Senior PLOTE operative 'Farook' talks to media in Vanni

[TamilNet, Saturday, 20 May 2006, 16:01 GMT]
A senior People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) operative, Sinnathamby Ganeshalingam, alias Farook, who was reported missing in December last year in Vavuniya, talked to the media this week in an undisclosed remote village in Vanni. Ganeshalingam claimed that he has begun a settled peaceful life in Liberation Tigers controlled Vanni with his wife Shantha, and refuted earlier reports that he was abducted by the Tigers. He said he left the paramilitary group after PLOTE leadership began to develop close relationships with the hardline elements in Sri Lankan military and extreme nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).



Ganeshalingam charged that PLOTE leader Siddharthan was maintaining "secret links" with both the SL Military intelligence, the JVP and the JHU hardline elements,

TamilNet editor and popular columnist Dharmeratnam Sivaram's assassination and the alleged involvement of PLOTE operatives including the former military wing leader of PLOTE, raised serious concerns within the ranks of the paramilitary group and its political section, he says.

Arumugam Sriskandarajan, also known as Peter, who was injured in the unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the government of the Maldives in 1988 and another suspect were arrested by Sri Lanka Police in connection with the abduction and the assasination of Mr. Sivaram.

Sri Lanka Police was looking for another suspect, Viswanathan Thambiravi, in connection with the murder of Srivaram, the Police said Wednesday.

Ganeshalingam said that he has information to believe that the hardline elements in Sri Lankan Military or the extremist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, the JVP, hired the killers of SIvaram through PLOTE leadership.

The Lebanon trained senior PLOTE operative Ganeshalingam, who entered Tamil militancy in early 70's, says that his organisation maintained a good rapport with the JVP under a leftist banner.

Ganeshalingam was once a close confidante of Siddharthan, who was involved in a bitter internal feud in the late 90s with Manikkadasan, the former military wing leader of PLOTE.

Several cadres from both factions of the PLOTE died in the internecine struggle.

Manikkadasan was killed in a claymore blast in September 1999, at the PLOTE's 'Lucky Camp' in Vavuniya.

Internal power struggle within the PLOTE group turned PLOTE into a paramilitary group and prevented the group from effectively operating for the benefit of Tamil people. PLOTE provided some help to the people of Thirunavatkulam, who were once chased away by the paramilitary operative Manikkadasan, claims Ganeshalingam.

It was the habit of reading newspaper articles and the peaceful space created by the Ceasefire Agreement that gave Ganeshalingam a journey into his past.

Ganeshalingam said he he was first afraid to defect to Vanni, But said he is glad he made the right choice to restart life in Vanni, the only place left for him in the island to lead a peaceful life.

Shantha Ganeshalingam, his wife, rejoined him in Vanni.



Related Articles:
13.03.06   EPDP, Karuna Group and PLOTE amongst paramilitaries - US Sta..
01.03.06   Sri Lanka should ignore Geneva Agreement- JHU
26.02.06   Paramilitary operatives: ultimate victims of covert warfare?
26.12.05   Senior PLOTE operative shot dead in Vavuniya
13.12.05   Vavuniya abduction discussed in LTTE, SLMM meet
12.12.05   Senior PLOTE cadre abducted in Vavuniya, 3 arrested
14.12.99   PLOTE backs Kumaratunge
03.10.99   PLOTE leader admits to past mistakes
16.07.99   Senior PLOTE member dies in mine blast
11.03.99   Paramilitary groups seek role in captured areas