New UK TV channel a pro-LTTE move?

UK: A new television channel, Thendral TV, launched in the UK and commencing telecasts on July 14, 2008, has come under suspicion of being a pro-LTTE station.

The new transmission commenced telecasts barely a month after the Israeli decision to close down Tharishanam TV transmission after the Israel authorities were informed about the link between the terrorist organisation and Tharishanam.

It is also reported that the transmission licence for Thendral TV was obtained by a well-known LTTE supporter through the Tendral Medical Centre.

The transmission rights have been acquired from Nepali Television, which is a Nepali language television service established several years ago in UK.

Thendral TV is using frequency 11.727 of EUtelsat Hotbird and its UK service provider’s address is Crawley Court, Winchester, Hampshire SO21 2QA.

Thendral TV is registered under Thendral Media Ltd UK at 135 Q, Alexandra Park Road, London N22 7UL, United Kingdom.

Analysts believe that the Thendral TV would initially telecast songs and cultural programmes and gradually move onto hard LTTE propaganda material to assist the terrorist organisation in its fund raising activities.

“It is surprising how and why Nepal TV allowed its transmission channel to be used by a front organization of LTTE, a terrorist organization banned not only in EU, UK and USA but also in India” a media-watch analyst said, expressing surprise that the transmission is taking place from UK, a country totally committed to anti-terrorism should take effective action to prevent transmission”.

Earlier the Tamil Tigers’ test transmissions of its Euro television channel from Israel using the RR Sat of Tel Aviv for uplink facility was stopped.

The Asian Tribune reported about this transmission last month in a story titled ‘LTTE’s Euro TV moves to Israel after blockade by France and Italy’.

The LTTE is desperately trying to get new television and radio channels established as all the previous transmissions from France, Italy, Singapore and Israel were stopped by relevant authorities after establishing that these transmissions were linked to the terrorist group.