Home
20 February 1998
The Rt. Hon. Simon Hughes MP
House of Commons
Westminster SW1A 0AA
Dear Mr. Hughes,
The outrageous bomb explosion carried out on 25th January 1998 by a suspected Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suicide squad on the holy shrine Temple of Tooth, revered by Buddhists all over the world, has once again proven the LTTE to be the most brutal and barbaric terrorist organisation in the world. This latest and most despicable provocation is a series of acts of violence unleashed by the LTTE to deliberately generate ethnic cleansing in Sri Lanka. While such barbaric actions speak volumes for the fanatical nature of the LTTE, the resilience and tolerance shown by the majority of Sri Lankans demonstrate their determination for peaceful co-existence, even under such extreme provocations.
Despite malicious propaganda of the LTTE and its front organisations, the international community has finally awaken to the barbarism of the LTTE terrorists and is banned in the USA, India and Malaysia. Canada has identified the LTTE to be a threat to their national security and has taken positive steps to curb their propaganda and fund raising activities.
Despite numerous appeals made by the Sri Lankan government and various Sri Lankan organisations in the UK, the British government has failed to take action against fund raising and propaganda activities of the LTTE in the UK. By allowing the LTTE to function freely within the UK, the British government is allowing its territory to be used for the murder of innocent civilians, destruction of state and private property and is unwittingly sponsoring terrorism against a legally elected democratic government in Sri Lanka.
As you must be aware one of the LTTE offices is located in your constituency, bearing the address 202 Long Lane, London SE1 4QB. As a responsible member of Parliament, we trust you to be opposed to any organisation which engage in violence to achieve their aims and therefore, kindly request you take up the issue of banning the LTTE operations in the UK with the Rt. Hon. Home Secretary and other responsible authorities.
For your pursual enclosed, the editorial carried out by the Evening Standard on the 3rd of February, highlighting the fact the Home Secretary has the necessary power, if he wishes, to close down the London operations of the LTTE. Also attached are a chronology of attacks carried out by the LTTE against innocent civilians in Sri Lanka and political leaders and a copy of the recent article published in The Times titled British Tamils fund war in Sri Lanka
We are outraged that in the name of political freedom, the British soil can be used by terrorist organisations such as the LTTE. Such irresponsible actions not only tarnish the international image of the UK, but can be a grave threat to its national security. We sincerely hope that you can use your good offices and political influence to bring the above matter to the attention of authorities in power.