COLOMBO: Ten years ago, he was believed to be the mastermind behind the LTTE attack on Sri Lanka’s most hallowed Buddhist shrine, the Temple of the Tooth in the historic city of Kandy. Today he is the 33-year-old chief minister of the country’s eastern province who walks in with a cluster of flowers as offering to the very same Temple that holds the sacred tooth of Lord Buddha.

Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan, one time child soldier of the LTTE who rose to become a senior most member of the terror organisation but quit the Tiger separatist outfit early 2004, obtained blessings from the chief Buddhist prelates of the Kandy Temple after his appointment as chief minister last Friday. He was not berated by the Buddhist clergy for his role in the 1998 bombing.

However, other Buddhists in the country are angrily demanding a public apology from the former LTTE rebel for his role in the temple blast that partially destroyed the historic shrine, killed nine persons and wounded over 25 persons. But while a public apology for the temple bombing does not seem to be forthcoming, Pillayan has admitted that it was a ‘regrettable incident’. Now sworn to abide by the law the ex-LTTE member has been appointed Minister of Law and Order in the Eastern Provincial Council. As chief minister some of the important ministries entrusted to him among others are Finance, Administration, Rehabilitation and Tourism.

Following his political party, the TMVP which contested in unison with the UPFA government winning the controversially concluded recent eastern provincial council elections, Pillayan took oath as chief minister amidst appeals by President Mahinda Rajapakse to the public not to judge the former LTTE cadre by his old record of terror. President Mahinda Rajapaksa in a speech delivered soon after the appointment said it was a laudable thing for a person who believed in weapons but gradually entered the democratic political system to be been appointed the chief minister of the east. The president opined that the eastern province would set an example in many ways in the future but opposition parties and human rights activists did not agree. They insist that Pillayan’s para-military group still carries arms in the east despite their coming into the democratic process. Making a renewed call for disarming Pillayan’s armed men, rights groups also cry foul over the provincial council elections won by the TMVP-government alliance.

Meanwhile, the Island newspaper on Wednesday said all chief ministers of the eight provincial councils, including the recently elected chief minister of the eastern province have decided to forward a resolution to the government that they be vested with full powers in accordance with the 13th amendment to the Sri Lankan constitution.

The newspaper pointed out that these powers hitherto not enjoyed by the seven provincial councils include police, land and judiciary stating that the government was in favour of granting these powers to the PCs as recommended by the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) chaired by Minister Prof Tissa Witharana. Meanwhile, human rights activists when contacted said they are sceptical about such powers being bestowed on Chief Minister Pillayan if his group of para-military cadres are not disarmed.

“Personally, I think the chief minister position should have gone to a Muslim, considering the fact that the Muslims make the majority in the east but since the position is now given to Pillayan, what the government should do is to ensure that none of the TMVP members carry arms,” an east-based social worker said by telephone.

The TMVP insists that they need to carry arms to defend themselves against the LTTE who are still waging a silent war on their ex-members.