TNA MP allowed into London sans visa

our correspondent in Germany BERLIN: Mystery surrounds the arrival in London of TNA Parliamentarian Selvam Adaikalanathan sans a British visa following a tour of Germany where a group of TNA Parliamentarians were on a purported visit to canvass for the lifting of the EU ban on the LTTE, but which in fact turned out to be a secret mission to convince the Tamil diaspora to contribute more money towards the LTTE cause.

It was reported that Adaikalanathan had visited the Sri Lanka Consulate in Bonn and applied for an Emergency Certificate claiming that he had lost his passport. The Bonn Consulate had to issue an Emergency Certificate since he was an MP from Sri Lanka.

According to Sri Lankan immigration laws, an Emergency Certificate holder can only travel back to Sri Lanka with the document. However Adaikalanathan had flown to London with the emergency document and was residing at Iyvor.

In terms of immigration regulations, the MP was required to obtain a valid visa for England in his passport before he left Colombo. Had he lost his passport in Germany, then his visa to England is lost with the passport.

Adaikalanathan visited the Sri Lankan Embassy in the afternoon and obtained the Emergency Certificate and left for London the same day. There is a British Embassy in Berlin and Consulate in Dusseldorf.

The question asked is how did he enter London without a valid visa when migration regulations are strict to Sri Lankans and how will he pass the Heathrow immigration when he leaves for Colombo. The TNA MPs visited Germany and met the German foreign office officials.

Although the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Verfassungsschutz) is closely monitoring the LTTE and its front organisation activities in Germany due to the EU ban, the TNA MPs addressed a number of private meetings across Germany to the Tamil diaspora.

Some meetings were held in private houses. It is reported that while in London he was the chief guest at LTTE propaganda events which includes the annual festival of Commatharai Maha Vidyalam, Greenford Assembly Hall, Ruslip Road, London UD 6YQN on July 22 and at the 1st Black Tiger Miller memorial sports festival at Price Gerorg playground, 112, Grand Dr. Raynes Park, London SW 20, London and the main speaker at the LTTE Black July meeting in London on July 25.