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'''Shanmugam Kumaran Tharmalingam''' (alias '''Selvarasa Pathmanathan''', '''Kumaran Pathmanathan''' or simply '''KP''') (born April 6, 1955)<ref name="ip"/> is the current leader of the [[Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam]] (LTTE), a [[separatist]] organisation which, until May 2009, waged a [[Sri Lankan Civil War|violent secessionist campaign]] that sought to create an [[Independence|independent]] [[Tamil Eelam|Tamil state]] in the north and east of [[Sri Lanka]]. Pathmanathan is on [[Interpol]]'s most wanted list for various charges including [[arms smuggling]] and [[criminal conspiracy]].<ref name="ip"/> He is also wanted by [[India]]'s [[Law enforcement in India|law enforcement agencies]] in connection with the [[Rajiv Gandhi assassination|assassination]] of former [[Indian Prime Minister]] [[Rajiv Gandhi]] in 1991 and for violation of the Terrorist Act and the Indian Explosive Act.<ref>{{cite web |title=WANTED BY INTERPOL, NEW DELHI |url=http://www.cbi.gov.in/rnotice/A-993-9-2003.htm |publisher=[[Central Bureau of Investigation]] |accessdate=26 July 2009}}</ref> He was arrested on August 6th, 2009 in Thailand and brought to Sri Lanka for interogation.
'''Shanmugam Kumaran Tharmalingam''' (alias '''Selvarasa Pathmanathan''', '''Kumaran Pathmanathan''' or simply '''KP''') (born April 6, 1955)<ref name="ip"/> is the current leader of the [[Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam]] (LTTE), a [[separatist]] organisation which, until May 2009, waged a [[Sri Lankan Civil War|violent secessionist campaign]] that sought to create an [[Independence|independent]] [[Tamil Eelam|Tamil state]] in the north and east of [[Sri Lanka]]. Pathmanathan is on [[Interpol]]'s most wanted list for various charges including [[arms smuggling]] and [[criminal conspiracy]].<ref name="ip"/> He is also wanted by [[India]]'s [[Law enforcement in India|law enforcement agencies]] in connection with the [[Rajiv Gandhi assassination|assassination]] of former [[Indian Prime Minister]] [[Rajiv Gandhi]] in 1991 and for violation of the Terrorist Act and the Indian Explosive Act.<ref>{{cite web |title=WANTED BY INTERPOL, NEW DELHI |url=http://www.cbi.gov.in/rnotice/A-993-9-2003.htm |publisher=[[Central Bureau of Investigation]] |accessdate=26 July 2009}}</ref> He was arrested on August 5, 2009.<ref name="arrested" />


==Early life==
==Early life==
Line 72: Line 72:
Known as an elusive, secretive individual, he helped keep a low profile by having direct contact only with LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.<ref name="Hindu151003"/>
Known as an elusive, secretive individual, he helped keep a low profile by having direct contact only with LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.<ref name="Hindu151003"/>


