Human rights and terrorism issues

The LTTE is labeled as a terrorist organization as part of a broader allegation that it does not have respect for human rights and that it does not adhere to the standards of conduct expected of a resistance movement or what might be called "freedom fighters". The accusation of terrorism is based in part on claims that the LTTE kills innocent civilians, recruits child soldiers, has been responsible for assassination of political figures and nonmilitary officials, and extensively uses suicide bombers.

Attacks on civilians 

The LTTE has attacked non-military targets including commuter trains and buses, farming villages, temples and mosques resulting in large numbers of civilian deaths Some of the major attacks resulting in dozens of civilian
deaths include the Kebithigollewa massacre, the Gonagala massacre (54 dead), the Anuradhapura massacre (146 dead), the Dehiwala train bombing (56 dead), the Palliyagodella massacre (166 dead) and the bombing of Sri Lanka's Central Bank (102 dead). The LTTE claims that its attacks on purely civilian targets are collateral damage.

Even after the signing of the Ceasefire agreement in 2002, the LTTE has continued to carry out attacks against civilians. They murdered 6 Sinhalese farmers on 23rd April 2006 and killed a further 13 laborers on 29thMay. In one of the deadliest attacks against civilians, a claymore antipersonnel mine attack by the LTTE on 15th June 2006 on a bus carrying 140 civilians killed 68 people including 15 children, and injured 60 others.On 14th August 2006, a convoy carrying the Pakistani High Commissioner Bashir Wali Mohamed, was attacked by another LTTE Claymore type directional mine concealed within a rickshaw, killing seven people and injuring seventeen. The high commissioner escaped unharmed.

Attempted attacks on civilians

Heavy vehicles carrying large quantities of high explosives were caught at various check points throughout the nation during various times. The LTTE uses specially engineered secret compartments in lorries, tractors, vans and buses to hide the explosives. The following are the most recent attempted attacks on civilian targets:

A lorry coming from Kilinochchi area was apprehended at Nikeveratiya with a deadly cargo of over 1000kg of C4 high explosives. The police claims that it is the single largest detection of explosives in history. The lorry was heading towards urban areas of Colombo. Compared to the 50kg bomb explosion at Central Bank (killed at least 91 and injured over 1,500 civilians), the explosive lorry was over 20 times more devastating.

The second high explosive laden vehicle was arrested on 30thJune 2007 at Trincomalee. Over 1000kgs of C-4 explosives were hidden inside a freezer and were set to explode as soon as it is opened.

Claymore mines were discovered at various points throughout the Island. Most mines were discovered due to the vigilance of locals, and were neutralized by Sri Lankan Army before they take their death toll. Some of

those bombs were synchronized, i.e. planted at separate locations throughout the city but set to explode simultaneously. Despite of the Tamil nationalistic ideology of LTTE, those lethal bombs would have killed thousands of innocent civilians, both Tamil and Sinhalese.