STRENGTH OF OUR WEAK NATION, THE BLACK TIGERS – Thank you

Let us all join our hands in unity on this golden day of our Tamil Nation, so that the sacrifice of the Black Tigers would go not in vein. We are being broken, crushed, and divided into many groups by a terrible psychological war on us by our common enemy the Sri Lankan government.  These siblings were not made of metal, but flesh and blood like you and me, and they dedicated all their happiness for the sake of our good lives. Many who were actively engaged in the freedom struggle have, now become lovers of money and fame.  Don’t do anything unless you are asked to do so, because the silenced guns will work one day. Please be honest for the sacrifice given for you all.

The first Black Tiger was Millar (Vallipuram Vasanthan), who drove a small truck laden with explosives into a Sri Lanka Army camp in Nelliady, Jaffna peninsula, on 5 July 1987, killing himself and between hundreds of Sri Lankan soldiers. Immediately after the attack, regular LTTE cadres followed up, overwhelming the stunned SLA soldiers. This single attack was hugely effective, and proved vital in the dismantling the Sri Lankan Army’s operation.  Once our leader Hon. Prabakaran told that the Black Tigers were the strength of our weak nation.

Black Tigers are a wing of the LTTE composed of specially selected and trained LTTE soldiers whose missions give them little chance of survival. The Black Tigers may even kill themselves if needed in order to complete their mission. They are considered to be one of the most lethal and effective attack groups in the world. Hundreds of Black Tigers have died in various actions on land and sea, almost all over in Sri Lanka. During the earlier phase of the Tamil Tigers’ military session it did not possess heavy conventional weapons that were required to attack large camps. To mount such an attack, costly weaponries such as artillery pieces, missiles, and fighter-bombers would have been needed; as a result, they decided to create a special wing called Black Tigers.  

According to Sri Lankan Government, 14 Blacks Tigers attacked Colombo Airport creating an estimated of $350 million USD worth of damage mainly to military planes. Black Tigers are drawn from the regular ranks of the LTTE and they write request letters to Hon. Prabakaran requesting to be selected. Then he goes through the applications, looking at the applicant’s particular skills, the kinds of missions he or she has been involved in, their motivations and their family situation.

For Example:

• Are they an only son or daughter?
• Whom do they rely on?
• Family background?

All these things are considered, after which the applicant is told whether he or she can become a Black Tiger. The Black Tigers are believed to be the most effective unit of its kind in the world. The Black Tigers operate in three distinct ways: conventional combat (land and sea), guerrilla attacks, and targeted bombings. The majority of these attacks have involved military objectives in the north and east of the country.