.Next President ? ya possible. Only if we are lucky enough.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Pakistani journalist writes about India
Written by a Pakistani journalist about India.......
By Dr Farrukh Saleem
Here's what is happening in India :
The two Ambani brothers can buy 100 percent of every company listed on the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) and would still be left with $30 billion to spare. The four richest Indians can buy up all goods and services produced over a year by 169 million Pakistanis and still be left with $60 billion to spare. The four richest Indians are now richer than the forty richest Chinese.
In November, Bombay Stock Exchange's benchmark Sensex flirted with 20,000 points. As a consequence, Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries became a $100 bill ion company (the entire KSE is capitalized at $65 billion). Mukesh owns 48 percent of Reliance.
In November, comes Neeta's birthday. Neeta turned forty-four three weeks ago. Look what she got from her husband as her birthday gift:
A sixty-million dollar jet with a custom fitted master bedroom, bathroom with mood lighting, a sky bar, entertainment cabins, satellite television, wireless communication and a separate cabin with game consoles. Neeta is Mukesh Ambani's wife, and Mukesh is not India 's richest but the second richest.
Mukesh is now building his new home, Residence Antillia (after a mythical, phantom island somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean). At a cost of $1 billion this would be the most expensive home on the face of the planet. At 173 meters tall Mukesh's new family residence, for a family of six, will be the equivalent of a 60-storeyed building. The first six floors are reserved for parking. The seventh floor is for car servicing and maintenance.. The eighth floor houses a mini-theatre. Then there's a health club, a gym and a swimming pool. Two floors are reserved for Ambani family's guests. Four floors above the guest floors are family floors all with a superb view of the Arabian Sea On top of everything are three helipads. A staff of 600 is expected to care for the family and their family home.
In 2004, India became the 3rd most attractive foreign direct investment destination. Pakistan wasn't even in the top 25 countries.
In 2004, the United Nations, the representative body of 192 sovereign member states, had requested the Election Commission of India to assist the UN in the holding elections in Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah and Dowlat-e Eslami-ye Afghanestan. Why the Election Commission of Indiaand not the Election Commission of Pakistan? After all, Islamabad is closer to Kabul than is Delhi .
Imagine, 12 percent of all American scientists are of Indian origin; 38 percent of doctors in Americaare Indian; 36 percent of NASA scientists are Indians; 34 percent of Microsoft employees are Indians; and 28 percent of IBM employees are Indians.
For the record: Sabeer Bhatia created and founded Hotmail. Sun Microsystems was founded by Vinod Khosla. The Intel Pentium processor, that runs 90 percent of all computers, was fathered by Vinod Dham.
Rajiv Gupta co-invented Hewlett Packard's E-speak project. Four out of ten Silicon Valley start-ups are run by Indians. Bollywood produces 800 movies per year and six Indian ladies have won Miss Universe/Miss World titles over the past 10 years.
For the record: Azim Premji, the richest Muslim entrepreneur on the face of the planet, was born in Bombay and now lives in Bangalore.India now has more than three dozen billionaires; Pakistan has none (not a single dollar billionaire).
The other amazing aspect is the rapid pace at which India is creating wealth. In 2002, Dhirubhai Ambani, Mukesh and Anil Ambani's father, left his two sons a fortune worth $2.8 billion. In 2007, their combined wealth stood at $94 billion. On 29 October 2007, as a result of the stock market rally and the appreciation of the Indian rupee, Mukesh became the richest person in the world, with net worth climbing to US$63.2 billion (Bill Gates, the richest American, stands at around $56 billion).
Indians and Pakistanis have the same Y-chromosome haplogroup. We have the same genetic sequence and the same genetic marker (namely: M124).
We have the same DNA molecule, the same DNA sequence. Our culture, our traditions and our cuisine are all the same. We watch the same movies and sing the same songs. What is it that Indians have and we don't?
INDIANS ELECT THEIR LEADERS!!!!!
And also to mention: They think of Construction of own nation, unlike other nations who are just concerned with destruction of others...
Simple answer to why the Indians far better than the Pakistanis - They don't focus on religion all the time and neither do they spend time and money in devising ways to kill their own and everyone else over religion.
KP FULL INTERVIEW
Part 1
“KP”SPEAKS OUT: AN INTERVIEW WITH THE FORMER TIGER CHIEF
It was one year ago on August 5, 2009 that Thambiaiya Selvarasa Pathmanathan alias “KP” was taken into custody in Kuala Lumpur at First Tune Hotel on 316 Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman road.The former chief arms procurer of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) was brought to Colombo the following day. KP’s capture was hailed as a significant breakthrough because the senior Tiger operative was at that time the nominal chief of the re-structured LTTE. In the aftermath of the Mullivaaikkaal debacle resulting in the demise of LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran and senior Tiger commanders, KP assumed leadership of the movement abroad. The LTTE was re-structured with KP being appointed “Thalaimai Seyalar” or chief secretary.
With KP’s capture punitive action against him by Colombo was anticipated. However in an unexpected turn of events there evolved a remarkable relationship between captor and captive where the Sri Lankan government extended its hand of friendship towards KP in a magnanimous gesture. KP in turn reciprocated pragmatically by responding in a conciliatory and co-operative spirit.
Though under detention, KP has been afforded great autonomy of action by the Government to play a constructive role in uplifting the Tamil people and achieving ethnic reconciliation.. The ex-LTTE chief has set up a new non –governmental organization known as the North – East Rehabilitation and Development Organization (NERDO).
The NERDO is focusing on the release, rehabilitation and re-settlement of ex –LTTE cadres and IDP’s of the North – East. KP himself is concentrating on garnering aid and assistance from sections of the Tamil Diaspora for the NERDO to formulate and implement projects.
The current status and role of KP is now a matter of great controversy. He is viciously attacked by extremist sections of the Diaspora as a traitor who has sold out to the Rajapaksa regime. The Sri Lankan opposition questions the “leniency” shown to the ex-LTTE chief by the Govt and contrasts it with the treatment meted out to former army chief General Fonseka.
It is against this backdrop that this writer had an extended telephone conversation with KP on Thursday Aug 5th the first anniversary of his capture. In what was a frank and open discussion in Tamil, the ex-Tiger chief disclosed several details about the past,present and future. In the process KP dispelled several rumours circulating about him and set the record straight on a number of issues.
KP is firmly of the opinion that Tamil Eelam is a lost cause and that the armed struggle is a thing of the past. He feels that the immediate priority of Sri Lankan Tamils is to get out of the tragic situation they are in right now. The future is to live with equal rights and dignity in a united ,pluralistic Sri Lanka.
KP also expressed regret for the violence perpetrated by the LTTE against civilians and hardship caused during the course of the LTTE campaign for Tamil Eelam. A remorseful KP tendered an open apology to all the people of Sri Lanka for the suffering caused in the past.
Here are some translated excerpts of the interview –
Q:You were seized in Malaysia last year on August 5th. How will you describe your present situation after being under detention for one year ?
A: I was shocked when I was arrested and for about an hour I was dazed. But later I recovered. I was also worried when brought to Sri Lanka. But I believe in an almighty God. Though I feared, the worst would happen I have been fortunate.My being captured in a way has been a benefit to me. I have now got an opportunity to serve the suffering Tamil people. Our struggle has reduced our people in Sri Lanka particularly those in the Wanni to a pathetic situation. Now I have a chance to help them in a small way at least through the work of NERDO .
Q: What are the conditions under which you are being detained?
A: I am being kept in a house. I cannot go outside. But within the house I can move about freely. I am given full freedom to talk to people on the telephone. People are not allowed to meet me here. When I want to meet people outside I have to get clearance. Some officials accompany me when I have to go out to meet them. I also have unrestricted e-mail access
Q: Were you ill-treated in any way?
A: No. I have been treated with great kindness and courtesy. In the early days there was some sort of mild tension. But as the days progressed an atmosphere of trust, mutual respect and cordiality prevails.
Q: How did this situation develop? Some people in the Tamil Diaspora allege that you had a “deal” with the govt and that your arrest itself was a drama? How were you arrested and brought here?
A: I know that these types of accusations are being levelled against me. But you know how I was arrested. You were the first person to write about my arrest in detail in English. When I got to read it much later I found that most of what you had written was correct except for some minor details. Whatever these people may say the truth is that I was arrested and transported to Sri Lanka
Q: Can you relate how you were caught and brought here?
A: I was sitting in the Hotel room talking to former LTTE political commissar Nadesan’s brother and son who had come down from England to Malaysia.I then got a telephone call from Canada. It was Ragavan from the CMR radio . The reception was not good. So I excused myself and went out.
I sat outside on a chair in the lobby and kept talking. Suddenly a group of Malaysian officials surrounded me. One of them said “Very sorry Mr.KP” and grasped my phone. It fell to the ground and was picked up by an officer. They asked me to come with them. I had no choice but to go with them
I was taken to the immigration detention centre in KL and kept there for nearly 36 hours for about two days and a night. I had to sleep there in the detention centre room. I realised from their conversation that I was going to be officially deported. But I was not sure whether it was going to be Sri Lanka, India ,USA or somewhere else.
Then I was taken to the KL airport where a Sri Lankan airlines plane was waiting. Then I knew I was going to Colombo. I was taken into the plane through the economy class entrance and then moved inside to the business class. There I was formally handed over to some Sri Lankan officials and brought to Colombo.
Q: You were a Resident in Thailand when you were arrested. Why did you operate out of Kuala Lumpur instead of Bangkok? Was it because you were arrested in Thailand in 2007?
A: I had been leading a quiet life in Thailand for many years when I was out of the LTTE. It was also known that I was living there. So when I started being active in the LTTE again I did not want to attract attention to my family in Thailand. That is why I moved to KL. Also it was easy for people from all over to travel to Malaysia and meet me.
