LTTE propaganda television Tharisanam suspends broadcasts

Walter Jayawardhana

The European broadcasts of the Tharisanam Television - a major propaganda arm of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is to be suspended immediately, the service announced.

It is believed the Television Service which has been used for a long period of time as an organ not only for LTTE propaganda but also as a tool to raise funds for the terrorist organisations much needed weapons and ammunition, that have been also used to harm civilians through their suicide bombers and claymore mines became a major cause for Israeli Government to bring pressure on the Israeli satellite company to suspecnd the broadcasts.

Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said , I have spent the major part of 2007 to educate foreign governments about the lethal quality of the LTTE and how its broadcasts are used to raise funds for terrorism against unarmed civilians. It is believed that the broadcasting of Tharisanam, which could be translated easily to True View was connected to companies in France, Israel and Hong Kong.

Tharisanam did not promise to return the money of its subscribers and it is generally believed it would use avenues like Tamil political parties in Tamil Nadu to continue their broadcasts through some other satellites.

Though Tharisanam has been suspended in Europe and Britain, where part of the money is raised for the terrorist group, it is believed the broadcasting would continue in Australia where a different satellite is being used.

According to Sri Lankan authorities the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo has been working on the problem continuously for the last seven months.

It has come to light that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has been using French and Israeli satellites, named Globecast and Satlink, with the help of the pro-LTTE political party Pattalai Makkal Katchi (PMK) in Chennai that is led by Dr. Ramdoss. It is alleged the LTTE funds PMK activities in Tamil Nadu.