KP UNDER 24-HOUR SURVEILLANCE

War Crimes in Sri Lanka-genocide

BY SULOCHANA RAMIAH MOHAN-2015-04-05

A fine example of 'expecting the unexpected' occurred when Ceylon Today

went to cover the Senchcholai Children's Home in Iranaimadu, Kilinochchi,
run by Selvarasa Pathmanathan/ Kumaran Pathmanathan or plain and
simple 'KP' the probable last man alive in the leadership level of the LTTE
proper. Ceylon Today reached Senchcholai imagining that it would be one of
those fun- filled children's home and KP would be among them, after 'being
released' by the former UPFA government, and that he is hale and hearty
travelling around and 'rich' too. But it was not so!
To our utmost surprise we found the Senchcholai Home for Children at
Thiruvaiyaru, is in the premises where the 57 Division Security Forces
headquarters, Kilinochchi district, is located.
Passing the entrance of the Security Forces Headquarters, going about
another 2km inside the sign board of Senchcholai Home is visible, with a
bright red gate, which was opened for Ceylon Today. The premises were
clean with plants and trees and we could see little girls and teenage girls
walking about giggling and laughing. Amidst them... there were four
security men in civvies, seated on plastic chairs under the mango tree, and
one of them rushed to the gate puzzled.

On seeing the Ceylon Today van entering Senchcholai premises, the four
security men frantically began walking all over the garden, also taking
cover behind trees with their mobile phones conveying the message,
perhaps of our 'uninformed' visit , to 'someone outside'.
The four security men scurried about and seemed extremely 'shocked' as
we stood astonished too. It took a while to realize - that they were KP's
security officers (after one of them confirmed politely). Later on, it came to
light that there are around 30 security officers, guarding KP, 24 hours at his
residence and at the Home where he visits daily.
"Today is the parents meeting day, and we are sorry to have kept you
waiting"... a tall fair man in white linen shirt and dark grey slacks, walks
towards us smiling all the while and shook our hands. He happened to be
this famous KP and he did not look a man who was enjoying his post or job
to the fullest. He did not make too much eye contact too. He looked pale
and poker-faced. While KP came out from his office room, two of the
security men rushed out and stood on either side of him.
"Let's talk Mr. Pathmanathan", CT ventured, and thought he would direct us
to his office but he walked towards those young security personnel and sat
among them. Two of the officers were seated by him and two were standing
beside us.
"Don't record anything," one officer said when the writer attempted to
switch on the recorder, while, 'No photographs of KP please," another
warned. When Ceylon Today said that they came to cover the Senchcholai
Home and to interview KP who runs it, the officer said, "Sorry, no
permission for you to do that."
KP Restrained
In the meantime, there were several incoming and outgoing calls from the
security men's mobile phones, while KP was giving a brief on Senchcholai.
He was looking around and at the men who gave him 'unpleasant stare' for
talking to the press.
Finally, KP's mobile phone rang as expected, and it was an easy guess as to
what questions would be fired at KP.
KP is diagnosed with high blood sugar, and is controlling it with insulin, he
looked very tired, yet, he responded to the phone call politely. "Why can't I
speak to them? this is too much! All she is asking is about Senchcholai.
Well, I too have my rights, or don't I? I am running this home! Aren't I?" and

the phone conversation ended there.

KP was feeling very uncomfortable to continue the conversation after the
interferences of the 'voices from the other end of the phone', forcing him to
halt his activities and thus he became mum. In his mild apolitical
conversation, he said that he has a daughter, 21 years old and his wife is in
Thailand and he had lived there for 15 years.
He also revealed that his children are taken on field trips and recreation
annually and they had visited Colombo to see the museum amongst other
places in their own Senchcholai bus.
He was feeling very uncomfortable to respond to questions on Senchcholai
as the four officials were staring at all of us all the time.
KP then requested us to continue the conversation with one of the wellwishers who was there, and he proceeded to the office to meet more
parents who had come to visit him
A little while later, KP appeared saying that lunch had been prepared and
invited us to join him.
The four security men walked passed him and entered the dark green little
cafeteria and stood there in attention. There was also one of his batchmates of the Jaffna University who joined us for the meal.
KP was inquiring about some of his other batch-mates and recalled some
funny incidents before he sat down to eat. The girls of the home also
queued up for lunch picked their plates of rice, chicken curry, pork curry,
greens and dhal, and took their seats. "Sundays are special and we all eat
together' KP said.
When asked as to why they serve pork for children, he said 'these children
need strength and pork is good'.
The dining hall had a huge banner with the portrayal of Appa (the children
refer to him as such), and the children of the Home.
While the 'invitees' remained seated for lunch, KP who went to wash his
hands was followed by the security. Breaking into conversation once more,
the writer asked KP: "why are you being followed like this?" to which KP

