LTTE under KP will not renounce violence - London Times

Walter JAYAWARDHANA

The Times of London newspaper reacting to the new announcement that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) would reorganize itself as a provisional transnational government of Tamil Eelam said it has not eschewed violence as a means of obtaining power.

Until it was crushed as a military group by the Sri Lankan Army the outfit was known as the most ruthless terrorist outfit in the world.

It is yet to be known, if violence is applied, how it would be applied in the international arena in the coming years.

Referring to the new leader of the terrorist outfit who has appointed himself to be in the shoes of the late Velupillai Prabhakaran, who was killed by the Sri Lanka Army with his other top military aids, the Times said, Pathmanathan gave no indication that the group would renounce violence.

The Tamil Tigers' former head of International Relations, Selvarasa Pathmanathan, better known as the outfit chief procurement officer for arms and ammunition, KP and was wanted by the Interpol or International Police for gun and drug running. He was also wanted for the assassination of the former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, together with Velupillai Prabhakaran and Pottu Amman.

Pathmanathan alias KP said the struggle of Tamil Eelam has reached a new stage, apparently trying to operate with overseas LTTE groups to achieve a separate state for the Tamils.

Over the years, KP has been criss crossing the world in pursuit of the best weapons money could buy trouble spots of the world like Afghanistan or Cambodia. He has been staying in the best of hotels and meeting the cream of the people in the business of weapons. He is considered one of the best and valued clients of Al Qaeda. He is supposed to have sold the LTTE produced suicide jacket to Al Qaeda for a price and thousands of stolen Norwegian passports to the Middle Eastern terrorist group.

The Times also said this transnational government would decide on its action on democratic principles. For over two decades the LTTE ran Sri Lanka Eastern and Northern provinces by a Fascist government. LTTE Supremo the Late Velupillai Prabhakaran ruled the two provinces by decree.