Having wiped out the LTTE leadership from northern Sri Lanka, the government is now seeking international help to nab its fugitive leader K Padmanathan, believed to be active in carrying out the Tigers' operations overseas.The Sri Lankan government has forwarded details to other countries seeking arrest of Padmanathan, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said.
"In terms of world opinion and also in relation to how we could counter LTTE terror network forces, there are still some elements at large," Bogollagama said.
"That is why we have gone very much public in terms of seeking of the arrest of K Padmanathan. That is important. That is one such person," he he told a TV channel.
Bogollagama said the government might have countered terrorism comprehensively by defeating the LTTE, "but a lot more has to be done".
The Tamilnet reported on January 30 this year that LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran had appointed Pathmanathan, "a high profile representative of the movement," as its international face.
"Pathmanathan will be representing the movement in any further peace initiatives and will be the primary point of contact for engaging with the international community," a letter sent to various international actors by the LTTE's department of international relations, said.
Tamilnet said Pathmanathan will work abroad "with required mandate from the LTTE leadership" and that he had "begun corresponding with international actors".
According to Sri Lankan government, Padmanathan (alias KP) has become one of the important custodians of slain LTTE leader Prabhakaran's wealth.
Sri Lankan news website "Lankaweb" termed 'KP' as the brain behind LTTE's 'international illegal activities' and a 'fugitive wanted by Interpol'.
His arrest will be a big breakthrough to get more information and details of the international network of LTTE, including links to drug and human smuggling, details of illegal arms dealers and money laundering, the website said.
"KP has for decades been the LTTE's chief procurer of arms, ammunition and electronic equipment. He is supposed to have helped raise finances abroad in the initial years of the LTTE and set up its many offices in foreign countries.
"More importantly, he is the brain behind the clandestine LTTE shipping network that became the Tigers' virtual lifeline," it said.
The LTTE, in its first communication nearly a month after Prabhakaran's death and defeat has tried to revive the pro-Sri-Lankan Tamil campaign.
In an audio address, also posted on a pro-LTTE website, slain LTTE chief Prabhakaran's international representative K Pathmanathan declared that the rebels were now planning to take the political road.
He said the movement would set up a government in exile while working towards a provisional Tamil government in Sri Lanka itself.
The struggle for this provisional government would be led by the pro-LTTE Tamil National Alliance. It would work in close coordination with the government in exile.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Bogollagama has called on the international community to help arrest Pathmanathan.
No comments:
Post a Comment