Actually I was never arrested in 2007 .What happened was that there was a move to arrest me then and some officials had rounded up my residence early morning. Fortunately I was not there. But the news was leaked in Sri Lanka that I had been arrested. This helped to prevent follow up action to arrest me. But after that I kept a very low profile in Thailand.
Q: What happened when you arrived in Colombo? I’ve heard some stories about how you established rapport with the Defence secretary at your first meeting itself?
A: During the flight to Colombo I had a long chat for about three hours with a Sri Lankan officer. He was very cordial. The way in which I was treated by the Lankan officers was very decent. That made me relaxed.
But I was still worried in my heart about what would happen after reaching Sri Lanka. To be honest I was very concerned about the Defence Secretary . The impression I had of him was that he was a tough talking Sinhala hardliner. Therefore, I was really dreading an encounter with him.
But something happened when I was taken to the Defence Secretary’s residence. There was a Buddha statue there with a light shining at the back. For a few minutes I simply stood and gazed on the Buddha. My nerves got calmed by that.
In Thailand, I have gone to Buddhist temples frequently with my wife. In my house there are pictures of deities from all three religions including the Buddha. So somehow I felt that no great harm will come to me then.
The Defence Secretary was seated with some other officials. He got up as I entered and shook hands with me and said “please sit down”. He introduced the others to me. Mr. Gotabaya was very polite. He told me not to worry about anything. I don’t exactly remember what I then told him but it was something like this “ I saw the Buddha statue near the entrance and felt safe and calm”.
Q: Your reference to the Buddha statue incident will also be twisted by your critics within the Tamil Diaspora to portray you as a traitor praising the Buddha?
A: I know .You are right but I am telling you what really happened. I don’t want to hide anything. I told about the Buddha statue to the nine-member Tamil expatriate delegation that came to Sri Lanka last June also.
Because of my home environment and my wife’s religious belief I am familiar with Buddhist worship and temples . So seeing the Buddha statue really helped me emotionally. This is the truth. If they want to attack me because of that , then let them do it. I don’t care. I have nothing against the Buddha or Buddhism.
Q: I understand your feelings. So how did your meeting with the Defence secretary go?
A:Cakes and tea were served. The Defence Secretary said that they had tried to solve the problem peacefully but were compelled to wage full fledged war. He said it was sad that finally all the LTTE leaders including Prabhakaran had to die in the war.
He also had lots of information about the communications within the LTTE during the last days of war. He asked me some questions and I answered truthfully . When I didn’t know something I told him so instead of bluffing. He seemed satisfied with my response. I also told him clearly that the war was over for me a long time ago and that my only goal now was to help my people recover from the war and lead normal lives.I was really amazed by the attitude of the Defence Secretary. At one point I told him that the image I had of him when I saw TV interviews was that he was a tough hardliner and that his soft behaviour was a pleasant surprise. He laughed and said”I am really like this all the time.Some of these media people irritate me. That is why I get angry like that”.
After a long conversation, he introduced a particular officer and said he was responsible for me. I was told that I could communicate with him on all matters and that I could send word through this officer to him if necessary. He then shook hands again and I was taken to a house in Colombo. So began a new chapter in my life.
Q: What happened thereafter? There are allegations and reports that you have been collaborating with the government and providing information about Diaspora LTTE activities abroad to the Govt?
A:Let me tell this clearly. When the Sri Lankan intelligence officers began talking to me there were two choices for me. One was to confront them and the other was to cooperate. If I confronted I would have had to face long prison term and not be of any use to anyone. But if I cooperated I could win their trust and confidence. This may have given me an opportunity to do be of some service to our people.
If the struggle was still continuing and my leader was alive then I would have willingly challenged the govt and not cooperated. I would have faced any consequence. But that was not so. Everything was over. So there was no point in confronting. So I chose to cooperate.
Again another point I must mention is this. I had been out of the movement from 2003 January to 2008 December. I had knowledge only about pre -2003 matters. Much of the structure had changed in these years and personnel involved had been changed by those who came after me. I told this very clearly to the intelligence officials who knew and understood my position.
When we kept on talking a funny thing happened. At one point the officers started laughing at me and said jokingly “You don’t know anything about the LTTE now”. They were right because I was in a way living in the past. I could only tell about things and structures existing years ago. I was not well informed about the post -2002 situation . They realised it and that is why they were laughing at me.
You know what? The Sri Lankan intelligence is not stupid as some of our people think. They are very modernized and sophisticated. Besides there is lots of exchanges with intelligence agencies of other countries. From their conversation I gathered that they were very well informed about the LTTE and its overseas structures.
Q: But the propaganda against you by the pro-Castro group headed by Nediyavan and some media organs allege that you are supplying the govt with information about LTTE activity in the Diaspora?
A: I know that. But the truth is something different. In addition to the information gained by the intelligence people through different sources the y have been presented with lots of information by Castro’s people.
Q: How is that?
A: I am a little reluctant to tell this but since you are asking I will tell. When the army advanced into Viswamadhu, Castro and his department people abandoned everything and ran. So now the Sri Lankan officials have lots of data about the overseas activities of the LTTE. They have computers and data bases. They have charts of the people who gave money to the LTTE and the amounts and dates. They have copies of tax receipts. They know who the fund raisers in each country are. They know who and who are running LTTE funded businesses and properties. They even have all the visiting cards of people from overseas who visited the Wanni during the peace talks period.
So the reality is that Castro and his dept people have let all this information fall into the hands of Sri Lankan officials. The Lankan intelligence don’t need outdated or hearsay information from people like me. They have real up to date information now. The reality is that the Lankan intelligence knows far more about overseas tigers than I know. But what can I do if people keep slandering me as an informant?
Q: There were newspaper reports about the personal diaries of Castro also being recovered? Is that true?
A: I have not seen any diary. But intelligence people talking to me unofficially on a friendly basis told me that Castro’s diaries of about 20 years are in their possession. Apparently he has written lots of things in those diaries. Once an officer asked me with a smile “Did Castro have a love affair?”. I said that I was not aware of it. He then laughed and related the whole story. Castro had written about that too.
Q: There was a time when you were very powerful in the LTTE overseas structure. You were in charge of three key functions namely arms purchasing, macro-management of LTTE branches and fund raising. You seemed to have lost clout after you quit the movement in 2003 and found it difficult to re-establish yourself when you re-joined in 2009. What happened then? Why did you quit?Was it because you got married?
A: No ,no. It was not due to my getting married. I got married in the early nineties of the last century and not in this century. My daughter is in her late teens now.
What happened was something else. When the peace process began and a ceasefire was declared in 2002 the leader Prabhakaran tried to re-organise the LTTE in a new way. He wanted me to come and see him in the Wanni about these matters.
But I was then high on the lists of people wanted by intelligence networks of many countries.The incidents of Sep 11th 2001 in the USA had changed the security situation world-wide. I did not want to take the risk of travelling to Sri Lanka then. I knew from my own sources of information that I had been specifically targeted and that several intelligence agencies were very keen to get hold of me.So I hesitated. This annoyed my leader.
Another thing that happened was the change in the “link” between me and the movement and leader. There was this person called Velu. For more than 15 years he had been the “communications link” between me and the LTTE and Prabhakaran. Suddenly he was changed and another took over. I had grown accustomed to Velu and found myself unable to adjust to the new guy. In a way there was a break-down in communications for me.In the meantime different senior leaders in the LTTE were keen on using the ceasefire to enlarge their authority.
Sea Tiger commander Soosai wanted the sea tigers to control the LTTE shipping fleet. Up to that time I was in charge. Political Commissar SP Thamilselvan wanted to control political activity in the Diaspora. Castro who was in charge of overseas administration wanted to exert full control over overseas branches. Thamilendhi in charge of finance division wanted a greater say in fund raising functions
So they all wanted Prabhakaran to curtail my power and authority and allocate control to them. Since there was a ceasefire many people from Diaspora travelled frequently to the Wanni. So the other senior LTTE leaders were able to persuade Prabakharan that they could handle everything through direct contacts and through telephone, fax and e-mail.
Then Prabhakaran told me that I was burdened with too many responsibilities and that I should take a rest from some of these functions. So what can I do? I agreed.
Q: Were not some allegations also made against you and some of your key assistants abroad?
A: Yes. There were some allegations. They went to the extent of getting some people including women to go to Wanni directly and complain against me, Mano in Paris and Sarve in Oslo to Prabhakaran personally. I heard some women wept and sobbed loudly in front of Prabhakaran
Q: This was a put up job then? Who was behind it?
A: Of course it was a plot. Castro and Thamilselvan were behind it. Sadly the leader was deceived and we could not defend ourselves in person.
Q: So then what happened?
A: As I said earlier the leader asked me to take rest. So I had to retire. Castro took over the overseas administration in full.He removed all the old hands whom he regarded as my loyalists. Almost everything was changed in a few months . Many old faithful LTTE activists were removed from their positions in a very unfair manner.
Q: But you were still in charge of overseas purchasing or arms procurement. Why was that changed? How did Anandarajan alias Aiyah replace you?
A: That’s another story. Aiyah was in a sense my man. He had good travel documents and could travel freely.He was also a qualified accountant. So on my instructions he used to go to all the countries and audit our accounts.
Later as I became increasingly known and wanted by the intelligence agencies I was forced to restrict my travelling and movements. So I began to use him to some extent in travelling to source points where one could purchase in arms bazaars. He became familiar with these places .
Then I sent him to meet Prabhakaran also as my representative. I was very confident about him and thought he was loyal to me. I was shocked when one of my friends in the Wanni asked me “Is this guy really your man? He is poisoning the leader’s mind against you”. I learnt that Aiyah was giving an impression that he had been handling all the arms purchasing and could do everything on his own.
I realised then that Bala Annai was right about Aiyah.
Q: What did Bala Annai (Anton Balasingham) tell you about Aiyah?
