Revival of LTTE impossible

by Sarath WIJESINGHE

KP, chief financier and chief procurer of arms to the LTTE with a barrage of names and identities was arrested and brought back to Sri Lanka. He is the most wanted terrorist by the Interpol (International Police), Sri Lanka, India and many other countries. He had multiple passports of Sri Lankan, Indian, Swiss, Malaysian, Thai and Egyptian identities and was born on April 6, 1955 in Jaffna and educated in Jaffna University. The arrest was strategically a breakthrough for Sri Lanka, South Asia and the civilized world threatened with drug trafficking, illegal trades including human smuggling, arms deals, and movements of various kinds the world over.

It has been “Masterminded by the Defence Secretary and the team committed and dedicated. It reminds us of “Entebbe” but this breakthrough is very much greater and important in a wider sense to prevent further destruction of States, human lives, and the political stability of many States including India and Sri Lanka. Thai attitude on KP was amusing in refusing to admit his presence in the land, as he had heavily bribed corrupt VVIPs worldwide. He carried armaments in 2006/2007 and 2009 in four registered ships and eight hijacked ships operated in South Chile-Vessels owned by the LTTE and its front organisations.

President Rajapaksa’s shuttle diplomacy and the Foreign Minister’s hard work on Foreign Affairs contributed to the assistance and cooperation of the members and officers of the world family and the Interpol. The able Defence Secretary who masterminded the operation has stated that it was a part of a longstanding plan and the Prime Minister’s statement of the presence of the large haul of ammunition in Colombo is frightening. Thai Judiciary has declined to give the Russian drug Baron to Americans claiming he did not belong to a terrorist group, indicates how smart our intelligence and mode of operation!

KP had 1582 bank accounts and - passports in addition to enormous wealth obtained for him and the LTTE by illegal means and extortions of his own community and cheating the world community pausing as a militant freedom movement. He was in charge of the LTTE secretariat dealing in human rights, settlement, rehabilitation, reconstruction, peace building, development, negotiations, political actions, policy making, public relations, media relations, resource movement, international relations and many other areas with the enormous resources in hand and close connections with his close friend and guru Prabhakaran. He was wanted by the Interpol for the Rajive assassination and by Sri Lanka for the Central Bank bombing and other atrocities against humanity. World today awaits for KP’s secrets on the management of the LTTE funds and the terrorist core and front organisations in the guise of Non Governmental Organisations. No steps are taken by the British MIG, Norway and the CIA who knew of KP’s presence and activities mainly due to the availability of enormous funds freely circulated and made use of to bribe them.

This indicates how powerful the capture to Sri Lanka, India and the world over. LTTE has killed 10 times more civilians than the Al Qaida movement and tops the list of terrorist organisations in the world as the most ruthless, and organised terrorist outfit backed by many other underworld organisations.

International Law and Judicial Process

International Law is not clear and certain on the arrest of terrorists wanted by most countries and Interpol and leader of an organisation which threatens world peace. In 1886, the US Supreme Court dealt with the arrest of a person by the Chilean Military personally in the case of Ker vs Illinois.

It was noted that it was not “Robbing” of the jurisdiction. According to the United Kingdom and the world court “Carptus Bene Detention” rule is acceptable in some states and rejected by others, which means that there is no finality regarding the legal position on arrests of wanted men in transit by the world and the world family. A question once arose whether abduction bars a court from exercising jurisdiction and how a person was brought was not the concern.

It is a smart move to bring without seeking jurisdiction of the “captured country” and it is quite legal if the captured country has cooperated with the “Host Government”. Principles of International Law is to uphold the sovereignty of another country and to follow the extradition treaty and the fundamental rights of a person based on the principles of UNHCER that “ no one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest” in the normal circumstances. This is an abnormal circumstance and the public are not aware of the facts of the steps taken in the interest of the world community seeking peace and peaceful living. The position is not clear when a person is arrested on transit or surrenders voluntarily to the wanted country. Reparation to the captured country and Restitution to the original position are alternative methods of resolution when the sovereignty is at stake.

It is an irony that Solheim, the controversial Norwegian Minister met KP the terror leader with two warrants from the Interpol which is a blatant violation of International Law and is it only the Sri Lankans who are expected to follow International Law! It is no secret that Norwegian Government favoured LTTE over Sri Lanka for some unknown reason, best known to them.

KP is the biggest human rights violator in Asia - a cunning man who is capable of sending different messages to various audiences. LTTE never stopped fighting and without KP, Prabhakaran would not made the achievements as the wars are normally not fought and won on the ground alone. It is the LTTE international that kept the war going. Had KP continued, the LTTE international would have given life to the LTTE domestic, being the most experienced man capable of propagation, fundraising, procurement, shipping and all underworld dealings. Who will take the reins of the LTTE and succeed KP is the question paused by many. It is learnt the US based lawyer by the name Rudrakrishnan is eying the position. Is it possible for him to rejuvenate the LTTE is a moot question. Today, the LTTE is weak and feeble with no support of the international community and the misguided Diaspora whose wealth Prabha and KP swindled. It seems that there will be more arrests and surprises once KP reveals all secrets and mode of operation in full. Prabhakaran and K. Pathmanathan were inseparable to the extent that the two complemented terrorist movement connecting the ground and international networks. It is true in the modern E-com age without the support from the outside world and modern technology any movement will be in isolation. “Charles’ Brigade” was formed to fill the gap and to handover the mantal to Prabha’s son to carry on the struggle in the second generation.

Prabha and KP had long and strong bonds and complemented each other in their respective areas of expertise.

The ability of Prabha was confined to the “ground” with his weakness of the English Language, an ability which he did not want to improve, thereby he was not able and capable to interact with the outside world and the best and the most reliable person has been KP who has no leadership qualities though he maintained bonds with all other terror groups worldwide. He was dealing in the finance, and business of the movement, which he was capable to handle.

KP was supposed to have spilled beans like a tamed mice when his friend/leader tried to escape leaving his family and supporters and even the capsule.

At the time President Mahinda Rajapaksa took the reins, the LTTE has virtually won the political and military war on the ground except the writ of the Sri Lankan Government which was confined to the demarcated areas in the South to be ruled and managed by the Sri Lankan Government according to the agreement entered into between Prabhakaran and Ranil in dire circumstances where Ranil was almost forced to sign the agreement already signed by Prabhakaran.

It is in this atmosphere that President assumed power on the vehicle of Mahinda Chinatana. The world witnessed in disbelief the victory on terror which lasted three decades ended in two and half years, preventing any re- grouping either in Sri Lanka or worldwide and destroying the power balance and international network of activism.

Revival of LTTE after Prabha-KP era is impossible as the entire terror empire stood on these two individuals alone.

Now that President Mahinda Rajapaksa has won the war of terror and entered the second phase of winning the Peace and Prosperity it is time the entire Nation work as one in order to achieve this, shedding all political and other differences.

Until the President and the group succeed in this achievement it is the duty the citizen to let him flush the rest of terror, bribery, corruption and bring back peace and prosperity.

The writer is a Solicitor in England and Wales - Chairman, Justice and Equality and a past Secretary of the Bar Association.