We confirm emphatically that the National Leader did not surrender and was not arrested but fought attaining martyrdom,' the group said citing, unnamed Tiger cadres who escaped the final military offensive.

India: The goal of the Indo-Lanka Accord of 1987 was to bring Sri Lanka fully within India's 'sphere of influence' in addition to India exercising its 'say' over matters concerning foreign policy and defense. That accord also granted India, more or less, exclusive rights to develop or use for other purposes, the port of Trinco. Sri Lanka was not to permit its use by any other foreign power for military use. The LTTE and JVP threw a wrench in this grand scheme of things. The Accord ended up losing its 'teeth' after the departure of IPKF in 1990. The TNA (Tamil National Army) set up by the Indians was obliterated by the LTTE within days of the IPKF departure. Then, India was an ally of the former Soviet Union. The Accord was engineered mainly to counter the US influence in Sri Lanka. Fast forward to the Bush era. India needs US as much as US needs India (for economic and security reasons). Forget Russia's ties to India. For both US and India, they see a threat in China, not in the way the US did in the former Soviet Union, but in terms of expanding its (China) sphere of influence. And of gradual loss of maritime power in the Indian Ocean. Trade and creation of capital in the world is now more important than what form of government you have now. So, it really matters as to who controls (or provides full security) to trade routes. It so happens that Sri Lanka is in the middle of the critical sea routes between East Asia (China & Japan) and the West. Almost all the oil imported by China and Japan goes by the waters nears Sri Lanka. The same for the exports heading to markets in the West. So, India would like Sri Lanka to both help stabilize its economic expansion while providing a measure of security to its EEZ which includes oil/gas fields and fisheries. You had Koreans and the Taiwanese fishing in the EEZ of Sri Lanka. I doubt that will be permitted in the future. With the LTTE gone and the JVP politically silenced , there is no force left in Sri Lanka that will question India s motives or its goals in Sri Lanka. Mahinda has done what the 1987 Indo-Lanka Accord could not achieve. When Ranil was the PM, Sri Lanka signed defense cooperative agreement with the US. India did not protest (except for the Communist Party). Why? Because, India is now the strategic partner for US in South Asia. To complete that picture, LTTE has to be removed from the scene.

China: China in 2002 was not the same China in 1987 when the Indo-Lanka Accord was signed. China was not happy about the outcome of the 2002 CFA Agreement. It could have lead to a EU-influenced power entity off India that could threaten its strategic interest in the Indian Ocean. China needed a foothold in Sri Lanka to help protect its vast merchant fleet - the umbilical chord behind its economic expansion. The only way this object could be achieved is make Sri Lanka even more dependent on China for aid - for development and for the war. It is interesting to note what the Chinese have done in Africa and Latin America to gain access to oil, copper, zinc, etc. The Chinese have provided aid for infrastructure development in return for access to natural resources. Even Australia is slowly on its way to become a Chinese colony. In Sri Lanka's case, a safe harbor in the South was needed. But, you could not achieve that objective if Sri Lanka continued to be dependent on the West and Japan for aid while India continued to 'influence' the Sri Lankan leaders. Enter Mahinda Rajapakse, supported by JVP (and even the LTTE!). Almost all the heavy weapons LTTE used are of Chinese origin. It's stealth technology used in large suicide-attack craft is alleged to be of North Korean origins. North Korea would not exist without Chinese help. So, while China gave the heavy weapons to Sri Lanka in an official capacity, it gave the same to the LTTE through black market. Do you really believe that corrupt military officials in Cambodia and elsewhere gave away these weapons without the Chinese intelligence knowing about it? As Sri Lanka became more unstable, it had to rely on China and Pakistan (another ally of China) for the means to fight the war. China had Sri Lanka exactly where it wanted to be weapons and roads for a port even if it meant upsetting the Indian interests. Also, China knew that India (due to its own domestic political compulsions), did not have a choice either. Because, for India, this was an 'acceptable price' for the elimination of the LTTE. Japan had the same interests as India did when it came to stabilizing and protecting its interests in Sri Lanka. Now, the illmenite sands in Pullmodai are for Japan's takings. Japan is also a major investor in Tamil Nadu s factories it wants to protect its investments without the threat of Tamil nationalism hanging in the air. This probably concerned the Japanese more than any potential control of sea lanes (by the Sea Tigers) used by its merchant fleet.

Both Prabhakaran and Mahinda (and others before him) were pawns in this great game played by the regional powers. Our people fell for it. So many times. Even if it meant destroying their future. They don t understand that a small country with a GDP smaller than that of a large American corporation, cannot afford to play poker with the Big Boys. Rhetoric aside.

Tamil Tiger leader fought to the death

'Contradictory information are circulating that he was arrested, that he surrendered, that he was killed after interrogation and that he committed suicide,' the group said in an e-mailed statement to news organisations here.

He is the one who could challenge Singhalese's chauvinism.