They also said that if the President had not given directions to the Armed Forces to end the 30-year-old terrorist war despite mounting foreign pressure, Sri Lanka would be in turmoil even today.

Ex-LTTE cadre, 21-year-old Kumaravel Sasikumar was born in Homagama. Thereafter his parents who are from Vavuniya settled in the Vanni area.

Sasikumar said that in 2006 when the A9 road was completely closed down due to mounting LTTE violence, he was trapped in Visvamadu. During this period, the LTTE started to replenish its depleting cardres by forcefully dragging innocent boys and girls, ignoring their unwillingness to join the LTTE cadres.

He said that due to the protest made by young people like him, they were mercilessly assaulted and thereafter given military training.

Once the training was over they were forcibly sent to the frontline to fight the Sri Lankan army.

“Senior LTTE cadres sent us to the frontline while they were safe in their respective camps. Due to this selfishness of the senior cadres many young fighters sacrificed their lives,” he said.

At the Mannar Mulankavil front he and several young fighters were seriously injured. Thereafter he was hospitalized in Kilinochchi.

Sasikumar said that due to his inability to fight, the senior LTTE cadres kept him under detention.

Thereafter during the last stages of the war, he escaped from the LTTE captivity, joined the civilians and went to the government controlled area and surrendered to the army. He was kindly treated and later rehabilitated by the army.

Sasikumar further said that today due to the compassion shown by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, he and several other rehabilitated LTTE cardres are enjoying freedom to live in Sri Lanka.