A:You see when Bala Annai and Adele Aunty had come out of the Wanni by sea in 1999, I made arrangements for them to stay in Malaysia and Singapore and get medical treatment before going to London. Since I was stuck in Indonesia at that time I got Aiyah to look after them. But Bala Annai, a shrewd judge of people told me later “You are trusting this fellow but wait and see, he will grasp what you have one day”.
By the time I realised Bala Annai’s wisdom it was too late.
Q: So you were relieved from the LTTE’s overseas purchases department known as KP department? What was the reason given?
A: You see as I had told you earlier I had not been travelling to Sri Lanka to meet the leader because I felt that it was dangerous for me to travel about as I was high on the wanted list of so many intelligence agencies. Now Prabhakaran told me that he did not want me to risk danger by travelling about to purchase arms
He simply told me to take rest for a while and to try and come and meet him. He said only when I meet you in person can I tell you what I think and what my plans are.
After this I had no choice other than to relinquish my duties
Prabhakaran said that those who would replace me will continue to ask me for advice. But that never happened
Q: When did this happen? Was there an estrangement with Prabhakaran and yourself? What happened next?
A: This happened in the latter part of 2002. From 2003 I was out of the movement in day to day life but had never formally resigned or quit the movement.It was like retirement without a pension.
There was also no estrangement like that with Prabhakaran. I can never be estranged from him.My loyalty and respect to him never changed. He was my leader and friend and like an elder brother to me. But I was hurt by what happened and did not contact him regularly as I did earlier. He may have expected me to do so but I did not . We sort of drifted away from each other but never split.Our mutual regard remained.
Q: Part of the campaign against you is that you and Prabhakaran had fallen out and that you were regarded as a traitor by him then?
A: I am aware of that. Since I went off the LTTE radar after 2003 the new crop of tiger activists abroad don’t know anything about me or the past. So anything could be said against me.
The reality was that both of us had great regard and affection for each other though we had parted ways.
Thanks to an incident there is written testimony about Prabhakaran’s regard for me. One of the LTTE Air wing operatives abroad needed to consult me for some matter. He was not sure whether the leader would approve. So he sent a message asking the leader whether he could contact his “Munnaal Nanbar” (former friend) KP.
Prabhakaran replied in writing that he could do so and emphasised that KP was not a former friend but was “Indrum endrum nalla visuvaasamana nanban” (Now and forever a god and loyal friend)
Q: So when you went into retirement from the LTTE. Did you think it was all over and between you and the tigers?
A: I did think so at that time. I remember telling my wife then that I was out of the LTTE and that I would spend more time with her and our daughter now. But she asked me “Can you really do that? If VP asks you again will you not go back”?
My wife realised the strength of bonds between Prabhakaran and myself. She used to talk to Prabhakaran’s wife Madhivadhani on the phone those days and both knew about the close relationship between their husbands
Q: So how did the return occur? How and why did you re-join the movement? What was your role during the last days of the war?
A: That’s another long story
(To be continued next week)
DBS Jeyaraj can be reached at djeyaraj2005@yahoo.com
.
(CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK)
Q:So how did the return occur? How and why did you re-join the movement?What was your role during the last days of the war?
That’s another long story.
I was now out of the movement and leading a quiet life in Thailand with my family. I had no idea of returning to the movement though my wife felt that I would always go back if asked by Prabhakaran himself.
As for me I did not think that I would re-join because it is extremely rare for anyone being recalled by the LTTE after his or her services were discontinued. Also I knew the extent to which some senior LTTE leaders had worked against me and poisoned Prabhakaran’s mind against me.
But even though I was out of the LTTE I was always following the news about what was happening. Though I was out of the LTTE, I was getting worried as events unfolded because I could see from the news that the LTTE was not faring well.
The Tiger ships were getting knocked out at sea by the Sri Lankan navy. As the man who had kept the LTTE supplied, I knew how important it was for the LTTE to maintain supplies throughout by the sea. So I realized that the ships getting destroyed was a bad thing
Q: How did that happen? How did the Sri Lankan navy become so efficient in taking out so many Tiger vessels?
I think various Colombo governments over the years had gradually built up and modernized the Navy. They were also getting additional intelligence inputs from different countries. So the Navy at the time of the ceasefire had reached high levels of efficiency. The ceasefire conditions and rules were not clear about movement in the sea. So the Navy was able to move about freely and monitor LTTE ships
Q: Did not the LTTE anticipate this?
Prabhakaran did anticipate this. He told me in 2000 that in the coming years the outcome of the war would be decided at sea. He wanted to build up the Sea Tigers to greater levels and meet the challenge.
I don’t know why but he seems to have changed plans later. The LTTE started to build up the fighters in the land and develop the air wing. Prabhakaran did not develop the LTTE’s sea power as he had intended earlier.
On the other hand, the Navy was very active and strong. They put up a blockade around Lanka’s territorial waters. The navy also went out to far off spots and destroyed LTTE ships at sea.
The combination of effective Intelligence about LTTE ship movements and increased efficiency of the Navy resulted in LTTE sea movement getting severely restricted. I was told later that no LTTE ships were able to bring stuff to the east coast from 2007 onwards. Soosai told me “not even a panadol.”
Q:But did not this situation change after you re-joined the movement? There were reports in the media that the LTTE had been able to get two ships through in late 2008 and early 2009. It was believed that you were responsible.
No that is not correct. I did not send any ships through. In fact, I had not even tried to do that.
Q:I was under the impression that you had re-joined the movement to be in charge of sending supplies by sea and you had done that by sending two ships through?
It is correct that initially the LTTE wanted me to re-join in order to send supplies by sea. But I had clearly explained that it was not possible at short notice. I went back to the LTTE to help work out some ceasefire arrangement and stop the war and not to resume supplying by sea
Q:Before we talk about that matter, I want to ask you something bluntly. Some of your detractors blame you for the way in which LTTE ships were destroyed by the Navy. I have seen accusations against you in the Tamil media that you had pocketed the money given to buy arms and sent empty ships to Lanka and gave information to the Colombo govt and got the navy to destroy the ships.
Yes. I have seen the propaganda against me which you describe. This conspiracy theory shows the levels of imagination of some of our people.
Let me tell you clearly. I was out of the LTTE effectively from 2002 December. But the duty of handling the LTTE shipping fleet was taken away from me end of February 2002 as soon as the ceasefire came into place. It was brought under the Sea Tigers headed by Soosai.
I had nothing to do with the ships from that time. Then in December 2002 I was relieved of my duties of overseas purchasing (euphemism for arms procurement).The department known as KP dept was disbanded.
The arms procurement and transport responsibility was handled by Aiya and another called Ilankuttuvan. I had no knowledge of anything. I was not in charge of “kolvanavu” (purchasing). That being the real situation how could I have any information to pass on to the govt?
Q:But could you not have obtained info about ship movement from other LTTE cadres involved and passed it on? Some of your KP dept people with whom you would have some influence?
The LTTE works on a strict need to know basis. One unit does not know what the other does. So it would be impossible to get full info unless one contacted all the units involved.
As for my KP dept people almost all of them were recalled and given new duties or discontinued. So there was no way that I could get information from them.
One thing to note is that I too stopped talking to those involved in the work. Even when I got a friendly call once in a way I never asked about these matters.
I know the LTTE mentality very well. If I had even referred to these matters casually and then due to bad luck something drastic happened they would start suspecting me. So I never tried to get info about these matters from anyone.
You must remember that these types of accusation s are being said only now by people who have no knowledge about how the LTTE works. There was no charge like this earlier when the LTTE leadership was there. If there had been any suspicion I would not have been approached by the LTTE or given a new role after re-joining.
Q:Yes. I think we have digressed a little. So please relate the circumstances of your re-joining the LTTE?
As I told you earlier, I was observing events and realized that the LTTE was getting into difficulties because the sea supplies were not getting through. But I was now out and could do nothing. Then in the latter part of 2008 , Sea Tiger commander Soosai and senior military commander Sornam began calling me frequently.
They explained that the situation was getting bad and that sea supplies had to be restored. They said that only I could ensure resumption of sea supplies and appealed to me to re-join the movement and take charge of overseas purchasing again.
I was in a dilemma. Though I felt bad I was reluctant to get back again. I had been living quietly for many years and enjoying family life. Also I fully well knew the international situation. Earlier the LTTE was not on the global terrorist radar. We could discreetly purchase what we wanted from the arms bazaar’s and ship them to the Island.
But now in a post – Sep 11th 2001 situation it was not so easy. I doubted very much whether even I could do what was expected of me. Besides I was out of touch for five years and needed time to set up things again. So I did not give them a word.
But then on December 31st 2008 everything changed.
Q:What happened on that day?
Prabhakaran called me and had a very very long conversation. He told me of the military situation in very frank terms. When he called me on Dec 31st Kilinochchi had not fallen but Prabhakaran said it would fall very soon. He then said that the fighting would shift east of the A-9 road afterwards.
Prabhakaran was optimistic that the LTTE would be able to hold on to a piece of territory with access to the coast for a long time. But he knew it could not be for ever and ever. Meanwhile he wanted me to re-join the movement and start purchasing and transporting supplies again.
When Prabhakaran asked me directly I could not say no. I agreed to re-join the LTTE but told him that my immediate goal would be to bring about a ceasefire and not resumption of supplies.
Q: Why did you say this and how did he respond?
I explained to him that the international situation had changed drastically. Intelligence agencies of many countries in the west particularly the US were swarming on areas of potential arms sales. Maritime movement was being monitored very strictly. Unlike the earlier days it would require much effort and preparation to resume sea supply effectively
I also told him that my KP dept network had been dismantled. I was out of touch and lost most contacts. Also I was being closely watched. So if I was to resume arms procurement I needed time to start work clandestinely and set up the network again. I told Prabhakaran ,I needed at least one year to get things going. He said that may perhaps be too late.
