Arrest of LTTE’s KP: Goof up or Cover up?

By Animesh Roul

Media broke the news about KP’s arrest in Bangkok on Sep 10 and later picked up by all news agencies around the world. Sri Lanka took a sigh of relief and India desperately wanted to take him home for a trial. But all this euphoria died down when Thailand authority denied his arrest on the face of all media hype. KP is Kumaran Padmanadan (also, Tharmalingam Shanmughan), LTTE's point man for international arms procurement/ trafficking and a senior cadre involved in many high profile operations, including financing the assassination of a former Prime Minister of India. KP considered as the most important players within LTTE, next to chief V. Prabhakaran and Pottu Amman, head of its intelligence wing.

There is a possibility that Thai government is hiding something worthwhile now, even though they handed over three other Tamil Tigers to Lankan authority in August after they served jail terms for arms smuggling, since 2003. It is plausible that Thai govt. conveyed the news to Lanka but never thought that it would be blown to such proportions by the media which has now brought a third player, India into the whole episode. Fearing this could be interfering in the investigation process and that New Delhi would want KP to be extradited first, Bangkok authority now wished to deny the whole incident for the time being. One thing leading observers to believe that KP is in Thai custody much before the reported date of his arrest (does not matter if detained or arrested) because Sri Lanka Navy has successfully interdicted and sank three ships reportedly carrying LTTE’s arms in the high seas recently. Lankan Navy could not have achieved this success unless until they received concrete information on the shipments. A parallel can be drawn between both events. However, this speculation aside, KP’s arrest still remains a mystery, controversial and much awaited.

Important Media Coverage on KP’s reported arrest and denial:

LTTE's international terror chief "KP" arrested in Bangkok

Top Tamil Tiger arrested in Bangkok

Thai police deny Tamil Tiger leader held in Bangkok