Further adventures of LTTE propagandists
Prof Rajiva Wijesinha, MP
I seem to have struck a raw nerve in making public my account of what
Siobhain McDonagh's researcher was up to, in publishing false stories
and possibly making up false videos too. He finally got in touch with me
again, not to send me the clips he had promised of attacks on hospitals,
the evidence he had second thoughts about sharing, but rather to upbraid
me and tell me about his prominent friends.
Amongst them it seems it the British Defence Secretary. This seems to
me highly unlikely, since Philip Hammond is not the sort to consort with
terrorists, even if they might bring him a few extra votes. Perhaps
Daran is counting on those who have recently, ever since they realized
David Miliband was not going to bring home the bacon, been contributing
massive amounts to Conservative Party coffers. But I cannot see Hammond
succumbing to such blandishments.
Siobhain McDonagh and Daran |
In addition to sending me this strange message, Daran or his friends
have also hacked into my youtube channel. This carried only interviews I
had given, but today I noticed a whole stream of videos carrying LTTE
propaganda, with Prabhakaran and Thamilselvam and others of that ilk
features prominently. They were produced by organizations with names
such as EthiridotCom and ethirinews. On top of these are a number of
pornographic videos, though I hasten to add that I did not go into them
to see if they were hard stuff or simply what terrorist hangers on would
find titillating. This strange conglomeration pops up only when one
selects the three clips taken from the meeting in the House of Commons.
This is satisfying, because it makes very clear the reasons for the
hacking that has taken place, and also the predilections of those who
have done the hacking. I am not interested of course in Daran's sexual
fantasies, but the close connection that has been revealed between the
hackers and the LTTE makes crystal clear that Daran is indeed an LTTE
journalist.
I suppose this should have been obvious, but I had tried in my
writings to indicate only that he had made propaganda in support of the
LTTE. He himself however used the words 'LTTE journalist', and perhaps
on the strength of what has now happened the British Police will
question him, if Britain is indeed serious about the agreement to deal
firmly with terrorism that was sealed at the meeting of Commonwealth
Heads of Government. This may be difficult if as Daran claims so many
politicians are all his friends, and if his own rich friends use the
funds they have collected from the LTTE to buy more influence. But the
Defence Secretary I hope will not have double standards about such
matters.
The following is the full text of the email Daran sent me.
Hi Rajiva, I am Daran. How are you. I am fine in London. We have the
conversation on that day, and I believe that it was private and
confidential, but you have expose me as a LTTE journalist. I would like
to point out something to you. If any person has got negative thoughts
about GSOL and all of them are became LTTE supporters? is that the way
you treat every one? see this is why you have so many enemies. No wonder
at all. Is this the way you behave. Its not good.
You have written letters about me to the politicians. You know they
are all my friends. Even British defence secretary. And what do you
expect from me? this is a joke. I move with only high level diplomats.
Next time I will keep the distance with you. Thanks. Yours truly, Daran.
My reply was as follows -
Thanks for your message. I am glad you move with high level diplomats
and the British Defence Secretary is a friend, but you were there in a
public persona, and described yourself as the Athirviru journalist and
wrote about the event in Athirviru in an article replete with
falsehoods. Surely, you must have expected me to respond and set the
record straight, using evidence in the form of the recording of the
event that showed you were not telling the truth?
I wrote with regard to what you were doing, 'For we can understand
that youngsters were carried away by the Tigers and their dangerous
glamour. But, once the Tigers in Sri Lanka were destroyed, it should
have been possible for these boys to transfer their energies to the
welfare of Tamils, and not hanker after a renewal of separatism through
violence. Unfortunately, they are out of touch with what goes on in Sri
Lanka, and so fall prey to continuing extremism, which is fuelled by
those British politicians who derived advantage from the previous
connection.' It would be good if we could work together for all the
people of Sri Lanka, but you must be truthful.
With kind regards, Rajiva
I should add that the reference to letters I have written to
politicians must be to the fact that the High Commission asked the
leader of the Labour Party whether Daran was indeed Siobhain McDonagh's
Researcher as he had claimed.
She has obviously told him about the query, though interestingly
enough she seems to have denied any link with him in talking to her more
respectable acquaintance, and has claimed that he simply came in with
her to the meeting at the House of Commons at which he revealed so much
of himself and the techniques he employs.
Even assuming she was telling the truth in denying that Daran was
associated with her as he had claimed to be, she was still obviously
acting unwisely in bringing him in with her to the meeting at the House
of Commons. Indeed, he was not the only one, in that Daran in his
article claimed there were three brave Tamils who faced down 150
Sinhalese.
Since there were in fact several other Tamils, some of whom spoke out
against continuing propaganda, and were excoriated for their pains, it
would seem that when Daran says Tamils, he means Tigers or their
supporters, and he characterizes all Sri Lankans who do not share his
beliefs as Sinhalese. But we should be glad that this ruthless
dichotomizing is happening, since it suggests the LTTE and its
supporters are becoming desperate.
The fact that they could only get former activists to do their dirty
deeds indicates that the vast majority of Tamils are, quietly but
firmly, resisting them.
If they are now resorting to uploading pornography on my youtube
channel, one can look forward soon I think to their retreating to such
pursuits rather than the dangerous terrorism they engaged in for so
long. |