In that case I suggested that the LTTE should go in for a ceasefire. Earlier in 1989 when the Indian army was strangulating the LTTE, Bala annai had played a crucial role and brought about an understanding with the Premadasa govt. I too had a supportive role in this.
Now Bala annai was no more. Prabhakaran said that I must spearhead the task of bringing about a ceasefire and getting the LTTE a respite. He wanted me to commence talks with whoever necessary and bring about a ceasefire.
I then said I must be given a relevant position so that I could represent the LTTE officially and that I should get full cooperation from the LTTE overseas branches. Prabhakaran agreed and so when 2009 dawned I was back in the LTTE again.
Q:So you came back to the LTTE to coordinate and lead efforts to bring about a ceasefire? How did you go about it? Did you get the backing of the overseas Tiger structure?
I was made the head of International relations in the LTTE. I was tasked to interact and negotiate with international actors and somehow bring about a ceasefire. The overseas branches were instructed to support me fully in my efforts.
Since Castro and I were not on good terms the Political commissar Nadesan was to be my link with the leader in these matters. Nadesan was to coordinate with Castro about issues concerning me.
But things were not easy or rosy. Even though I started work from January first week in 2009, the announcement about my appointment was delayed. Castro took a long time to convey it to the overseas branches. The “Tamilnet” delayed carrying a news item. The overseas Tamil media under Nediyavan’s control blacked me out.
Through Nadesan and the political wing, I got overseas branches to organize demonstrations highlighting the civilian plight and demanding a ceasefire. I specifically asked them to demonstrate without any symbols of the LTTE and make it a non-partisan humanitarian exercise.
There were many demonstrations and we were getting a positive response. But within weeks Castro gave instructions through Nediyavan that the demonstrators should carry LTTE flags and Prabhakaran’s portrait. Placards were shown asking the international community to remove the ban on the LTTE and recognize it as the sole representatives of Tamils.
When I tried to stop that I was portrayed as being against Prabhakaran. As a result of this political stupidity we had massive demonstrations without any results because they were seen as pro –LTTE and not pro-People demonstrations.
Q:In such a situation where Castro’s people were sabotaging you, how did you carry out your duties as LTTE international relations chief?
The way in which the overseas branches started sabotaging my work was terrible. They would not cooperate. I was not given sufficient funds. When I tried to get some funds from the branches it was refused. So I had to rely on my own funds and funds from supporters and LTTE associates in a personal capacity. I also had to set up my own staff and network by appealing to the old loyalists many of whom were now “retired”. These people rallied around me in a wonderful way
Q:But why did you not complain to Prabhakaran and rectify the situation?
I did and sent messages to him but with 2009 the military situation had changed. The army was rapidly advancing. Prabhakaran’s personal security was threatened. So he had to maintain a low profile. Also without Velu, my earlier contact-link with Prabhakaran, communicating with the leader was difficult. The new guys were not very efficient or helpful in these matters. Nadesan also was hesitant to complain about Castro. Both had a good relationship.
Besides with the war hotting up I was also reluctant to pressure Prabhakaran continuously on these matters. I was also doubtful whether even Prabhakaran could have changed the situation. The Castro group was well-entrenched abroad. His deputy Nediyavan was running things. They knew how to delay or scuttle matters.
Q:I want to clarify something. I hope you will give me a candid answer. Was this peace initiative to bring about a ceasefire a time –buying exercise? Were you striving for a ceasefire on the one hand and trying to buy arms and ship them on the other?
My answer is NO.
I do not know about others in the LTTE leadership. Some may have thought of using it as a ploy but I was sincere and serious about a ceasefire. I was genuinely trying for one because I knew the LTTE was doomed if the war continued and I wanted to save the life of the people, Prabhakaran, my other comrades and the young fighters of the movement.
I did not play a double game of trying to negotiate peace and acquire arms at the same time. I believe in doing whatever task at hand with sincerity and without deception. If I were to try hard for a ceasefire openly and at the same time try to transport arms clandestinely it would be dishonest. I have to give my 100 per cent to peacemaking and nothing else.
Also look at it this way. If I were found out or if international players helping me for a ceasefire got information that I was shipping arms then my credibility would have been lost. Trust in me and the intentions of the LTTE would have been destroyed. Just imagine the Sri Lankan government’s position if it was discovered that I was playing a double game? All chances of a ceasefire would have been lost forever.
Q:Did this mean that the LTTE was not trying to ferry arms while you were working towards a ceasefire?
What I can say is that I was not doing or trying to do anything of the sort. But others may have been trying. You see with arms procurement and transport becoming difficult Prabhakaran had delegated such duties to some other divisions also. While Aiya was in charge of arms procurement the intelligence division under Pottu Amman, the international affairs division under Castro and Sea Tigers under Soosai were also delegated arms procurement duties. The situation was so desperate that Prabhakaran had put all these actors on to this stage. But still no progress was made.
Q: It looks like a case of too many cooks spoiling the soup. Do you think that you may have never let this situation develop had you been in charge all along?
Well I must say that arms procurement is not a simple thing like buying things over a counter. It is because of inexperienced eager people being entrusted with this task that some arrests were made like in Canada and the USA.
When Soosai, Sornam and later Prabhakaran spoke to me they did say that it was a mistake to have removed me from arms procurement and that these problems would not have occurred if I was in charge.
Though I was happy to hear that I doubt whether I could have managed to succeed under changed circumstances. With powerful countries monitoring movements like us in the global war against terrorism and the performance of a highly improved navy, I too may have found it difficult to procure and transport arms as required.
Q:Again let me ask you – were you trying for a ceasefire only to save the LTTE or was your commitment to peace deeper and really genuine?
I am glad you asked me this because I can speak openly about my change of heart. It was a slow process.
The time that I was out of the LTTE and leading a quiet life gave me time to give deep thought and reflect on things. I was also able to observe the world being transformed in the aftermath of September 11th 2001. Earlier they used to say one man’s terrorist is another’s freedom fighter. Now they were saying there is no good or bad terrorist. All are terrorists.
I realized that a movement like the LTTE could not continue to fight and survive in a changing environment. The whole world will gang up against us. Also after decades of conflict the Tamil people were suffering. They needed peace.
So I really thought we must negotiate and reach a political settlement. Bala annai and I were of the same mind in this. I tried to convince Prabhakaran also of this. He then said to negotiate we must have a ceasefire first. So I began working earnestly for a ceasefire as a first step for a negotiated peace
Q:But were you really hopeful of a ceasefire? Were you not fighting a lost battle? Looking back with the wisdom of hindsight what do you think?
At that time I was really hopeful about a ceasefire. I knew that somehow a ceasefire had to be brought about to save the lives of the LTTE leaders, cadres and innocent civilians caught in the middle.
Q:Did you not try to save the civilians by getting the LTTE to release them?
I did try at the start.
There was even an offer by the Americans to transport them by sea to Trincomalee. But the LTTE hierarchy was not agreeable. This attitude was most unfortunate and may appear as inhuman. I am not trying to condone or justify this action but when I reflect upon the past I think the LTTE leadership also had no choice. If they released the people first, then only the Tigers would be left there. Thereafter all of them could have been wiped out.
Q:Mao Ze Dong’s famous dictum about guerillas being the fish swimming in an ocean of people. If the ocean was drained the fish would flounder. So the fish wanted to retain the water?
Exactly. That is why I tried for a ceasefire so that everyone, the people and the fighters could be saved. But looking back now I think the LTTE leadership was too late in trying for a ceasefire. Had we tried in mid 2008 when the fighting was on the west of the A -9 highway there was a good chance of working out an agreement
But after Poonagary, Paranthan, Kilinochchi and Elephant pass fell the prospects of victory were imminent for the government. The pace of events was too fast. From their point of view, with outright victory in sight, it would have been stupid to go in for a ceasefire.
Q:Under these circumstances what did you do? What could you achieve?
I am essentially a worker. If given a responsibility I start doing it instead of finding reasons for not doing it. Also in this case it was a matter of life and death. I had to somehow work out a ceasefire and save the people, movement and leadership.So with the meagre funds at my disposal and the support of like-minded people I commenced my work. I was in touch with international political leaders, top bureaucrats, diplomats, opinion-makers of different countries and also high –ranking UN officials. I contacted some of them directly. Influential people contacted some others on my behalf.
In March 2009 I thought I had made a breakthrough but sadly Prabhakaran rejected the proposal.
Q:Was this the “lock-off” plan that was rejected by Prabhakaran in just three words? Could you elaborate please?
Well, Yes. I had a tentative plan with international endorsement. The LTTE was to lay down arms by hoarding them in specific locations. The words used were “lock –off”. That is arms particularly heavy weapons were to be locked off in specific places.
They were to be handed over to representatives of the UN. Afterwards there was to be a cessation of hostilities in which the people were to be kept in specific “no firing zones”. Negotiations were to be conducted between the Govt. and LTTE with Norwegian facilitation.
Tentatively about 25 to 50 top leaders with their families were to be transported to a foreign country if necessary. The middle level leaders and cadres were to be detained, charged in courts and given relatively minor sentences. The low-level junior cadres were to be given a general amnesty.
The scheme was to endorsed by the west including Norway, EU and the USA. The Americans were ready to send their naval fleet in to do evacuation if necessary
Q:Was the Sri Lankan government agreeable?
I don’t think there was any official intimation to Colombo but maybe they were sounded out informally. But the plan was never concretized because the main man concerned, Prabhakaran rejected it.
I had written an outline of the plan and sent it to him for approval. If he said “Proceed” I would have concretized it and started work on implementing it. But when I faxed the details in a 16-page memorandum he rejected the 16 pages in just three words “Ithai Etrukkolla Mudiyathu”(This is unacceptable) So. I had to drop it.
Q:Even if Prabhakaran had agreed to it, do you think the Govt would have complied given the fact that the armed forces were on the verge of annihilating the LTTE?
