Another LTTE attempt to raise funds in London

Walter Jayawardhana

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) activists who are licking their wounds following the failure of the "Mega Star show" that became a flop at London's Alexandra Palace a few weeks ago, are organising a smaller show this time to raise funds.

Backed by the same activists, the new show baptised Ilam Kaatru (or Wind of Eelam) is to be staged in The Great Hall in Hatch End in the London suburb of Harrow by the other front of the LTTE , the Tamil Youth Organization (TYO), organisers said. The former show was organised by the LTTE's purported charity, White Dove.

Due to the wide publicity the White Dove's Mega Star event received in the Indian press as a show of a banned organisation, the South Indian performers who were to fly to London refused to turn up and the show intended to earn one million pounds for the coffers of the, LTTE became a flop.

Subsequently, the two Paris shows were also cancelled. Due to the difficulties of getting mega stars from Tamil Nadu and other states in South India the organizers are this time depending mostly on local talent, sources said.

"The Tamil Youth Organisation will be kicking off 2008 with their year's first show: Ilam Kaatru. Come to witness the engaging talent that the members and friends of Tamil Youth Organisation have to offer," the TYO said about the show scheduled to be on March 1 at Headstone Lane, Harrow, Middlesex HA3 6NR.

Although the LTTE is a banned organisation in the United Kingdom, the TYO, a front organisation of the LTTE openly collects funds for the Tigers carry on their activities in London blatantly.