Selvarasa Pathmanathan

Pathmanathan was one of the top LTTE officials and the chief procurer of arms for the organization. He ran a global network of LTTE offices which were engaged in its weapons procurement, logistics and money laundering operations.[8]

Initially based in Malaysia, where he set up a shipping company in 1987, he was forced to move out after the Malaysian Special Branch cracked down on LTTE activities in the country in 1990, culminating in the seizure of an LTTE ship the same year.[6] Pathmanathan then moved to Thailand, which became a safe haven for the LTTE.[9] There he established himself as the head of banking, procurement and shipping for the LTTE. He is believed to have obtained citizenship of Thailand.[8]

According to a report by Jane's Intelligence Review:

"While Cambodia is the hub of the LTTE East Asia Network, Thailand continues to serve as the most important country for trans-shipment of munitions and coordination of logistics... its excellent communications infrastructure, proximity to former war zones in both Cambodia and Burma and its western coastline facing the Bay of Bengal and Sri Lanka beyond have made Thailand the ancient interface between the LTTE's war zone."[8]

In Thailand Pathmanathann set up and led the "KP Department", the procurement arm of the LTTE, the oldest international wing of the organisation. He was responsible for equipping the rebels with a modern-day arsenal which enabled them to challenge the Sri Lankan Military and to fight a high intensity war. He procured modern hardware, paid for them through secret bank accounts, and shipped them to the rebels using a merchant shipping network operated by the "KP Department", known as the "sea pigeons".[10][11] Apart from setting up a number of lucrative businesses in Thailand, Pathmanathan established a state-of-the-art boatyard in the country, which manufactured over a dozen different boats, including mini-submarines and suicide boats.[9]

The "KP Department" was complemented by another international wing of the LTTE called the "Aiyanna Group". While the "KP Department" acted as the procurement arm of the LTTE, the Aiyanna Group looked after the fund raising and intelligence operations of the organization. Jane's Intelligence Review estimated in 2007 that the LTTE earns between $200–300 million per year through their fund-raising activities and numerous illegal businesses.[12]

The heads of both departments operated under the direct guidance of the LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and intelligence head Pottu Amman, both of whom were also on the Interpol most wanted list.[12]

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

Intelligence agencies believe that Pathmanathan had links with the planning of the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.[7][10][13] The Indian Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) approached 23 countries in 2001 requesting information regarding LTTE members who they believed were linked with the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. Sweden, where Pathmanathan was believed to be hiding at the time, was one of the countries.[10]

The Interpol Headquarters in Lyon, France, also issued a red notice against Pathmanathan, which requests member states to arrest the suspect and hold him for extradition. The notice stated, "Tharmalingam (Pathmanathan) is alleged to have been involved in the murder of Rajiv Gandhi on 21 May 1991 in Tamil Nadu, India."[7]

Following the signing of a ceasefire agreement between the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE in 2002, the LTTE nominated Pathmanathan as a member of its delegation to the Peace Talks scheduled with the government in late 2003. They passed on a request, through Norwegian facilitators of the negotiations, to find out whether the Government had any objections to "Shanmugam Kumaran Tharmalingam" being part of the delegation.[13] The Government rejected the request, mainly because he was wanted in India for links with Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, and letting him join the delegation would have ruptured relations between the two nations.[7]

The LTTE's reasons for nominating Pathmanathan to the delegations are unclear but most likely had were linked to him being sought by Interpol, CIA and MI5. Being on the list of peace negotiators would have meant, with Sri Lanka's approval, Pathmanathan would no longer be one of the world's most wanted men.[7][13]

In January 2009 Pathmanathan was appointed head of the newly created "Department of International Relations".[14] He was LTTE's chief international spokesman during the last months of the civil war. He urged Prabhakaran who was trapped in the No Fire Zone to escape and promised that he could break the naval blockade. Prabhakaran did not directly talk with KP due to suspicions of the military intelligence monitoring his communications. He also talked to Charles Anthony who instead requested more weapons. KP attempted to hire a helicopter with Ukrainian mercenary pilots but could not arrange the funds from Scandinavian agents. It was also doubted if a rescue of the LTTE leadership was even possible as a previous attempt by the Sea Tigers to break through the naval blockade resulted in a disaster with only two suicide craft making past the first line of Arrow boats only to be destroyed by the Dvoras of the second line. Further the land routes were surrounded and constant air patrols monitored the air space.[15]

Pathmanathan was left as the most senior LTTE member following the death of most of the LTTE's leadership, including Prabhakaran, in the final stages of the civil war.[16] On 21 July 2009 a statement was issued, allegedly from the executive committee of the LTTE, stating that Pathmanathan had been appointed leader of the LTTE.[17]

Pathmanathan claimed to a Channel 4 interview that he has 1500-2000 LTTE members hiding in the jungles of Sri Lanka who had ceased hostilities for now but are awaiting his orders to restart the war.[18]