HomeReaction from the World Press
Time for the UK to take firm action (Evening Standard - 3 February 1998)
Prince Charles arrives in Colombo today for what was supposed to have been a three-day party to celebrate 50 years of Sri Lankan independence. Instead, he will find himself in the middle of a distasteful diplomatic row between two countries which have had the friendliest relations for decades - but no longer do.
It is hard not to feel sympathy towards Sri Lanka in its dispute with Britain. Their Government simply cannot understand why the Tamil Tigers - among the most ruthless terrorist organisations in the world - have been allowed to set up their international headquarters in London. More than 50,000 people have lost their lives since the Tamil terrorists launched their campaign of violence 20 years ago; only last week 17 people were killed in a bomb blast outside the Buddhist Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, which the Prince of Wales had intended to visit tomorrow but has been withdrawn from his itinerary for security reasons.
The terrorists' cause - to create a Tamil state in the north of the island - may or may not be a reasonable one. But the violent means they use towards reaching their end are clearly unreasonable. The bombings and killings are not directly planned from the Tigers' London HQ but the organisation's public relations operations are.
According to Government sources in Sri Lanka the terrorists raise as much as 25 million Sterling Pounds a year from Britain's Tamil community and, understandably, they cite a parallel with the IRA's fund raising activities in the US, which infuriate so many people here.
Successive British Home Secretaries have argued that it is hard to differentiate between Tamil refugees collecting money for humanitarian purposes or for financing a guerrilla war. But this increasingly sounds like a lame excuse. Known terrorists are not afforded the protection of refugee status under any UN conventions and Mr. Jack Straw has the power, if he wishes, to close down the London operations of the Tamil terrorists. Britain left Sri Lanka an important legacy of democracy 50 years ago; we should do more to help protect it.
Bombing outrage demands action (Hong Kong Standard - 27 January 1997)
The bombers are back. After an uneasy lull of a few weeks, the shadow of terrorism has fallen across Sri Lanka once again. The 50th anniversary of the country's independence from British colonial rule has been preceded by a suicide attack by a three-man Tamil Tiger suicide squad on a holy and revered Buddhist shrine.
The explosion which killed 15 people has sent shock waves far beyond the confines of the Temple of the Tooth which houses a sacred relic reputed to be a tooth of the Buddha.
This senseless attack provides clear-cut proof, if any were needed, that this is a terrorist organisation pure and simple. These people may once have had dreams of fighting for a homeland. In recent years, though, they have shown a despicable disdain for religion and for followers of their respective faiths. They have killed thousands of people, including many of their fellow Tamils.
More than 10 years ago the Tigers killed or wounded more than 100 Buddhist monks at another sacred place, the ancient capital of Anuradhapura. Since, they have attacked Muslims at prayer in mosques in the eastern province killing and maiming several dozen. In 1996, they attacked a Hindu temple during a religious ceremony.
The world has predictably reacted with revulsion to this latest incident involving death and destruction in a place of worship. But it is not enough for the governments of the world merely to express their horror at each new outrage. It is not enough for them to speak thousands of words and churn out reams of paper, saying how they will deal with terrorism at home, regionally or internationally. They must act.
Malaysia announced in 1996 that it would not permit the Tigers to make use of its soil for terrorist pursuits. It is time for other governments to take similar tough action against those who carry out mindless attacks on innocent people and holy places.
British Tamils fund war in Sri Lanka (UK Times - 27 Januray 1998)
The LTTE, who have been waging a terrorist campaign against the Sri Lankan people for the past 14 years, can keep going indefinitely, unless the Western Governments make an honest attempt to curb the hundreds of thousands of pounds, which are collected every month, purely for the destruction of the Sri Lankan people and their heritage.
Most of their money comes from Europe, the US and Canada. London is the propaganda headquarters, feeding information to Tamil organisations, embassies and newspapers worldwide. The failure of the international community to stem the LTTE activities demonstrates the ineffectiveness of the global fight against terrorism.
Britain has all but admitted it is powerless to curb the LTTE under present legislation, who raise, according to Sri Lankan estimates, £250,000 a month from Tamils living in Britain. The worldwide income is believed to be about £1.25 million a month, which funds a sophisticated war machine. There are 50,000 Tamils in Britain, most of them relatively prosperous, and many Tamils actively support the cause.
Foreign intelligence agencies have evidence that the LTTE trade in narcotics: recent reports suggest this includes the transportation of heroin on the LTTEs' own ships from Burma. Drugs profits have doubtless financed some of the terrorists' most expensive purchases, including Sam missiles, costing £600,000 each on the black market.
Corrupt generals in Cambodia sold Russian-made Sam 7s to the LTTE in the 1980s, and there is evidence of new acquisitions from unknown sources. A Sri Lankan Air Force plane recently reported coming under attack by what is believed to have been a Sam-type shoulder-held missile.
Ships owned by the LTTE are registered through front companies in Honduras, Liberia and Panama. They carry commercial cargo as well as weapons to offset costs. The rebels have investments in international stock markets, property and even restaurants, including some in London, Tokyo and Paris.