ABSTRACT
When the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) met the world press in northern Sri Lanka in April 2002, the focus was not only on what he was saying, but also on what he was wearing. The visiting journalists noted that Vellupilai Prabhakaran had replaced his customary military outfit with a (some commentators thought) smart, gray safari suit. It was a time of peace hopes. The guerrilla leader had just signed a ceasefire agreement with the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, the population experienced a welcome respite from war-time hardships, and the two principal warring parties were entering into a peace process which could potentially end their 20-year old civil war. Prabhakaran’s choice of clothing was by optimistic analysts interpreted as an illustration of the willingness of the LTTE to transform from the highly efficient military organization they were and instead enter the political scene.
