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A deep-fake video that includes a girl who identifies as Dwaraka Prabhakaran, daughter of Velupillai Prabhakaran, founder-chief of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, has gone viral in current weeks.
The video is believed to be an try by pro-LTTE teams in Scandinavia and Canada to revive the LTTE ideology in Sri Lanka, in line with Sri Lankan protection specialists. The video may very well be utilized by sure political events to achieve political mileage within the upcoming parliamentary elections, they declare.
The video is alleged to have gone viral in Sri Lanka, notably in areas the place the Tamil neighborhood holds a dominant presence. It was launched on November 27, which the LTTE observes as Maaveerar Naal (Nice Heroes Day or Martyrs’ Day), a day of remembrance noticed by pro-Tiger sections amongst Sri Lankan Tamils to honor the LTTE’s fallen fighters.
Throughout her 12-minute speech within the video, the girl asserted that the Sri Lankan authorities had sought assist from highly effective nations once they couldn’t confront the LTTE straight. She reiterated the LTTE’s dedication to the continued battle for freedom, highlighting the significance of unity in variety for political functions.
This video was in all probability produced and launched by pro-LTTE diaspora teams, Uditha Devapriya, the lead researcher of Factum, a Colombo-based assume tank, informed The Diplomat.
Shaped in 1972, the LTTE fought the Sri Lankan Military till its navy defeat in 2009. Its total management, together with Prabhakaran and his relations, have been killed within the last days of the conflict.
Nevertheless, there stays a sizeable part throughout the nation and overseas that holds onto the aspiration of creating a separate state for Tamils in Sri Lanka. Some additionally consider or venture the declare that Prabhakaran and his kin are alive.
In keeping with Devapriya, leaders on this part of the Tamil diaspora vastly revenue from donations. They actively search to radicalize Sri Lankan Tamil youth and perpetuate the imaginative and prescient of Eelam amongst segments of former cadres.
“The muse of the LTTE revolved round Velupillai Prabhakaran, and his household holds a revered standing amongst its supporters,” Devapriya mentioned, stating that “for the reason that conflict’s conclusion, there have been persistent efforts to influence supporters and the Tamil populace that members of Prabhakaran’s household are nonetheless alive.”
As lately as final week, Vaiko, basic secretary of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), which is predicated in India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu, claimed that the Tamil Tiger chief remains to be alive. In February 2023, Pazha Nedumaran, a Tamil nationalist additionally based mostly in Tamil Nadu, asserted that Prabhakaran is alive and properly, hinting at an imminent public look.
A easy Google search querying “Is Prabhakaran alive” yields quite a few statements from Tamil political leaders in India and world wide echoing the assumption that the LTTE chief is alive. This narrative persists as a result of receptive viewers that exists for such claims.
Indika Perera, a Sri Lankan protection analyst and battle decision skilled, shared with The Diplomat that he has mentioned the deep faux movies with a number of Tamils, each within the Tamil-dominated Northern Province of Sri Lanka and Western nations.
Perera mentioned there’s a division of opinion amongst Tamils, with views influenced by age and political opinions. “Youthful Tamils understand this video as useful for his or her neighborhood,” he mentioned, noting, nevertheless, that “staunch supporters of their late 40s and 50s view the video as an affront to the Prabhakaran household.” In response to the video, “there was a surge in memes containing derogatory content material geared toward Prabhakaran’s daughter,” Perera mentioned.
Moreover, he identified that Tamil political events understand this example as a possibility to achieve traction forward of the upcoming basic election.
“Finally, each the video itself and the makes an attempt by political entities to leverage it serve to maintain the enduring aspiration for Eelam,” Perera mentioned.
In keeping with Mahil Dole, head of Sri Lanka’s counterintelligence and counter-terrorism operations over the last section of the conflict towards the LTTE, the video of Prabhakaran’s purported daughter was launched to encourage pro-LTTE parts in Sri Lanka and overseas.
Extremist teams require manpower, motivation, and cash to maintain their actions. The video was meant to encourage individuals.
Sri Lankan intelligence businesses must train excessive vigilance, he mentioned, drawing consideration to quite a few teams within the West, notably in Norway, that persist in upholding the Eelam ideology. “These teams will repeatedly devise motivational methods to maintain their ideology alive. The deep faux video is only one instance, and there’ll probably be many extra sooner or later,” he mentioned.
“We should keep in mind Prabhakaran’s phrases in his August 4, 1987 speech at Suthumalai Amman Kovil within the Jaffna peninsula the place he said that ‘the strategies of conflict could change, however the purpose of our conflict won’t change,’” Dole recalled.
He referred to as for adopting a proactive method to intelligence gathering as sure teams, together with some rehabilitated cadres, haven’t given up on the thought of Eelam.
“They nonetheless adhere to the Solar Tzu artwork of conflict philosophy, rooted within the notion that deception is integral to warfare. Their method is to adjust to the enemy’s directives when in a deprived place. Their major focus is on survival to interact one other day. This sentiment was echoed by people I’ve spoken to,” Dole mentioned.
“Subsequently,” he warned, Sri Lanka must train utmost warning.”
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