==Reported arrest==
==Arrest==
Pathmanadan was arrested in a South East Asian country on August 5, 2009. Initial reports suggested that he was captured in [[Thailand]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.vancouverite.com/2009/08/new-chief-of-ltte-captured-handed-over-to-sri-lanka/|title=New chief of LTTE captured, handed over to Sri Lanka|date=2009-08-07|work=Vancouverite|accessdate=2009-08-07}}</ref> but this was denied by Thai authorities.<ref name="arrested">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8188900.stm|title=New Tamil Tiger leader 'arrested'|date=2009-08-07|work=BBC|accessdate=2009-08-07}}</ref> The LTTE claimed he was arrested in [[Malaysia]], which was again denied by Malaysian authorities.<ref name="reuters">{{cite news|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE57553420090807|title=New Tamil Tiger head held in Sri Lanka|last=Hull|first=C. Bryson |date=2009-08-07|publisher=Reuters|accessdate=2009-08-07}}</ref> The [[Sri Lankan Government]] announced on August 7 that he was brought to [[Colombo]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.news.lk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10975&Itemid=44|title=Breaking News - KP grilled in Colombo|date=2009-08-07|work=Official Government News Portal of Sri Lanka|accessdate=2009-08-07}}</ref> and credited the Sri Lankan intelligence agencies for the arrest.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.news.lk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10971&Itemid=44|title=Self proclaimed LTTE leader 'KP' arrested|date=2009-08-07|work=Official Government News Portal of Sri Lanka|accessdate=2009-08-07}}</ref> The location of his arrest was not disclosed by Sri Lankan authorities.<ref name="reuters" />
⚫
There were conflicting reports from [[Thailand]] that Pathmanathan had been arrested on September 11, 2007. The reports were preceded by the detention in [[Ranong Province]] of three other LTTE operatives the month before, for trying to buy guns and 45,000 rounds of ammunition.<ref name="BP110907"/><ref name="MOD110907"/> However a number of Thai officials refuted the reports, claiming they had no information about such an arrest.<ref name="Hindu120907">{{cite web |title=Thai denies arresting LTTE leader |url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200709121833.htm |publisher=[[The Hindu]] |date=12 September 2007 |accessdate=3 August 2009}}</ref> Thai immigration officers claimed that no such person had entered the country in the last two years.<ref name="Hindu120907"/>

⚫
Earlier there were conflicting reports from [[Thailand]] that Pathmanathan had been arrested on September 11, 2007. The reports were preceded by the detention in [[Ranong Province]] of three other LTTE operatives the month before, for trying to buy guns and 45,000 rounds of ammunition.<ref name="BP110907"/><ref name="MOD110907"/> However a number of Thai officials refuted the reports, claiming they had no information about such an arrest.<ref name="Hindu120907">{{cite web |title=Thai denies arresting LTTE leader |url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200709121833.htm |publisher=[[The Hindu]] |date=12 September 2007 |accessdate=3 August 2009}}</ref> Thai immigration officers claimed that no such person had entered the country in the last two years.<ref name="Hindu120907"/>


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 09:22, 7 August 2009

Shanmugam Kumaran Tharmalingam
File:Kumaran Pathmanadan.jpg
One of the few known pictures of Selvarasa Pathmanathan
Born
Shanmugam Kumaran Tharmalingam
StatusArrested on August 6th, 2009
Other namesSelvarasa Pathmanathan
Kumaran Pathmanathan
and many others
OccupationLeader of LTTE
MotiveSri Lankan Tamil nationalism
Criminal chargeCriminal conspiracy, arms smuggling and for the violation of the Indian Terrorist Act and the Indian Explosive Act. Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.

Shanmugam Kumaran Tharmalingam (alias Selvarasa Pathmanathan, Kumaran Pathmanathan or simply KP) (born April 6, 1955)[1] is the current leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a separatist organisation which, until May 2009, waged a violent secessionist campaign that sought to create an independent Tamil state in the north and east of Sri Lanka. Pathmanathan is on Interpol's most wanted list for various charges including arms smuggling and criminal conspiracy.[1] He is also wanted by India's law enforcement agencies in connection with the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 and for violation of the Terrorist Act and the Indian Explosive Act.[2] He was arrested on August 5, 2009.[3]

Early life

Little information is available on Pathmanthan's early life. He was born Shanmugam Kumaran Tharmalingam on April 6, 1955 in the town of Kankesanthurai in the Jaffna District of Ceylon[1]. Pathmanathan, who can converse in Tamil, English, French and Sinhalese is known to have left Sri Lanka in 1983.[1][4]

Aliases

Pathmanathan is known to use more than 23 aliases and masks.[5] In addition, his last name can be spelt as Padmanadan or Pathmanaban or Pathmanadan or Pathmanathan, hence there are numerous variations of his name.