I don’t know. Most probably the Govt may not have obliged because it was on the verge of victory and would not have wanted to be deprived of it. But the point is that it was never concretized and submitted to the Govt. Given the situation the LTTE was in, Prabhakaran should have taken it.
Q:Why did Prabhakaran reject it then?
I don’t know I can only guess. It is too painful to dwell on it because he is no more and I will always be thinking “why didn’t he accept this opportunity”?
Q:But your attempts to save Prabhakaran did not stop did it? There was some talk of a helicopter rescue attempt?
Yes. That was another plan but that too did not materialize because of the non – cooperation of Nediyavan and his cohorts abroad. Whenever I think of the fate that befell Prabhakaran’s family I grieve and then silently curse Nediyavan and his people.
Q:Do you think you can relate what happened if it is not too painful for you or you think that it needs to be told?
It is painful but I do think our people must know the truth about this matter. Maybe speaking about it may give me emotional relief.
What happened was that in early May 2009, Prabhakaran’s eldest son Charles Anthony called me frantically. He calls me “KP Mama” or KP Uncle. Charles said that the situation was getting very bad and that I should somehow arrange to get his father, mother, sister and younger brother out to safety.
Q:What about Charles himself?
No he did not want to escape. Charles said he was ready to fight to the last and die if necessary. It was his family he was worried about.
I was very upset after talking to Charles. So I thought of a plan. I wanted to charter a ship and keep it ready in international waters way beyond the reach of the Sri Lankan navy. I wanted to buy a helicopter and get some of the trained LTTE air-wing pilots to fly it into the Wanni and pick up the family and bring them to the ship. Thereafter I had plans of keeping them safe in one of three countries.
Q:But would Prabhakaran have agreed to this?
I am not sure but after I had formulated a plan I got in touch with Charles and told him. I asked him whether his father would agree. Charles said he will try and make Prabhakaran agree but if he would not agree, I was to save his mother and two younger siblings.Knowing Prabhakaran I felt he would never try to escape with his family ,leaving others behind. But I thought the helicopter could take him and some others to a jungle somewhere first and land him safely. Then the helicopter could fly out with Madhivadhani, Duwaraga and Balachandran.
Q:What happened finally? Why did the plan not take off?
It’s a very sad story.
(THE THIRD AND FINAL PART OF THIS CONVERSATION WITH KP WILL CONCLUDE NEXT WEEK)
DBS Jeyaraj can be reached at djeyaraj2005@yahoo.com
With KP’s capture punitive action against him by Colombo was anticipated. However in an unexpected turn of events there evolved a remarkable relationship between captor and captive where the Sri Lankan government extended its hand of friendship towards KP in a magnanimous gesture. KP in turn reciprocated pragmatically by responding in a conciliatory and co-operative spirit.
Though under detention, KP has been afforded great autonomy of action by the Government to play a constructive role in uplifting the Tamil people and achieving ethnic reconciliation.. The ex-LTTE chief has set up a new non –governmental organization known as the North – East Rehabilitation and Development Organization (NERDO).
The NERDO is focusing on the release, rehabilitation and re-settlement of ex –LTTE cadres and IDP’s of the North – East. KP himself is concentrating on garnering aid and assistance from sections of the Tamil Diaspora for the NERDO to formulate and implement projects.
The current status and role of KP is now a matter of great controversy. He is viciously attacked by extremist sections of the Diaspora as a traitor who has sold out to the Rajapaksa regime. The Sri Lankan opposition questions the “leniency” shown to the ex-LTTE chief by the Govt and contrasts it with the treatment meted out to former army chief General Fonseka.
It is against this backdrop that this writer had an extended telephone conversation with KP on Thursday Aug 5th the first anniversary of his capture. In what was a frank and open discussion in Tamil, the ex-Tiger chief disclosed several details about the past,present and future. In the process KP dispelled several rumours circulating about him and set the record straight on a number of issues.
KP is firmly of the opinion that Tamil Eelam is a lost cause and that the armed struggle is a thing of the past. He feels that the immediate priority of Sri Lankan Tamils is to get out of the tragic situation they are in right now. The future is to live with equal rights and dignity in a united ,pluralistic Sri Lanka.
KP also expressed regret for the violence perpetrated by the LTTE against civilians and hardship caused during the course of the LTTE campaign for Tamil Eelam. A remorseful KP tendered an open apology to all the people of Sri Lanka for the suffering caused in the past.
Here are some translated excerpts of the interview –
Q:You were seized in Malaysia last year on August 5th. How will you describe your present situation after being under detention for one year ?A: I was shocked when I was arrested and for about an hour I was dazed. But later I recovered. I was also worried when brought to Sri Lanka. But I believe in an almighty God. Though I feared, the worst would happen I have been fortunate.My being captured in a way has been a benefit to me. I have now got an opportunity to serve the suffering Tamil people. Our struggle has reduced our people in Sri Lanka particularly those in the Wanni to a pathetic situation. Now I have a chance to help them in a small way at least through the work of NERDO .
Q: What are the conditions under which you are being detained?
A: I am being kept in a house. I cannot go outside. But within the house I can move about freely. I am given full freedom to talk to people on the telephone. People are not allowed to meet me here. When I want to meet people outside I have to get clearance. Some officials accompany me when I have to go out to meet them. I also have unrestricted e-mail access
Q: Were you ill-treated in any way?
A: No. I have been treated with great kindness and courtesy. In the early days there was some sort of mild tension. But as the days progressed an atmosphere of trust, mutual respect and cordiality prevails.
Q: How did this situation develop? Some people in the Tamil Diaspora allege that you had a “deal” with the govt and that your arrest itself was a drama? How were you arrested and brought here?
A: I know that these types of accusations are being levelled against me. But you know how I was arrested. You were the first person to write about my arrest in detail in English. When I got to read it much later I found that most of what you had written was correct except for some minor details. Whatever these people may say the truth is that I was arrested and transported to Sri Lanka
Q: Can you relate how you were caught and brought here?
A: I was sitting in the Hotel room talking to former LTTE political commissar Nadesan’s brother and son who had come down from England to Malaysia.I then got a telephone call from Canada. It was Ragavan from the CMR radio . The reception was not good. So I excused myself and went out.
I sat outside on a chair in the lobby and kept talking. Suddenly a group of Malaysian officials surrounded me. One of them said “Very sorry Mr.KP” and grasped my phone. It fell to the ground and was picked up by an officer. They asked me to come with them. I had no choice but to go with them
I was taken to the immigration detention centre in KL and kept there for nearly 36 hours for about two days and a night. I had to sleep there in the detention centre room. I realised from their conversation that I was going to be officially deported. But I was not sure whether it was going to be Sri Lanka, India ,USA or somewhere else.
Then I was taken to the KL airport where a Sri Lankan airlines plane was waiting. Then I knew I was going to Colombo. I was taken into the plane through the economy class entrance and then moved inside to the business class. There I was formally handed over to some Sri Lankan officials and brought to Colombo.
Q: You were a Resident in Thailand when you were arrested. Why did you operate out of Kuala Lumpur instead of Bangkok? Was it because you were arrested in Thailand in 2007?
A: I had been leading a quiet life in Thailand for many years when I was out of the LTTE. It was also known that I was living there. So when I started being active in the LTTE again I did not want to attract attention to my family in Thailand. That is why I moved to KL. Also it was easy for people from all over to travel to Malaysia and meet me.
Actually I was never arrested in 2007 .What happened was that there was a move to arrest me then and some officials had rounded up my residence early morning. Fortunately I was not there. But the news was leaked in Sri Lanka that I had been arrested. This helped to prevent follow up action to arrest me. But after that I kept a very low profile in Thailand.
Q: What happened when you arrived in Colombo? I’ve heard some stories about how you established rapport with the Defence secretary at your first meeting itself?
A: During the flight to Colombo I had a long chat for about three hours with a Sri Lankan officer. He was very cordial. The way in which I was treated by the Lankan officers was very decent. That made me relaxed.
But I was still worried in my heart about what would happen after reaching Sri Lanka. To be honest I was very concerned about the Defence Secretary . The impression I had of him was that he was a tough talking Sinhala hardliner. Therefore, I was really dreading an encounter with him.
But something happened when I was taken to the Defence Secretary’s residence. There was a Buddha statue there with a light shining at the back. For a few minutes I simply stood and gazed on the Buddha. My nerves got calmed by that.
In Thailand, I have gone to Buddhist temples frequently with my wife. In my house there are pictures of deities from all three religions including the Buddha. So somehow I felt that no great harm will come to me then.
The Defence Secretary was seated with some other officials. He got up as I entered and shook hands with me and said “please sit down”. He introduced the others to me. Mr. Gotabaya was very polite. He told me not to worry about anything. I don’t exactly remember what I then told him but it was something like this “ I saw the Buddha statue near the entrance and felt safe and calm”.
Q: Your reference to the Buddha statue incident will also be twisted by your critics within the Tamil Diaspora to portray you as a traitor praising the Buddha?
A: I know .You are right but I am telling you what really happened. I don’t want to hide anything. I told about the Buddha statue to the nine-member Tamil expatriate delegation that came to Sri Lanka last June also.
Because of my home environment and my wife’s religious belief I am familiar with Buddhist worship and temples . So seeing the Buddha statue really helped me emotionally. This is the truth. If they want to attack me because of that , then let them do it. I don’t care. I have nothing against the Buddha or Buddhism.
Q: I understand your feelings. So how did your meeting with the Defence secretary go?
A:Cakes and tea were served. The Defence Secretary said that they had tried to solve the problem peacefully but were compelled to wage full fledged war. He said it was sad that finally all the LTTE leaders including Prabhakaran had to die in the war.
