Tiger proxies evicted from UNESCO parley

PARIS: Three members of a pro-LTTE Non Governmental Organisation were evicted from the 61st Annual UNESCO Conference of DPI/NGO at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris yesterday.

Three members of the Tamil Centre for Human Rights (TCHR) have registered as participants submitting false information to the Department of Public Information of UNESCO and the DPI/NGO Conference Secretariat in Paris and New York.

According to reliable sources, UNESCO conference authorities have cancelled the registration of the three members - S.V.Kirubahar, Director TCHR, France, Mrs Deirdre McConnel Kirubahara, Director TCHR, UK and J. Jean-Marie, Program Officer, TCHR, Paris.

While the registration batches of the first two were removed and they were evicted from the UNESCO conference hall immediately, Jean-Marie could not be found at the conference venue until the day’s proceedings were over.

The source revealed that the action to bar TCHR representatives from the conference was taken after the Sri Lanka Embassy lodged a strong protest to UNESCO DPI/NGO regarding enrollment of well known supporters of the LTTE at an international conference organised by UNESCO.

Officials have expressed surprise over inclusion of TCHR among the recognised international NGOs when the United Nations had refused to grant affiliation to TCHR since 2000 because of the TCHR’s close links with the LTTE.

They believe that the TCHR has provided false information to UNESCO DPI/NGO Conference authorities in New York and Paris to register for the Conference.

More than 2000 representatives from over 300 NGOs are attending the three day conference to mark the 60th anniversary of the UN Human Rights Charter.

The conference was declared open by UNESCO Director General Koichiiro Matsura at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris on September 3.

When the Conference Chairperson Ms Shamina de Gonzago decided to cancel the registration of TCHR representatives on September 5 afternoon, the delegates were attending eight different working groups and it was difficult four the UNESCO security personnel to trace the TCHR delegation.

Subsequently they managed to find TCHR General Secretary Kirubahara and his wife, Director, TCHR UK Deirdre McConnel Kirubaharn and they were evicted after removing their conference badges.

Mr Jean-Marie was not to be found at that time, but the security officers had prevented him from entering the conference hall for the following session.

Several NGO representatives expressed displeasure at the attempt made by LTTE supporters to use a reputed conference forum for terrorist disinformation. They expressed gratitude to conference authorities from timely action.