Involvement in LTTE

Fund raising activities

Pathmanathan was one of the top LTTE officials and the chief procurer of arms for the organization. He ran a global network of LTTE offices which were engaged in its weapons procurement, logistics and money laundering operations.[6]

Initially based in Malaysia, where he set up a shipping company in 1987, he was forced to move out after the Malaysian Special Branch cracked down on LTTE activities in the country in 1990, culminating in the seizure of an LTTE ship the same year.[4] Pathmanathan then moved to Thailand, which became a safe haven for the LTTE.[7] There he established himself as the head of banking, procurement and shipping for the LTTE. He is believed to have obtained citizenship of Thailand.[6]

According to a report by Jane's Intelligence Review:

"While Cambodia is the hub of the LTTE East Asia Network, Thailand continues to serve as the most important country for trans-shipment of munitions and coordination of logistics... its excellent communications infrastructure, proximity to former war zones in both Cambodia and Burma and its western coastline facing the Bay of Bengal and Sri Lanka beyond have made Thailand the ancient interface between the LTTE's war zone."[6]

In Thailand Pathmanathann set up and led the "KP Department", the procurement arm of the LTTE, the oldest international wing of the organisation. He was responsible for equipping the rebels with a modern day arsenal which enabled them to challenge the Sri Lankan Military and to fight a high intensity war. He procured modern hardware, paid for them through secret bank accounts, and shipped them to the rebels using a merchant shipping network operated by the "KP Department", known as the "sea pigeons".[8][9] Apart from setting up a number of lucrative businesses in Thailand, Pathmanathan established a state-of-the-art boatyard in the country, which manufactured over a dozen different boats, including mini-submarines and suicide boats.[7]

The "KP Department" was complemented by another international wing of the LTTE called the "Aiyanna Group". While the "KP Department" acted as the procurement arm of the LTTE, the Aiyanna Group looked after the fund raising and intelligence operations of the organization. Jane's Intelligence Review estimated in 2007 that the LTTE earns between $200-300 million per year through their fund-raising activities and numerous illegal businesses.[10]

The heads of both departments operated under the direct guidance of the LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and intelligence head Pottu Amman, both of whom were also on the Interpol most wanted list.[10]

Rajiv Gandhi assassination

Main article: Rajiv Gandhi assassination

On May 21, 1991, former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a suicide bomber at a public meeting in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu. The assassination was carried out by the LTTE suicide bomber Thenmuli Rajaratnam, also known as Dhanu, who detonated an RDX explosive-laden belt tucked below her dress as she bent down to greet him.

Intelligence agencies believe that Pathmanathan had links with the planning of the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.[5][8][11] The Indian Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) approached 23 countries in 2001 requesting information regarding LTTE members who they believed were linked with the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. Sweden, where Pathmanathan was believed to be hiding at the time, was one of the countries.[8]

The Interpol Headquarters in Lyon, France also issued a red notice against Pathmanathan, which requests member states to arrest the suspect and hold him for extradition. The notice stated, "Tharmalingam (Pathmanathan) is alleged to have been involved in the murder of Rajiv Gandhi on 21 May 1991 in Tamil Nadu, India."[5]

Intended presence at peace negotiations

Following the signing of a ceasefire agreement between the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE in 2002, the LTTE nominated Pathmanathan as a member of its delegation to the Peace Talks scheduled with the government in late 2003. They passed on a request, through Norwegian facilitators of the negotiations, to find out whether the Government had any objections to "Shanmugam Kumaran Tharmalingam" being part of the delegation.[11] The Government rejected the request, mainly because he was wanted in India for links with Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, and letting him join the delegation would have ruptured relations between the two nations.[5]

The LTTE's reasons for nominating Pathmanadan to the delegations are unclear but most likely had to do with the fact that Interpol, CIA and MI-5 were after him. Getting on the list of peace negotiators would have meant, with Sri Lanka's approval, Pathmanathan would be off the list of the world's most wanted men.[11][5]

Department of International Relations

In January 2009 Pathmanathan was appointed head of the newly created "Department of International Relations".[12] He was LTTE's chief international spokesman during the last months of the civil war.