He also had lots of information about the communications within the LTTE during the last days of war. He asked me some questions and I answered truthfully . When I didn’t know something I told him so instead of bluffing. He seemed satisfied with my response. I also told him clearly that the war was over for me a long time ago and that my only goal now was to help my people recover from the war and lead normal lives.I was really amazed by the attitude of the Defence Secretary. At one point I told him that the image I had of him when I saw TV interviews was that he was a tough hardliner and that his soft behaviour was a pleasant surprise. He laughed and said”I am really like this all the time.Some of these media people irritate me. That is why I get angry like that”.
After a long conversation, he introduced a particular officer and said he was responsible for me. I was told that I could communicate with him on all matters and that I could send word through this officer to him if necessary. He then shook hands again and I was taken to a house in Colombo. So began a new chapter in my life.
Q: What happened thereafter? There are allegations and reports that you have been collaborating with the government and providing information about Diaspora LTTE activities abroad to the Govt?
A:Let me tell this clearly. When the Sri Lankan intelligence officers began talking to me there were two choices for me. One was to confront them and the other was to cooperate. If I confronted I would have had to face long prison term and not be of any use to anyone. But if I cooperated I could win their trust and confidence. This may have given me an opportunity to do be of some service to our people.
If the struggle was still continuing and my leader was alive then I would have willingly challenged the govt and not cooperated. I would have faced any consequence. But that was not so. Everything was over. So there was no point in confronting. So I chose to cooperate.
Again another point I must mention is this. I had been out of the movement from 2003 January to 2008 December. I had knowledge only about pre -2003 matters. Much of the structure had changed in these years and personnel involved had been changed by those who came after me. I told this very clearly to the intelligence officials who knew and understood my position.
When we kept on talking a funny thing happened. At one point the officers started laughing at me and said jokingly “You don’t know anything about the LTTE now”. They were right because I was in a way living in the past. I could only tell about things and structures existing years ago. I was not well informed about the post -2002 situation . They realised it and that is why they were laughing at me.
You know what? The Sri Lankan intelligence is not stupid as some of our people think. They are very modernized and sophisticated. Besides there is lots of exchanges with intelligence agencies of other countries. From their conversation I gathered that they were very well informed about the LTTE and its overseas structures.
Q: But the propaganda against you by the pro-Castro group headed by Nediyavan and some media organs allege that you are supplying the govt with information about LTTE activity in the Diaspora?
A: I know that. But the truth is something different. In addition to the information gained by the intelligence people through different sources the y have been presented with lots of information by Castro’s people.
Q: How is that?
A: I am a little reluctant to tell this but since you are asking I will tell. When the army advanced into Viswamadhu, Castro and his department people abandoned everything and ran. So now the Sri Lankan officials have lots of data about the overseas activities of the LTTE. They have computers and data bases. They have charts of the people who gave money to the LTTE and the amounts and dates. They have copies of tax receipts. They know who the fund raisers in each country are. They know who and who are running LTTE funded businesses and properties. They even have all the visiting cards of people from overseas who visited the Wanni during the peace talks period.
So the reality is that Castro and his dept people have let all this information fall into the hands of Sri Lankan officials. The Lankan intelligence don’t need outdated or hearsay information from people like me. They have real up to date information now. The reality is that the Lankan intelligence knows far more about overseas tigers than I know. But what can I do if people keep slandering me as an informant?
Q: There were newspaper reports about the personal diaries of Castro also being recovered? Is that true?
A: I have not seen any diary. But intelligence people talking to me unofficially on a friendly basis told me that Castro’s diaries of about 20 years are in their possession. Apparently he has written lots of things in those diaries. Once an officer asked me with a smile “Did Castro have a love affair?”. I said that I was not aware of it. He then laughed and related the whole story. Castro had written about that too.
Q: There was a time when you were very powerful in the LTTE overseas structure. You were in charge of three key functions namely arms purchasing, macro-management of LTTE branches and fund raising. You seemed to have lost clout after you quit the movement in 2003 and found it difficult to re-establish yourself when you re-joined in 2009. What happened then? Why did you quit?Was it because you got married?
A: No ,no. It was not due to my getting married. I got married in the early nineties of the last century and not in this century. My daughter is in her late teens now.
What happened was something else. When the peace process began and a ceasefire was declared in 2002 the leader Prabhakaran tried to re-organise the LTTE in a new way. He wanted me to come and see him in the Wanni about these matters.
But I was then high on the lists of people wanted by intelligence networks of many countries.The incidents of Sep 11th 2001 in the USA had changed the security situation world-wide. I did not want to take the risk of travelling to Sri Lanka then. I knew from my own sources of information that I had been specifically targeted and that several intelligence agencies were very keen to get hold of me.So I hesitated. This annoyed my leader.
Another thing that happened was the change in the “link” between me and the movement and leader. There was this person called Velu. For more than 15 years he had been the “communications link” between me and the LTTE and Prabhakaran. Suddenly he was changed and another took over. I had grown accustomed to Velu and found myself unable to adjust to the new guy. In a way there was a break-down in communications for me.In the meantime different senior leaders in the LTTE were keen on using the ceasefire to enlarge their authority.
Sea Tiger commander Soosai wanted the sea tigers to control the LTTE shipping fleet. Up to that time I was in charge. Political Commissar SP Thamilselvan wanted to control political activity in the Diaspora. Castro who was in charge of overseas administration wanted to exert full control over overseas branches. Thamilendhi in charge of finance division wanted a greater say in fund raising functions
So they all wanted Prabhakaran to curtail my power and authority and allocate control to them. Since there was a ceasefire many people from Diaspora travelled frequently to the Wanni. So the other senior LTTE leaders were able to persuade Prabakharan that they could handle everything through direct contacts and through telephone, fax and e-mail.
Then Prabhakaran told me that I was burdened with too many responsibilities and that I should take a rest from some of these functions. So what can I do? I agreed.
Q: Were not some allegations also made against you and some of your key assistants abroad?
A: Yes. There were some allegations. They went to the extent of getting some people including women to go to Wanni directly and complain against me, Mano in Paris and Sarve in Oslo to Prabhakaran personally. I heard some women wept and sobbed loudly in front of Prabhakaran
Q: This was a put up job then? Who was behind it?
A: Of course it was a plot. Castro and Thamilselvan were behind it. Sadly the leader was deceived and we could not defend ourselves in person.
Q: So then what happened?
A: As I said earlier the leader asked me to take rest. So I had to retire. Castro took over the overseas administration in full.He removed all the old hands whom he regarded as my loyalists. Almost everything was changed in a few months . Many old faithful LTTE activists were removed from their positions in a very unfair manner.
Q: But you were still in charge of overseas purchasing or arms procurement. Why was that changed? How did Anandarajan alias Aiyah replace you?
A: That’s another story. Aiyah was in a sense my man. He had good travel documents and could travel freely.He was also a qualified accountant. So on my instructions he used to go to all the countries and audit our accounts.
Later as I became increasingly known and wanted by the intelligence agencies I was forced to restrict my travelling and movements. So I began to use him to some extent in travelling to source points where one could purchase in arms bazaars. He became familiar with these places .
Then I sent him to meet Prabhakaran also as my representative. I was very confident about him and thought he was loyal to me. I was shocked when one of my friends in the Wanni asked me “Is this guy really your man? He is poisoning the leader’s mind against you”. I learnt that Aiyah was giving an impression that he had been handling all the arms purchasing and could do everything on his own.
I realised then that Bala Annai was right about Aiyah.
Q: What did Bala Annai (Anton Balasingham) tell you about Aiyah?
A:You see when Bala Annai and Adele Aunty had come out of the Wanni by sea in 1999, I made arrangements for them to stay in Malaysia and Singapore and get medical treatment before going to London. Since I was stuck in Indonesia at that time I got Aiyah to look after them. But Bala Annai, a shrewd judge of people told me later “You are trusting this fellow but wait and see, he will grasp what you have one day”.
By the time I realised Bala Annai’s wisdom it was too late.
Q: So you were relieved from the LTTE’s overseas purchases department known as KP department? What was the reason given?
A: You see as I had told you earlier I had not been travelling to Sri Lanka to meet the leader because I felt that it was dangerous for me to travel about as I was high on the wanted list of so many intelligence agencies. Now Prabhakaran told me that he did not want me to risk danger by travelling about to purchase arms
He simply told me to take rest for a while and to try and come and meet him. He said only when I meet you in person can I tell you what I think and what my plans are.
After this I had no choice other than to relinquish my duties
Prabhakaran said that those who would replace me will continue to ask me for advice. But that never happened
Q: When did this happen? Was there an estrangement with Prabhakaran and yourself? What happened next?
A: This happened in the latter part of 2002. From 2003 I was out of the movement in day to day life but had never formally resigned or quit the movement.It was like retirement without a pension.
There was also no estrangement like that with Prabhakaran. I can never be estranged from him.My loyalty and respect to him never changed. He was my leader and friend and like an elder brother to me. But I was hurt by what happened and did not contact him regularly as I did earlier. He may have expected me to do so but I did not . We sort of drifted away from each other but never split.Our mutual regard remained.
Q: Part of the campaign against you is that you and Prabhakaran had fallen out and that you were regarded as a traitor by him then?
A: I am aware of that. Since I went off the LTTE radar after 2003 the new crop of tiger activists abroad don’t know anything about me or the past. So anything could be said against me.
The reality was that both of us had great regard and affection for each other though we had parted ways.
Thanks to an incident there is written testimony about Prabhakaran’s regard for me. One of the LTTE Air wing operatives abroad needed to consult me for some matter. He was not sure whether the leader would approve. So he sent a message asking the leader whether he could contact his “Munnaal Nanbar” (former friend) KP.
Prabhakaran replied in writing that he could do so and emphasised that KP was not a former friend but was “Indrum endrum nalla visuvaasamana nanban” (Now and forever a god and loyal friend)
Q: So when you went into retirement from the LTTE. Did you think it was all over and between you and the tigers?
A: I did think so at that time. I remember telling my wife then that I was out of the LTTE and that I would spend more time with her and our daughter now. But she asked me “Can you really do that? If VP asks you again will you not go back”?
