Group) National Democratic Movement Nava Sama Samaja Party New Democratic Party Janatha Sevaka Pakshaya New Democratic Front New Sinhala Heritage People's Tamil Congress Revolutionary Workers Party Sinhalaye Mahasammatha Bhoomiputra Pakshaya Socialist Equality Party Socialist Party Sri Lanka Labour Party Tamil National People's Front All Ceylon Tamil Congress United Citizen’s Front United Socialist Party
Former political parties	All Ceylon Islamic United Front All Ceylon Malay Political Union Aziz Democratic Workers Congress Bolshevik Samasamaja Party Buddhist Republican Party Ceylon National Congress Lanka Democratic Party Lanka Mahajana Sabha Lanka Sama Samaja Party (Revolutionary) People's Front of Liberation Tigers Sinhala Maha Sabha Sri Lanka Freedom Socialist Party Sri Lanka Sama Samaja Party United Lanka Congress Viplavakari Lanka Sama Samaja Party
Former political alliances	Democratic National Alliance Mahajana Eksath Peramuna People's Alliance National Unity Alliance Tamil National Liberation Alliance
Portal:Politics List of political parties Politics of Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan Civil War
Origins	Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism 1956 1958 1977 Sri Lankan riots Burning of Jaffna library Black July
Combatants	Sri Lanka Army (LRRP) Navy Air Force Police Special Task Force Home Guards Attacks on civilians Assassinations LTTE Divisions Air Tigers Sea Tigers Black Tigers Attacks in the 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Assassinations Suicide bombings Other militants (list) ENDLF ENLF EPRLF EROS PLOTE TELO  India Indian Peace Keeping Force Paramilitary EPDP TMVP
Phases	Eelam War I Indian intervention Eelam War II III IV Eastern / Northern theaters
Major battles	Kokkilai Vadamarachchi Poomalai Pawan Jaffna University Helidrop Balavegaya 1st Elephant Pass Pooneryn Riviresa 1st Mullaitivu Sath Jaya Vavunathivu Jayasikurui Thandikulam–Omanthai 1st Kilinochchi Oddusuddan A-9 highway 2nd Elephant Pass Bandaranaike Airport attack Point Pedro Jaffna Thoppigala Vidattaltivu 2nd Kilinochchi 2nd Mullaitivu Puthukkudiyirippu
Major Events	Air Lanka Flight 512 Indo-Sri Lanka Accord Expulsions from Northern province Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi Assassination of Ranasinghe Premadasa Assassination of Lalith Athulathmudali Temple of the Tooth attack Lionair Flight 602 Bandaranaike Airport attack Expulsions from Colombo 2009 suicide air raid on Colombo
Leaders	Sri Lanka Military Army Tissa Weeratunga Nalin Seneviratne Hamilton Wanasinghe Cecil Waidyaratne G. H. De Silva Rohan Daluwatte C. S. Weerasooriya L. P. Balagalle Shantha Kottegoda Sarath Fonseka Navy Asoka de Silva H. A. Silva Clancy Fernando D. A. M. R. Samarasekara H. C. A. C. Thisera Daya Sandagiri Wasantha Karannagoda Air Force Dick Perera Andibuduge Fernando Makalandage Gunawardena Oliver Ranasinghe Jayalath Weerakkody Donald Perera Roshan Goonetileke Civilian J. R. Jayewardene Ranasinghe Premadasa Dingiri Banda Wijetunga Chandrika Kumaratunga Mahinda Rajapaksa LTTE Militant Velupillai Prabhakaran Pottu Amman Karuna Amman Political Selvarasa Pathmanathan Anton Balasingham S. P. Thamilselvan India Military Harkirat Singh Ashok K. Mehta Civilian R. Venkataraman Rajiv Gandhi V. P. Singh
Aftermath	Reactions to end of war (Tamil diaspora) Remembrance Day Alleged war crimes Chemical weapons Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) UN Panel on Accountability in Sri Lanka NPC resolution on Genocide
Related topics	Casualties Assassinations Massacres Child soldiers Disappearances Human rights Popular culture Terrorism PTA State Sixth Amendment Thirteenth Amendment 1988 Maldives coup d'état 1987–89 JVP Insurrection
Sri Lankan Civil War at Wiktionary    Source texts at Wikisource    Textbooks at Wikibooks   Images and media at the Commons    Quotations at Wikiquote    News stories at Wikinews

Sri Lankan Tamil people
List of Sri Lankan Tamils
History	Ancient History of Eastern Tamils Tissamaharama inscription Annaicoddai seal Ketheeswaram temple Koneswaram temple Munneswaram temple Tenavaram temple Jaffna kingdom History Aryacakravarti Jaffna Palace ruins Kotagama inscriptions Portuguese conquest Vannimai Vanniar Demala Hatpattu Colonial American Ceylon Mission Wesleyan Methodist Mission Jaffna Youth Congress Post-colonial Nationalism Colonisation Sinhala Only Act Riots Bandaranaike–Chelvanayakam Pact Standardisation Militancy Vaddukoddai Resolution Tamil Eelam Burning of Jaffna library Black July Civil War NPC Resolution on Genocide
Politics	Government Northern Provincial Council Government of the Northern Province Governors Chief Ministers Eastern Provincial Council Governors Chief Ministers Political parties All Ceylon Tamil Congress Federal Party Tamil United Liberation Front Tamil National Alliance Tamil National People's Front Militant groups ENDLF ENLF EPRLF EORS LTTE PLOTE TELO Diaspora British Tamils Forum Canadian Tamil Congress Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America Global Tamil Forum Tamils Against Genocide Tamil Youth Organisation Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam
Society	Eelam Genetic studies Karaiyar Koviar Mukkuvar Nalavar Paraiyar Thesavalamai Vellalar Vedar Culture Cinema Literature News Saturday Review Sudar Oli TamilNet Tamil Times Thinakaran Thinakkural Uthayan Virakesari Diaspora Australia Canada France Germany Italy India Malaysia Pakistan United Kingdom United States Languages and dialects Batticaloa Tamil Jaffna Tamil Negombo Tamil Loanwords Religion Hinduism Naguleswaram temple Nallur Kandaswamy temple Catholicism Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu Village deities
Category