Overseas LTTE top rankers should be extradited - Prof. Rohan Gunaratna

by Shanika SRIYANANDA

While stressing the need to set up a special unit in the Foreign Ministry with a mission to dismantle the LTTE internationally, a Singapore based international terrorism expert.

Prof. Rohan Gunaratna emphasised that the Sri Lankan Government should get KP to make a confession of his crimes publicly.

In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Observer, he said that KP should tell all the LTTE followers overseas to renounce violence and abandon the vicious and divisive ideology of Prabhakaran.

Prof. Gunaratna, who is the Head of the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore said that like KP, for instance, all other LTTE top rankers, domiciled abroad, scheming to create havoc in Sri Lanka should be considered for extradition.

"Rudrakumaran too will be arrested with others", he said.

Following are excerpts of the interview:

Q: What will be the fate of the LTTE after the arrest of the KP?

A: Until a pragmatic Tamil leadership emerges, the international network of the LTTE will continue to survive. Unlike in the past, the post-Prabhakaran LTTE is an ideological movement but not an operational organization. Although the Sri Lankan Government militarily destroyed the LTTE, the unrealistic vision of Prabhakaran created as a day time dreamer still lives on.

In the minds of a few tens of thousands of Tamils living far away from Sri Lanka, Prabhakaran's ideology of creating an independent and a monoethnic Tamil state lives on. Unfortunately, Sri Lanka lacks pragmatic Tamil leaders to provide the Tamil community the leadership that it has lacked during the last decade.

Q: Can the remaining LTTEers carry out their mission - locally and internationally - without a leadership?

A: The LTTE cannot revive in Sri Lanka in the foreseeable future unless a weak and a foolish political leader assumes office in Colombo. Nonetheless, the LTTE internationally will remain a threat to Sri Lanka.

The LTTE overseas will remain active until the Sri Lankan foreign ministry creates a dedicated structure, personnel, and a budget to dismantle LTTE internationally. The LTTE has appointed as its new leader a Tamil now living in Vestlan, Norway.

Sidelined

Q: What is the need of the hour in further countering terrorism?

A: Unless the LTTE internationally is dismantled, the LTTE poses a risk to the future security, stability and prosperity of Sri Lanka. While the Secretary of Defence Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has understood and taken this threat seriously, the rest of the Government should build the organization to meet this global challenge. Like KP was brought to justice, all LTTE leaders working overseas to harm Sri Lanka should be considered for extradition.

Q: KP was sidelined by Prabhakaran and do you see any importance of KP for LTTE's future?

A: KP was sidelined briefly but KP was the key man who made the LTTE a viable terrorist group. In addition to building the knowledge to raise funds covertly, he knew how to procure arms, ammunition and explosives clandestinely, and establish a state-of-the-art shipping network. KP trained a new generation of leaders. After KP was detained, he is no longer of any use to the group.

Q: Could he get the support of the remaining LTTEers and will they recognize him as their leader?

A: KP has repented and expressed remorse. The Sri Lankan Government should get KP to make a confession of his crimes publicly. KP should ask all LTTE followers overseas to renounce violence and abandoned the vicious and divisive ideology of Prabhakaran.

Q: What is your assessment about the LTTE now?

A: The LTTE is finished in Sri Lanka but active overseas. The LTTE damaged the Tamil community more than any other factor. Before the LTTE was vanquished in Sri Lanka, Prabhakaran and his group killed or marginalized several hundred Tamil leaders including brilliant intellectuals like Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam. In the Tamil community, there is a political vacuum today. Like Germany after Hitler, it will take time for a mainstream Tamil leadership to emerge. The government should help to nurture and grow such a leadership that is now needed. Such a leadership will challenge the few pro-LTTE leaders living overseas and instill pragmatism to the Tamils both in Sri Lanka and overseas. That will permanently seal the fate of the LTTE overseas.

Q: Do you think KP's arrest would be a big blow to the world of terrorism?

A: Yes. KP developed and perfected techniques and many other groups followed. For example, KP helped Prabhakaran to build the LTTE maritime capability. The Al Qaeda copied it from the LTTE.

Q: What do you think about India's demand to question KP in connection with Rajiv Gandhi's assassination?

A: Sri Lanka should cooperate with India. In the past, India armed, trained, financed and directed the LTTE and other terrorist groups.

But today, India has abandoned its shameful past after realizing that its shortsighted strategy and approaches have damaged its national security and the security of the region gravely.

Q: Once earlier you had revealed about LTTE and the Al Qaeda connection. Will KP be an important source to reveal their deals including the shipping network?

KP has provided significant details of the LTTE shipping network and other information. He has cooperated fully.

Q: Do you think that this network will collapse after KP?

A: No. The LTTE has built multiple networks. The Sri Lankan Government should target and dismantle them by working together with their international partners.

Cunning

Q: Do you think that KP was genuinely intended to transform the LTTE into politics?

A: No. KP is a cunning man. He was not sincere. Like Prabhakaran, he had multiple faces - one for the West, another for the LTTE followers.

Q: In an interview you had mentioned that KP is the worst human rights violator other than Prabhakaran. Why?

A: KP was the principal facilitator and enabler that made Prabhakaran commit the worst crimes the Subcontinent had ever seen in the recent years.

Q: The Defence Secretary had requested the foreign countries to hand over LTTEers to the Government. Will this happen and how important is the international support to take them into custody?

A: With sustained efforts by the Sri Lankan Government, it will happen.

Q: What are the main obstacles in taking them into custody? Do they have a political blessing?

A: Sri Lanka needs to build a dedicated organization within the foreign ministry to do so. It should be a close-knit unit run by defence, police and intelligence officials working with foreign service officers.

Q: what is the estimated wealth of the LTTE?

A: A few million dollars. Most funds were stolen by LTTE leaders working with KP and others.

Q: Are there any LTTEers to lead the LTTE after KP and what is your assessment about Rudrakumarn?

A: Rudrakumaran is under investigation. It is a question of time that he too will be arrested with others.

Q: What is your assessment about the Tamil diaspora and will the international community still have faith in their propaganda and will they raise funds the LTTE in the future?

A: The Tamils are intelligent. They know that Prabakaran had misled them and brought so much of suffering and agony to many.

The Tamils want to live in peace. Colombo must continue to create that environment. We must develop the North East of Sri Lanka like the rest of the country and have a Tamil Vice President or Prime Minister.