My wife realised the strength of bonds between Prabhakaran and myself. She used to talk to Prabhakaran’s wife Madhivadhani on the phone those days and both knew about the close relationship between their husbands
Q: So how did the return occur? How and why did you re-join the movement? What was your role during the last days of the war?
A: That’s another long story
(To be continued next week)
DBS Jeyaraj can be reached at djeyaraj2005@yahoo.com
.Part 2
KP SPEAKS OUT -2: AN INTERVIEW WITH THE FORMER LTTE CHIEF
(CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK) Q:So how did the return occur? How and why did you re-join the movement?What was your role during the last days of the war?
That’s another long story.
I was now out of the movement and leading a quiet life in Thailand with my family. I had no idea of returning to the movement though my wife felt that I would always go back if asked by Prabhakaran himself.
As for me I did not think that I would re-join because it is extremely rare for anyone being recalled by the LTTE after his or her services were discontinued. Also I knew the extent to which some senior LTTE leaders had worked against me and poisoned Prabhakaran’s mind against me.
But even though I was out of the LTTE I was always following the news about what was happening. Though I was out of the LTTE, I was getting worried as events unfolded because I could see from the news that the LTTE was not faring well.
The Tiger ships were getting knocked out at sea by the Sri Lankan navy. As the man who had kept the LTTE supplied, I knew how important it was for the LTTE to maintain supplies throughout by the sea. So I realized that the ships getting destroyed was a bad thing
Q: How did that happen? How did the Sri Lankan navy become so efficient in taking out so many Tiger vessels?
I think various Colombo governments over the years had gradually built up and modernized the Navy. They were also getting additional intelligence inputs from different countries. So the Navy at the time of the ceasefire had reached high levels of efficiency. The ceasefire conditions and rules were not clear about movement in the sea. So the Navy was able to move about freely and monitor LTTE ships
Q: Did not the LTTE anticipate this?
Prabhakaran did anticipate this. He told me in 2000 that in the coming years the outcome of the war would be decided at sea. He wanted to build up the Sea Tigers to greater levels and meet the challenge.
I don’t know why but he seems to have changed plans later. The LTTE started to build up the fighters in the land and develop the air wing. Prabhakaran did not develop the LTTE’s sea power as he had intended earlier.
On the other hand, the Navy was very active and strong. They put up a blockade around Lanka’s territorial waters. The navy also went out to far off spots and destroyed LTTE ships at sea.
The combination of effective Intelligence about LTTE ship movements and increased efficiency of the Navy resulted in LTTE sea movement getting severely restricted. I was told later that no LTTE ships were able to bring stuff to the east coast from 2007 onwards. Soosai told me “not even a panadol.”
Q:But did not this situation change after you re-joined the movement? There were reports in the media that the LTTE had been able to get two ships through in late 2008 and early 2009. It was believed that you were responsible.
No that is not correct. I did not send any ships through. In fact, I had not even tried to do that.
Q:I was under the impression that you had re-joined the movement to be in charge of sending supplies by sea and you had done that by sending two ships through?
It is correct that initially the LTTE wanted me to re-join in order to send supplies by sea. But I had clearly explained that it was not possible at short notice. I went back to the LTTE to help work out some ceasefire arrangement and stop the war and not to resume supplying by sea
Q:Before we talk about that matter, I want to ask you something bluntly. Some of your detractors blame you for the way in which LTTE ships were destroyed by the Navy. I have seen accusations against you in the Tamil media that you had pocketed the money given to buy arms and sent empty ships to Lanka and gave information to the Colombo govt and got the navy to destroy the ships.
Yes. I have seen the propaganda against me which you describe. This conspiracy theory shows the levels of imagination of some of our people.
Let me tell you clearly. I was out of the LTTE effectively from 2002 December. But the duty of handling the LTTE shipping fleet was taken away from me end of February 2002 as soon as the ceasefire came into place. It was brought under the Sea Tigers headed by Soosai.
I had nothing to do with the ships from that time. Then in December 2002 I was relieved of my duties of overseas purchasing (euphemism for arms procurement).The department known as KP dept was disbanded.
The arms procurement and transport responsibility was handled by Aiya and another called Ilankuttuvan. I had no knowledge of anything. I was not in charge of “kolvanavu” (purchasing). That being the real situation how could I have any information to pass on to the govt?
Q:But could you not have obtained info about ship movement from other LTTE cadres involved and passed it on? Some of your KP dept people with whom you would have some influence?
The LTTE works on a strict need to know basis. One unit does not know what the other does. So it would be impossible to get full info unless one contacted all the units involved.
As for my KP dept people almost all of them were recalled and given new duties or discontinued. So there was no way that I could get information from them.
One thing to note is that I too stopped talking to those involved in the work. Even when I got a friendly call once in a way I never asked about these matters.
I know the LTTE mentality very well. If I had even referred to these matters casually and then due to bad luck something drastic happened they would start suspecting me. So I never tried to get info about these matters from anyone.
You must remember that these types of accusation s are being said only now by people who have no knowledge about how the LTTE works. There was no charge like this earlier when the LTTE leadership was there. If there had been any suspicion I would not have been approached by the LTTE or given a new role after re-joining.
Q:Yes. I think we have digressed a little. So please relate the circumstances of your re-joining the LTTE?
As I told you earlier, I was observing events and realized that the LTTE was getting into difficulties because the sea supplies were not getting through. But I was now out and could do nothing. Then in the latter part of 2008 , Sea Tiger commander Soosai and senior military commander Sornam began calling me frequently.
They explained that the situation was getting bad and that sea supplies had to be restored. They said that only I could ensure resumption of sea supplies and appealed to me to re-join the movement and take charge of overseas purchasing again.I was in a dilemma. Though I felt bad I was reluctant to get back again. I had been living quietly for many years and enjoying family life. Also I fully well knew the international situation. Earlier the LTTE was not on the global terrorist radar. We could discreetly purchase what we wanted from the arms bazaar’s and ship them to the Island.
But now in a post – Sep 11th 2001 situation it was not so easy. I doubted very much whether even I could do what was expected of me. Besides I was out of touch for five years and needed time to set up things again. So I did not give them a word.
But then on December 31st 2008 everything changed.
Q:What happened on that day?
Prabhakaran called me and had a very very long conversation. He told me of the military situation in very frank terms. When he called me on Dec 31st Kilinochchi had not fallen but Prabhakaran said it would fall very soon. He then said that the fighting would shift east of the A-9 road afterwards.
Prabhakaran was optimistic that the LTTE would be able to hold on to a piece of territory with access to the coast for a long time. But he knew it could not be for ever and ever. Meanwhile he wanted me to re-join the movement and start purchasing and transporting supplies again.
When Prabhakaran asked me directly I could not say no. I agreed to re-join the LTTE but told him that my immediate goal would be to bring about a ceasefire and not resumption of supplies.
Q: Why did you say this and how did he respond?
I explained to him that the international situation had changed drastically. Intelligence agencies of many countries in the west particularly the US were swarming on areas of potential arms sales. Maritime movement was being monitored very strictly. Unlike the earlier days it would require much effort and preparation to resume sea supply effectively
I also told him that my KP dept network had been dismantled. I was out of touch and lost most contacts. Also I was being closely watched. So if I was to resume arms procurement I needed time to start work clandestinely and set up the network again. I told Prabhakaran ,I needed at least one year to get things going. He said that may perhaps be too late.
In that case I suggested that the LTTE should go in for a ceasefire. Earlier in 1989 when the Indian army was strangulating the LTTE, Bala annai had played a crucial role and brought about an understanding with the Premadasa govt. I too had a supportive role in this.
Now Bala annai was no more. Prabhakaran said that I must spearhead the task of bringing about a ceasefire and getting the LTTE a respite. He wanted me to commence talks with whoever necessary and bring about a ceasefire.
I then said I must be given a relevant position so that I could represent the LTTE officially and that I should get full cooperation from the LTTE overseas branches. Prabhakaran agreed and so when 2009 dawned I was back in the LTTE again.
Q:So you came back to the LTTE to coordinate and lead efforts to bring about a ceasefire? How did you go about it? Did you get the backing of the overseas Tiger structure?
I was made the head of International relations in the LTTE. I was tasked to interact and negotiate with international actors and somehow bring about a ceasefire. The overseas branches were instructed to support me fully in my efforts.
Since Castro and I were not on good terms the Political commissar Nadesan was to be my link with the leader in these matters. Nadesan was to coordinate with Castro about issues concerning me.
But things were not easy or rosy. Even though I started work from January first week in 2009, the announcement about my appointment was delayed. Castro took a long time to convey it to the overseas branches. The “Tamilnet” delayed carrying a news item. The overseas Tamil media under Nediyavan’s control blacked me out.
Through Nadesan and the political wing, I got overseas branches to organize demonstrations highlighting the civilian plight and demanding a ceasefire. I specifically asked them to demonstrate without any symbols of the LTTE and make it a non-partisan humanitarian exercise.
There were many demonstrations and we were getting a positive response. But within weeks Castro gave instructions through Nediyavan that the demonstrators should carry LTTE flags and Prabhakaran’s portrait. Placards were shown asking the international community to remove the ban on the LTTE and recognize it as the sole representatives of Tamils.
When I tried to stop that I was portrayed as being against Prabhakaran. As a result of this political stupidity we had massive demonstrations without any results because they were seen as pro –LTTE and not pro-People demonstrations.
Q:In such a situation where Castro’s people were sabotaging you, how did you carry out your duties as LTTE international relations chief?
The way in which the overseas branches started sabotaging my work was terrible. They would not cooperate. I was not given sufficient funds. When I tried to get some funds from the branches it was refused. So I had to rely on my own funds and funds from supporters and LTTE associates in a personal capacity. I also had to set up my own staff and network by appealing to the old loyalists many of whom were now “retired”. These people rallied around me in a wonderful way
Q:But why did you not complain to Prabhakaran and rectify the situation?
