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MOD ponders rehabilitating NPC member Ananthi
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The Defence Ministry is seriously considering accommodating Northern Provincial Council (NPC
member Ananthi Sasitharan at a rehabilitation facility to prevent her from propagating separatist
sentiments. She represents the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK), the dominant partner of five-
party Tamil National Alliance (TNA) led by R. Sampanthan, MP.
She was elected to the NPC last September.
A senior Defence Ministry source told The Island that those who hadn’t been arrested/surrendered
at the conclusion of the conflict in May 2009 missed the government rehabilitation project. Ananthi
was among those who had avoided rehabilitation , the official said, adding that a decision would
be made soon.
Ananthi is the wife of Sinnathurai Sivakumar alias Elilan in charge of LTTE political section in the
Trincomalee District. The Defence Ministry alleged that Sivakumar had been masquerading as a
political activist during the Norwegian arranged Ceasefire Agreement (CFA).
Ambassador Stephen J. Rapp in charge of the Office of Global Criminal Justice received a
briefing from Ananthi during his recently concluded visit to Sri Lanka. Since her election to the
NPC, Ananthi toured Canada, the US, India, Germany, Denmark and Norway, where she met
government officials and LTTE activists.
Asked whether the government was planning to hunt for those who had managed to avoid
rehabilitation, the official said perhaps Ananthi wouldn’t have adopted such a hostile stance
towards the government and the military if she had undergone rehabilitation.
The government has released over 11,000 LTTE cadres in batches following rehabilitation over
past four years. The release of LTTE personnel took place under the supervision of the
International Organisation for Migration (IOM). The project was funded by several countries,
including the UK, the Netherlands and Japan.
The spokesman admitted that the detention of Ananthi at a rehabilitation facility could trigger strong
protests from the international community ahead of the forthcoming UNHRC session in Geneva as
well as the TNA. However, the government was of the opinion that Ananthi would continue to
undermine post-war reconciliation process unless she underwent rehabilitation, he said.
TNA councillor to resist Lanka govt plans for rehabilitation
PTI
Reacting to the possibility of being sent to a Sri Lankan government—run rehabilitation camp
meant for LTTE detainees, a TNA woman councillor of the northern provincial council has said she
would resist the move.
Speaking to local media, Ananthi Saseetharan said that putting her under rehabilitation would
require her arrest and any attempt to do so would have international repercussions for the
government.
Saseetharan said she was never a member of the LTTE but wanted justice for her husband and
several others who had disappeared during the three-decade ethnic conflict.
The Island, an English language daily close to the government reported that the Defence Ministry
was seriously considering accommodating Saseetharan, the wife of a former senior LTTE
member, at a rehabilitation facility to prevent her from propagating separatist sentiments.
The newspaper quoted a senior Defence Ministry source as saying that those who had not been
arrested or surrendered at the conclusion of the conflict in May 2009 missed the government’s
rehabilitation programme and Saseetharan was among those who had avoided rehabilitation.
Her husband Sinnathurai Sivakumar alias Elilan was the LTTE’s political commissar in the eastern
port district of Trincomalee. He was among the top LTTE leaders killed during the final battle.
Saseetharan had met the visiting US Ambassador at large on criminal justice Stephen J Rapp
when he toured the Tamil—dominated Sri Lankan north last week.
The government has released the 11,000 surrendered LTTE members after rehabilitation and feels
that Saseetharan would not be espousing the separatist cause if she were to go through the process.
She had been elected to the northern provincial council in the landmark election held last September.
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