Another Dear Leader, The Sun God

A quiet, determined man of no singular physical characteristics, but great personal devotion to the well-being of those whom he represents. His passion for their needs reciprocated by their adoration of his steadfast and sacrificial homage to their need. The stuff of which national heroes are constructed. In this case another humbug politician by any other classification; say a liberating hero, supreme commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Wholly dedicated to his personal ideology of eradicating an enemy standing in the way of his peoples' national entitlement. While there may be no denying that Sri Lankan Tamils have been oppressed, their needs overlooked, their aspirations and human rights repressed by a Sinhalese-majority government, there is also no denying that the Tamil Tigers' fearless leader Velupillai Prabhakaran is a villain of the first order.

From a humble background, reminiscent of Iraq's Saddam Hussein who rose to power and never hesitated in corruption of the human rights' obligations of any government, creating fear and terror wherever he trod, Mr. Prabhakaran also strove to form his own government. In the process, over a 37-year-period of inspiring pride in Tamils and striking fear in his opponents, murdering them to mark himself as their sole champion, he has been responsible for waging a vile and bloody guerrilla war.

In the end, a war that benefited no one, but did serve as a vehicle to satisfy his ambitions of warlord, however unlikely a proponent he may have seemed. Like North Korea's Kim Jong II, beatified by his people as a supernatural presence, a Sun God upon whom all their hopes and aspirations have been placed to deliver them from the misery that fate had placed them in. a beleaguered people in need of salvation from tyrrany.

The Tamil Tigers murdered not only Tamils opposed to their ruthless techniques of suicide bombing and assassinations, but they extended their bloody tentacles into India as well, where Tamils also live in the greater population. India had attempted to intervene with a peacekeeping force to oppose the Tigers and for their trouble a Tamil Tiger suicide bomber took India's Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi with her to the Other Side.

One negotiated cease-fire after another failed. Understandably, since Prabhakaran had dedicated his life (and that of countless others not today living to contemplate the wreckage), his aspirations and methodology toward the final and irrevocable goal; full independence. The cease-fires served their purpose, a model upon which the terror groups Hezbollah and Hamas took full notice; for respite, rest and re-supplying his forces.

The Sun God is on the verge of reaching the horizon of last hope. His ruthless power is on the wane, his fabled and honourable campaign on behalf of his people will be mourned by them who truly do consider his campaign to have been an honourable one. But will the movement, the inspiration, the dire need of a people to have their own homeland die with the final routing of the Tigers?