I did and sent messages to him but with 2009 the military situation had changed. The army was rapidly advancing. Prabhakaran’s personal security was threatened. So he had to maintain a low profile. Also without Velu, my earlier contact-link with Prabhakaran, communicating with the leader was difficult. The new guys were not very efficient or helpful in these matters. Nadesan also was hesitant to complain about Castro. Both had a good relationship.
Besides with the war hotting up I was also reluctant to pressure Prabhakaran continuously on these matters. I was also doubtful whether even Prabhakaran could have changed the situation. The Castro group was well-entrenched abroad. His deputy Nediyavan was running things. They knew how to delay or scuttle matters.
Q:I want to clarify something. I hope you will give me a candid answer. Was this peace initiative to bring about a ceasefire a time –buying exercise? Were you striving for a ceasefire on the one hand and trying to buy arms and ship them on the other?
My answer is NO.
I do not know about others in the LTTE leadership. Some may have thought of using it as a ploy but I was sincere and serious about a ceasefire. I was genuinely trying for one because I knew the LTTE was doomed if the war continued and I wanted to save the life of the people, Prabhakaran, my other comrades and the young fighters of the movement.
I did not play a double game of trying to negotiate peace and acquire arms at the same time. I believe in doing whatever task at hand with sincerity and without deception. If I were to try hard for a ceasefire openly and at the same time try to transport arms clandestinely it would be dishonest. I have to give my 100 per cent to peacemaking and nothing else.
Also look at it this way. If I were found out or if international players helping me for a ceasefire got information that I was shipping arms then my credibility would have been lost. Trust in me and the intentions of the LTTE would have been destroyed. Just imagine the Sri Lankan government’s position if it was discovered that I was playing a double game? All chances of a ceasefire would have been lost forever.
Q:Did this mean that the LTTE was not trying to ferry arms while you were working towards a ceasefire?
What I can say is that I was not doing or trying to do anything of the sort. But others may have been trying. You see with arms procurement and transport becoming difficult Prabhakaran had delegated such duties to some other divisions also. While Aiya was in charge of arms procurement the intelligence division under Pottu Amman, the international affairs division under Castro and Sea Tigers under Soosai were also delegated arms procurement duties. The situation was so desperate that Prabhakaran had put all these actors on to this stage. But still no progress was made.
Q: It looks like a case of too many cooks spoiling the soup. Do you think that you may have never let this situation develop had you been in charge all along?
Well I must say that arms procurement is not a simple thing like buying things over a counter. It is because of inexperienced eager people being entrusted with this task that some arrests were made like in Canada and the USA.
When Soosai, Sornam and later Prabhakaran spoke to me they did say that it was a mistake to have removed me from arms procurement and that these problems would not have occurred if I was in charge.
Though I was happy to hear that I doubt whether I could have managed to succeed under changed circumstances. With powerful countries monitoring movements like us in the global war against terrorism and the performance of a highly improved navy, I too may have found it difficult to procure and transport arms as required.
Q:Again let me ask you – were you trying for a ceasefire only to save the LTTE or was your commitment to peace deeper and really genuine?
I am glad you asked me this because I can speak openly about my change of heart. It was a slow process.
The time that I was out of the LTTE and leading a quiet life gave me time to give deep thought and reflect on things. I was also able to observe the world being transformed in the aftermath of September 11th 2001. Earlier they used to say one man’s terrorist is another’s freedom fighter. Now they were saying there is no good or bad terrorist. All are terrorists.
I realized that a movement like the LTTE could not continue to fight and survive in a changing environment. The whole world will gang up against us. Also after decades of conflict the Tamil people were suffering. They needed peace.
So I really thought we must negotiate and reach a political settlement. Bala annai and I were of the same mind in this. I tried to convince Prabhakaran also of this. He then said to negotiate we must have a ceasefire first. So I began working earnestly for a ceasefire as a first step for a negotiated peace
Q:But were you really hopeful of a ceasefire? Were you not fighting a lost battle? Looking back with the wisdom of hindsight what do you think?
At that time I was really hopeful about a ceasefire. I knew that somehow a ceasefire had to be brought about to save the lives of the LTTE leaders, cadres and innocent civilians caught in the middle.
Q:Did you not try to save the civilians by getting the LTTE to release them?
I did try at the start.
There was even an offer by the Americans to transport them by sea to Trincomalee. But the LTTE hierarchy was not agreeable. This attitude was most unfortunate and may appear as inhuman. I am not trying to condone or justify this action but when I reflect upon the past I think the LTTE leadership also had no choice. If they released the people first, then only the Tigers would be left there. Thereafter all of them could have been wiped out.
Q:Mao Ze Dong’s famous dictum about guerillas being the fish swimming in an ocean of people. If the ocean was drained the fish would flounder. So the fish wanted to retain the water?
Exactly. That is why I tried for a ceasefire so that everyone, the people and the fighters could be saved. But looking back now I think the LTTE leadership was too late in trying for a ceasefire. Had we tried in mid 2008 when the fighting was on the west of the A -9 highway there was a good chance of working out an agreement
But after Poonagary, Paranthan, Kilinochchi and Elephant pass fell the prospects of victory were imminent for the government. The pace of events was too fast. From their point of view, with outright victory in sight, it would have been stupid to go in for a ceasefire.
Q:Under these circumstances what did you do? What could you achieve?
I am essentially a worker. If given a responsibility I start doing it instead of finding reasons for not doing it. Also in this case it was a matter of life and death. I had to somehow work out a ceasefire and save the people, movement and leadership.So with the meagre funds at my disposal and the support of like-minded people I commenced my work. I was in touch with international political leaders, top bureaucrats, diplomats, opinion-makers of different countries and also high –ranking UN officials. I contacted some of them directly. Influential people contacted some others on my behalf.
In March 2009 I thought I had made a breakthrough but sadly Prabhakaran rejected the proposal.
Q:Was this the “lock-off” plan that was rejected by Prabhakaran in just three words? Could you elaborate please?
Well, Yes. I had a tentative plan with international endorsement. The LTTE was to lay down arms by hoarding them in specific locations. The words used were “lock –off”. That is arms particularly heavy weapons were to be locked off in specific places.
They were to be handed over to representatives of the UN. Afterwards there was to be a cessation of hostilities in which the people were to be kept in specific “no firing zones”. Negotiations were to be conducted between the Govt. and LTTE with Norwegian facilitation.
Tentatively about 25 to 50 top leaders with their families were to be transported to a foreign country if necessary. The middle level leaders and cadres were to be detained, charged in courts and given relatively minor sentences. The low-level junior cadres were to be given a general amnesty.
The scheme was to endorsed by the west including Norway, EU and the USA. The Americans were ready to send their naval fleet in to do evacuation if necessary
Q:Was the Sri Lankan government agreeable?
I don’t think there was any official intimation to Colombo but maybe they were sounded out informally. But the plan was never concretized because the main man concerned, Prabhakaran rejected it.
I had written an outline of the plan and sent it to him for approval. If he said “Proceed” I would have concretized it and started work on implementing it. But when I faxed the details in a 16-page memorandum he rejected the 16 pages in just three words “Ithai Etrukkolla Mudiyathu”(This is unacceptable) So. I had to drop it.
Q:Even if Prabhakaran had agreed to it, do you think the Govt would have complied given the fact that the armed forces were on the verge of annihilating the LTTE?
I don’t know. Most probably the Govt may not have obliged because it was on the verge of victory and would not have wanted to be deprived of it. But the point is that it was never concretized and submitted to the Govt. Given the situation the LTTE was in, Prabhakaran should have taken it.
Q:Why did Prabhakaran reject it then?
I don’t know I can only guess. It is too painful to dwell on it because he is no more and I will always be thinking “why didn’t he accept this opportunity”?
Q:But your attempts to save Prabhakaran did not stop did it? There was some talk of a helicopter rescue attempt?
Yes. That was another plan but that too did not materialize because of the non – cooperation of Nediyavan and his cohorts abroad. Whenever I think of the fate that befell Prabhakaran’s family I grieve and then silently curse Nediyavan and his people.
Q:Do you think you can relate what happened if it is not too painful for you or you think that it needs to be told?
It is painful but I do think our people must know the truth about this matter. Maybe speaking about it may give me emotional relief.
What happened was that in early May 2009, Prabhakaran’s eldest son Charles Anthony called me frantically. He calls me “KP Mama” or KP Uncle. Charles said that the situation was getting very bad and that I should somehow arrange to get his father, mother, sister and younger brother out to safety.
Q:What about Charles himself?
No he did not want to escape. Charles said he was ready to fight to the last and die if necessary. It was his family he was worried about.
I was very upset after talking to Charles. So I thought of a plan. I wanted to charter a ship and keep it ready in international waters way beyond the reach of the Sri Lankan navy. I wanted to buy a helicopter and get some of the trained LTTE air-wing pilots to fly it into the Wanni and pick up the family and bring them to the ship. Thereafter I had plans of keeping them safe in one of three countries.
Q:But would Prabhakaran have agreed to this?
I am not sure but after I had formulated a plan I got in touch with Charles and told him. I asked him whether his father would agree. Charles said he will try and make Prabhakaran agree but if he would not agree, I was to save his mother and two younger siblings.Knowing Prabhakaran I felt he would never try to escape with his family ,leaving others behind. But I thought the helicopter could take him and some others to a jungle somewhere first and land him safely. Then the helicopter could fly out with Madhivadhani, Duwaraga and Balachandran.
Q:What happened finally? Why did the plan not take off?
It’s a very sad story.
(THE THIRD AND FINAL PART OF THIS CONVERSATION WITH KP WILL CONCLUDE NEXT WEEK)
DBS Jeyaraj can be reached at djeyaraj2005@yahoo.com
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