Security agencies turn spot light on most wanted LTTE arms cum human smuggler

Security and INTEL agencies have turned the spot light on Ravi Shanker Kanagarajah alias Shangili, a most wanted transnational terrorist cum kingpin of overseas based human trafficking and illegal arms smuggling activities.

According to informed sources, Ravi Shankar is also found to be the owner of MV Ocean Lady alias Princess Eashwary, an LTTE floating warehouse extensively used in human smuggling activities- in the outfit's overseas network based in INDONESIA, MALAYSIA and THAILAND. Earlier, on October 2009, Canadian immigration authorities confiscated MV Princess Eashwary (MV Ocean Lady) while smuggling-in 76 bogus asylum seekers into Canadian waters from South Asia. The vessel "Princess Eashwary" is also said to be used extensively for gunrunning activities for the outfit, prior to its military defeat in May, 2009.

“His activities abroad have to be very closely monitored by the Law enforcement and intelligence agencies in the countries where he is taking shelter. It is the responsibility of such authorities to take him into custody and deport to Sri Lanka”, a senior defence official said in reply to a question raised by our correspondent on the possibilities of Shanker’s arrest. “Terrorism is no longer a crime but an extension of war”, he further stated.

According to the official, Sri Lanka Law enforcement authorities are working hand-in-hand with the concerned government’s for extradition orders on such criminals cum terrorists.

Ravi Shanker is a great threat for the security of the entire South Asian region, he said. He is also one of the very important and most wanted figures in organized crimes and human smuggling in the region, the official further said.

In the backdrop of the military defeat of LTTE, its activists of the existing international wing are making extraneous efforts to mobilize. Such steps are aligned with its sole aim of destabilizing the island nation, affecting its sovereignty and drawing it back to death and destruction.

Ravi Shanker alias Shangili is a Sri Lankan passport holder who had claimed bogus asylum to evade Canadian immigration authorities. He is a key LTTE gunrunner also allegedly engaged in human smuggling, who owns three vessels which are currently under operation and registered in Panama. According to informed sources, these vessels were used as floating LTTE warehouses cum armories

The subject maintained close links with Ponniah Anandarajah aka Aiyya aka Rajah aka Aiyyanna (Accountant, US), Rajan (LTTE Air Wing activist, Malaysia), Bahitharan aka Bhavi (Manager of LTTE shipping operations, Indonesia) and Kumar one of the shipping agents/human smuggler in Indonesia. Presently owns few LTTE vessels and speedboats that had been previously used to transfer arms and ammunition from overseas to Sri Lanka and presently these are being used to coordinate illegal operations particularly human smuggling, sources further said.

Ravi Shankar had joined the LTTE as a Sea Tiger cadre and had been involved in arms procurement/smuggling to LTTE since early 90s. He joined the LTTE shipping network and was employed as a cadet in the MV SUN BIRD which was operating under the strict control and guidance of Prabakaran. Since then Ravi Shankar is involved in smuggling of arms and illegal human trafficking.

Presently he owns “Harritel Merchant Marine Co. Ltd registered in Republic of Marshall.

US cannot afford to "lose" Sri Lanka - Senate committee report

(By : Dr. Chandrani Gunaratna )

Sri Lanka is increasingly aligning towards the Asian powerhouses like China and politically and economically distancing from the West as Western countries increasingly criticizing Sri Lankan Government's handling of the war and human rights record, the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations said.

In a report titled "Sri Lanka: Recharting U.S. Strategy after the War" and released today by the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations headed by the democratic Senator John Kerry said this strategic shift in policy of Sri Lanka will have consequences for U.S. interests in the region.

Sri Lanka, being located at the center of crucial maritime trading routes in the Indian Ocean connecting Europe and the Middle East to China and the rest of Asia has great potential to affect the stability of India, the report warned.

Considering the strategic position of Sri Lanka and its deteriorating bilateral relationship with the West the United States cannot afford to "lose" - Sri Lanka, it said.

The Committee report said that the Obama administration is currently weighing a new strategy for relations with Sri Lanka.

The Committee proposed to increase the however, considering a new approach that increases U.S. leverage on Sri Lanka by capitalizing on the economic, trade, and security aspects of the relationship.

"U.S. strategy should also invest in Sinhalese parts of the country, instead of just focusing aid on the Tamil-dominated North and East," it suggested.

The Senate Committee report commended the government for taking positive steps to ease the humanitarian crisis in the North, develop the East, and reduce the number of child soldiers despite ongoing allegations of war crimes and human rights abuses.

It pointed out that Tamil leaders for their part have not yet made anticipated conciliatory gestures that might ease government concerns and foster a genuine dialogue.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee in February held a hearing on Sri Lanka. The hearing was widely considered by Sri Lankan community as one-sided because the hearing had no representation from the government but only its critics.

More recently in early November the Committee sent two staffers to Sri Lanka on a fact finding mission and to assess the ground situation.

Most Western governments have curtailed the aid to government of Sri Lanka citing its conduct during the last phase of the war and the human right record or have attached conditions to aid packages.

In contrast China and Iran have unconditionally supported post-war Sri Lanka to rebuild the country and carry out massive development projects. The government's close relationship with countries like Iran, Libya, Myanmar and China has wracked a nerve of the West.

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