Lankans demonstrate against Tigers in Paris

Paris: A few LTTE supporters who tried to disrupt a peaceful demonstration held by the Sri Lankans in Paris on Sunday had to make a hasty retreat under police protection.

The Tiger supporters started to shout pro-Tiger slogans when the demonstration began at 3.00 P.M. and some of the LTTE supporters made threatening gestures to the demonstrators, but when the young girls and boys started to shout slogans denouncing Tiger terrorists, the LTTE supporters had to roll up their Eelam flags and make a hasty retreat.

Braving the first snowfall of the winter, followed by rain and gusty cold wind, more than 1,000 demonstrators shouted slogans denouncing

Tigers and urging the French and the European Union to support Sri Lanka’s fight against ruthless terrorists.

The demonstration was held at Trocadero, under the shade of the most popular tourist attraction of the world, the Eiffel Tower.

The demonstration, jointly organised by the United Sri Lankans (USL) carried slogans against terrorism and photographs depicting LTTE terror attacks on civilians and economic targets.

The placards condemned the continuous recruitment of children as armed combatants by the LTTE. The demonstrators urged the international community to pressure LTTE stop keeping the Tamil population of Kilinochchi as hostages to use them as a human shield.

They said that the French authorities should take steps to stop extortion, intimidation and harassment of innocent Tamil civilians living in France by the cadres of LTTE and members of its various front organisations and mafia gangs.

“We, the peace-loving and law-abiding French citizens of Sri Lankan origin, wish to bring to make the French people aware of the true nature of the most ruthless and barbaric terrorist movement called the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) - better known as Tigers,” a spokesman said.

“LTTE is a Fascist terrorist organisation fighting against the democratically elected government; LTTE is banned in the EU, US, Canada and India. Front organisations of the LTTE indulge in various nefarious activities including extortion of money from innocent Tamils, money-laundering, intimidation and harassment of those who refuse to make payments to the LTTE and propagation and glorification of terrorism.

LTTE propaganda material glorifying terrorism is available in most shops in La Chapelle area and traders allow the LTTE material to be sold because of fear of reprisals by the LTTE gangs and the French public should understand this,” he said.

The organisers urged the French to condemn the killings of thousands of Tamil and Sinhala civilians, including women and children by the Tigers.

“We, the democratic and peace-loving Sri Lankans, call upon the French Government and the European Union to proscribe all the front organisations of the LTTE,” the spokesman said. “We urge you to investigate into the nefarious activities of LTTE terrorists and take legal action against them, enabling the law abiding French citizens of Sri Lankan origin - both Tamil and Sinhala - to live and enjoy the democratic individual freedoms in this liberal nation.”

Denouncing the LTTE attempt to disrupt the peaceful demonstration, the spokesman said that the French authorities should take immediate action against the LTTE cadres who raised the LTTE banner. “The LTTE is a banned organisation in the EU,” he pointed out. “French police should arrest these terrorists”.

- Asian Tribune