UK based LTTE extortions exposed
UK: Apart from being banned as a ruthless terrorist
organisation in U.K and many other countries including the 25 nations EU,
LTTE proxy elements are continuing to extort money at will, despite the
enforced anti terrorist law regulations glorifying such acts as a
criminal offensive.
The middle-east based Al-Jazeera news window viewed a 25 minutes
documentary, which penetrated deep into investigating the LTTE paw
prints, extorting money with sheer intimidations under the very own
British regulations against terrorism.
The documentary clear-cuts that the funding are far from voluntary.
There have been recent allegations of intimidation, on Tamils by the
representatives of the internationally banned LTTE outfit.
According to the revelations made, parts of the 150,000 strong U.K
Tamil community appear increasingly vary towards non-Tamil media. In
2001 the British government labelled the LTTE as a terrorist group and
banned them.
Other countries have also followed the same course. But now the U.K
has made even glorifications of such groups a criminal offensive. Every
body funding the LTTE could be breaking the law under these law
enforcements.
The documentary makes a startling revelation unearthing the inability
of the British law enforcement authorities to deal with the crouching
menace in its own neighbourhood.
The investigative documentary runs through interviews conducted with
both extremist Tamils and other individuals, who have undergone violent
threats from the banned outfit.
The British Tamil Association (BTA), has been the forerunner
administering and organising fund raising campaigns throughout the
diasporas, for a 'final war' that was promised to fight against the
sovereign state of Sri Lanka.
A pro-LTTE extremist, expressing his views states, the ban on the
LTTE is unfair. "We have the freedom to express our views and speak
openly. Where is our freedom of speech in this country (England)?"
According to detailed investigations, there has been a fund raising
drive by the LTTE since 2006, what is been called 'Funding the Final
War', in Sri Lanka. A recent Human Rights Watch report, alleges various
degrees of intimidations of British Tamils to make their donations for
the cause.
Most people intimidated by the LTTE fund raisers, who were
interviewed, were too scared to compromise their terrifying experiences.
Following are two interviews conducted with the U.K Tamils who were
continuously intimidated by pro-LTTE agents, especially in London. The
investigative documentary steps on the point that the British law
enforcement authorities are not aware of these bogus charities; it also
draws evidences, of the authorities' inability to cope with the
spreading menace.
A U.K Tamil shop owner, who less feared the LTTE, compromised to
reveal the true story behind the terrorist funding in the streets of
London.
Nirmala Ranasinghe, a former LTTE supporter who had active
engagements with the terror outfit since 1982, exchanged her bitter
experiences which led her to desert the terror outfit. "When I went into
the organisation I realized it's not my place. It was totally
undemocratic. Internal killings of cadres had started to happen then
itself. The LTTE cadres who were challenging the authority were being
quietly taken away and finished off."
A few years later Nirmala's younger sister was killed in Sri Lanka
for criticising the Tigers treacherous acts. It may be that an
alternative voice to the LTTE could only arise abroad.
"We felt that we could start organising this now to create an
alternative Tamil voice to come up, because the LTTE claims to be the
sole representative of the Tamil people and we know they are not.
Because we know both here and in Sri Lanka there are lots of people who
are discarding the LTTE.
Not simply because our family members were murdered, but their
behaviour of control, taxation, child abduction, political killings
etc... People are fed up; they have had enough!" sighed Nirmala in
desperation.
"I cannot see the LTTE having the political ability to sit down with
the state and other political parties and accommodate to work out a
solution. I see them politically bankrupt. They have this very set
destructive psychology of suicide bombing and killing. Apart from that
they have no other answer for the Tamil people.
The people who are in the diaspora continuing to support the LTTE are
very irresponsible. They should focus their energy instead of supporting
the LTTE, on presenting for a viable political solution for a united and
unitary nation." |