Leader of the LTTE

Pathmanathan was left as the most senior LTTE member following the death of most of the LTTE's leadership, including Prabhakaran, in the final stages of the civil war.[13] On 21 July 2009 a statement was issued, allegedly from the Executive Committee of the LTTE, stating that Patmanathan had been appointed leader of the LTTE.[14]

Fugitive status

Pathmanathan was the subject of a worldwide manhunt, which involved police from cities including Johannesburg, Rangoon, Singapore and Bangkok. Some of the world's foremost intelligence agencies, including the American CIA and British MI-5, were on his trail.[5] He was believed to have had bank accounts in London, Frankfurt, Denmark, Athens and Australia and over 200 passports for his use.[6]

Known as an elusive, secretive individual, he helped keep a low profile by having direct contact only with LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.[5]

Arrest

Pathmanadan was arrested in a South East Asian country on August 5, 2009. Initial reports suggested that he was captured in Thailand,[15] but this was denied by Thai authorities.[3] The LTTE claimed he was arrested in Malaysia, which was again denied by Malaysian authorities.[16] The Sri Lankan Government announced on August 7 that he was brought to Colombo,[17] and credited the Sri Lankan intelligence agencies for the arrest.[18] The location of his arrest was not disclosed by Sri Lankan authorities.[16]

Earlier there were conflicting reports from Thailand that Pathmanathan had been arrested on September 11, 2007. The reports were preceded by the detention in Ranong Province of three other LTTE operatives the month before, for trying to buy guns and 45,000 rounds of ammunition.[6][10] However a number of Thai officials refuted the reports, claiming they had no information about such an arrest.[19] Thai immigration officers claimed that no such person had entered the country in the last two years.[19]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Wanted THARMALINGAM, Shanmugam Kumaran". Interpol. Retrieved 26 July 2009.
  2. ^ "WANTED BY INTERPOL, NEW DELHI". Central Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved 26 July 2009.
  3. ^ a b "New Tamil Tiger leader 'arrested'". BBC. 2009-08-07. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
  4. ^ a b Dhaneshi Yatawara (11 September 2007). "LTTE's top fund manager nabbed in Bangkok". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 26 July2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Iqbal Athas (15 October 2003). "The LTTE and the `KP Factor'". The Hindu. Retrieved 26 July 2009.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Top Tamil Tiger arrested in Bangkok". Bangkok Post. 11 September 2007.
  7. ^ a b Rohan Gunaratna (25 September 2002). "The transformation of terror?". Asia Times. Retrieved 3 August 2009.
  8. ^ a b c "CBI wants 'KP' in connection with Rajiv assassination case". Current Affairs. Government of Sri Lanka. 5 April 2001. Retrieved 3 August 2009.
  9. ^ Brian Wood and Johan Peleman. "The Arms Fixers: Controlling the Brokers and Shipping Agents". Norwegian Initiative on Small Arms Transfers.
  10. ^ a b c "LTTE's international terror chief "KP" arrested in Bangkok". Ministry of Defence (Sri Lanka). 11 September 2007. Retrieved 3 August 2009.
  11. ^ a b c PK Balachandran (19 October 2003). "LTTE trying to rehabilitate its ace arms procurer". The Hindustan Times (via the Government of Sri Lanka). Retrieved 3 August 2009.
  12. ^ "LTTE appoints Pathmanathan as head of international relations". TamilNet. 30 January 2009. Retrieved 26 July 2009.
  13. ^ D.B.S. Jeyaraj (25 July 2009). "LTTE Cabal Opposes "KP"as Leader of Re-structured Tigers". Daily Mirror, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 26 July 2009.
  14. ^ "New political formation of LTTE claimed". TamilNet. 21 July 2009. Retrieved 26 July 2009.
  15. ^ "New chief of LTTE captured, handed over to Sri Lanka". Vancouverite. 2009-08-07. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
  16. ^ a b Hull, C. Bryson (2009-08-07). "New Tamil Tiger head held in Sri Lanka". Reuters. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
  17. ^ "Breaking News - KP grilled in Colombo". Official Government News Portal of Sri Lanka. 2009-08-07. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
  18. ^ "Self proclaimed LTTE leader 'KP' arrested". Official Government News Portal of Sri Lanka. 2009-08-07. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
  19. ^ a b "Thai denies arresting LTTE leader". The Hindu. 12 September 2007. Retrieved 3 August 2009.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Selvarasa_Pathmanathan&oldid=306568228"