They were given assurance by Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, and told to surrender at a particular place by Basil Rajapakse.
The LTTE surrendered to the 58 Division (Sri Lanka) carrying white flags, but were reportedly shot dead.
Agreeing to, as Nadesan told British journalist Marie Colvin, "abide by the result of any referendum" and pleading for a ceasefire, the LTTE sent desperate messages through every channel they could think of – the United Nations, the Red Cross, European diplomats and intermediaries, Tamil parliament member Rohan Chandra Nehru, and The Sunday Times reporter, Colvin.
Nambiar told Colvin that he had been assured by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa of the surrendering combatants' safety, all they had to do was "hoist a white flag high".
[2] At 1:06 AM on 18 May 2009, Nadesan made his final call to Tamil MP Chandrakanth Chandranehru saying they were walking towards the Sri Lankan military and, "I will hoist the white flag as high as I can".
[8] Other photos have appeared of Isaipriya, the LTTE TV broadcaster, alive and in the custody of the Sri Lankan military.
These emerging eyewitness reports, photos, and videos are part of the mounting evidence of Sri Lankan soldiers summarily executing captured Tamils in the closing stages of the war.