| Country: | Sri Lanka |
| Details of Formation: | The group is also known as Tamileela Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal/Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) and Tamil People’s Liberation Tigers. In March 2004, Colonel Karuna and some thousand fighters of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) broke away from the rebel group and formed a separate group that fought alongside the government against the LTTE. |
| Details of Termination: | In March 2009, the Karuna group disarmed due to the defeat of the Tamil Tigers (the civil war ended in May 2009). Varying accounts by news sources report that either only some or the majority of fighters joined the regular forces. In 2011, there were allegations that some TMVP members were still armed, but otherwise there are no more incidents reported. |
| Purpose: | The group fought the Tamil Tigers after breaking away from them. The government also used it for intelligence and to eliminate political opponents. |
| Organisation: | Reports state that the group worked with the army, which was denied by the government. News sources state that the army provided logistical assistance to the group. |
| Weapons and Training: | -- |
| Size: | 6,000 has been reported as the initial size after breaking away from the LTTE. |
| Reason for Membership: | -- |
| Treatment of Civilians: | The group has been accused of human rights violations such as killings, the recruitment of children, torture, assassination, extortion, kidnappings, abductions, disappearances and death squad activity. It also attacked journalists. Sources report that the government tolerated this behaviour. |
| Other Information: | In 2007/2008, an internal dispute erupted between Karuna and Pillayan. Therefore, the TMVP was also said to be divided into the Karuna faction on the one side and the Pillayan faction on the other side. Karuna and his faction left the TMVO and joined the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. Pillayan became the new leader and the group stayed pro-government. Today, the TMVP still exists as a party. In 2008 it was accused of creating an unfair election environment by using violence. The group also used child soldiers. |
| References: | PGMD and Wikipedia. “Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal.“ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_Makkal_Viduthalai_Pulikal |