simply responded with just a smile. KP had his meals and then his staff
offered bananas to all the guests.
No sooner coming out after the sumptuous lunch, KP was interacting with
the parents once more. KP urged a mother of a teenage girl not to buy
clothes for her but to deposit cash in the girl's bank book. "Don't waste
money and spend on clothes all the time," KP told one of the girls to whom
her mother gifted a dress. The shy teenage girl replied to KP, "Appa, my
mother gave me this and I like it."
KP tried to be calm all the time but those four security men were hounding
the place glued to his movements and what he was uttering. They were
keenly watching the cameras and the audio recorder, the mobile phones
that were in our hands.
The girls usually travel to the nearby school by bus, we were told the bus
was parked outside the parapet wall of the Home. When the photographer
tried to take a picture of the bus, the security guard who had been guarding
the bus all the day, got permission from 'that someone' over the phone.
KP then
KP who is an economic graduate obtained from the University of Jaffna will
be celebrating his 60th birthday tomorrow (April 6).
KP who is known to be the chief arms procurer of the LTTE, one of the most
fearsome terrorist groups in the world, was considered to be the next senior
man and successor to Prabhakaran. After Prabhakran's death members of
the LTTE were netted and in the process KP was arrested in Malaysia and
brought to Sri Lanka blindfolded in August 2009.
Although KP's arrest came to be an event big enough after Prabhakran's
death, there was less exposure on what details he had shared with the then
government.
The entire world knew KP had all details of the LTTE funds suspected to be
in billions of rupees however, thus far, no details of LTTE wealth has been
screened or exposed.
While the media highlighted the KP arrest charging him to be involved in
'terrorism' and that he was wanted by the Indian government too, however,
the Rajapaksa Government was 'silent' over his arrest. The media reports
also went about stating that KP was 'released unusually' on 'humane
grounds' and was only 'protected' or given a 'lease of life' in a manner
allowing him to run a non-governmental organization.
KP at the moment runs the North Eastern Rehabilitation and Development

Organization or the NERDO helping the people who were caught in the war
ravaged northern peninsula.
KP now
Whether or not KP is a wanted man for 'terrorism' and involved in arms
dealing for LTTE, having met him last week at Senchcholai clearly exposed
that this man is trapped and under 24-hour surveillance. KP does not enjoy
the freedom of speech or movement a serious human rights violation.
For obvious reasons the visit to Senchcholai Home was just another
assignment. However, what was witnessed is a total violation of human
rights where KP was not enjoying freedom of speech or movement. It is also
revealed that KP lives about 3 km away from the Home a 'hideout' where
no one is allowed to visit him. KP is said to be living with nearly 15- 20
security men and on daily basis, he is driven to Senchcholai in the morning
and driven back to his 'hide out' in the evening with heavy guard.
"There are more orphans and other children with needs who are
approaching Senchcholai, but we have no facilities to accommodate any
more children," was KP's explanation on collecting funds
KP who is said to be one of the LTTE top-knotches, chief procurer of arms for
the organization running a global network engaged in weapons
procurement, logistics and money laundering operation, how can he be left
high and dry with no funds to even run a Home properly is probably what
everyone would think . But that is true. Why and by whom KP's movement
and speech are restricted is yet to be unearthed.
When Ceylon Today bade goodbye to the Senchcholai children, KP who was
not allowed to even be captured in a photograph, by his strict security
personnel, was polite enough to remove few of his photographs off the
office bulletin and hand it over to us.
Posted by Thavam