TMVP's true role revealed - Premachandran

by P. Krishnaswamy

The arrest of TMVP leader Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan, the former Chief Minister of the Eastern Province, "a confidante, ardent supporter and adviser to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa" shows what has been going on and who is responsible for incidents of violence, former TNA parliamentarian, Suresh Premachandran said.

Chandrakanthan was first arrested on suspicion of the assassination of Batticoloa District TNA Parliamentarian Joseph Pararajasingham and consequently, he was also linked to the murder of Jaffna District TNA Parliamentarian Nadarajah Raviraj.

The firearm used by the main suspect in the Raviraj murder had been provided by Pillayan himself, according to intelligence reports. Some of his allies from the TMVP have also been arrested, on suspicion.

"This is only the tip of the iceberg. How many more murders and gruesome acts against society must have been committed by the TMVP leader and his allies.

The politics of the ay had resulted in all those atrocities being conveniently swept under the carpet by the previous regime and there is likely to be much more than what has been disclosed so far," Premachandran said. Pillayan's two deputies Edwin Silva Krishnanandaraja alias Pradeep Master and Rangasami Kanaganayagam alias Gajan Maamaa were earlier taken into custody over the Pararajasingham assassination.

Pillayan was arrested consequent to revelations by them, according informed sources.

TMVP Secretary Poobalapillai Prashanthan was arrested by the Kathankudy Police recently over the double murder of school teacher Krishnapillai and his wife, committed on 13 December 2008 at their home in Arayampathy.

Former TNA parliamentarian for Batticaloa, T.Ariyanendran, told the Sunday Observer that when he was an elected MP (while Joseph Pararajasingham was appointed on the National List), the TMVP lead by LTTE renegade leader Vinayagamoorthi Muralidaran alias Karuna Amman was running amock in the Eastern Province. "He was taking the law into his hands with the blessings of the then government and neither he nor the other 21 TNA parliamentarians who represented both North and East could enter their constituencies without risking their lives," he said.