By Walter Jayawardhana

Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Ministry of Defence announced that the LTTE leader Selvarasa Pathmanadan alias KP has been arrested by Sri lankan law enforcement officers.

Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s state owned ITN television in several special news bulletins announced that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil EelamƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s self-proclaimed leader , following PrabhakaranƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s death, KP alias Selvarasa Pathmanathan alias Kumaran Pathmanathan has been arrested in Bangkok, Thailand.

KP, the terrorist outfitƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s former procurer of weapons became the most senior hand living when the Supremo of the group and his most senior comrades were killed near Nanthikadal lagoon in Mulaitivu by the Sri Lanka armed forces. Another section of them like intelligence chief Pottuamman is believed to have committed suicide.

Reports emanating from Bangkok said the most elusive leader, believed to be married to a Thai woman was arrested by the Sri Lanka law enforcement officersin Thailand.

For a long time India has been seeking to get him extradited for the part he had played in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case and Sri Lanka has been wanting extradition for the vital part he has played in arming and financing a 30 year old insurgency.

KP alias Selvarasa Pathmanathan has been trying to form a provisional transnational government for the expatriate Tamils. But many who were involved in the LTTE including , the mouthpiece of the outfit, the Tamil Net opposed KP.

Professor Rohan Gunaratne , a terrorism expert recently said, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-KP should be arrested and extradited to Sri Lanka, any government, any institution or any individual working with KP should be investigated.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

When Prabhakaran was cornered by the Sri Lankan army the LTTE leader heavily depended on KP to negotiate with International powers to come and save him. Commenting on that Gunaratne said, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Prabhakaran relied on KP to lobby the international community to intervene during the last phase of the campaign. However, KP failed leading to the death of Prabhakaran and almost the entire leadership. A man who failed in this very important LTTE mission will not be accepted by the LTTE hardliners overseas.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

If KP is finally caught, unlike last time when he got away, bribing Thai Generals, it would become a body blow to the overseas LTTE just within three months of PrabhakaranƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s death.

KP has played a major role in selling LTTEƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s suicide jackets to the rest of the terrorist world and believed to have crossed borders of many countries easily armed with false passports of many nations seeking weapons for the LTTE.