HomeUnited Kingdom - A Haven for International Terrorists
An open letter to the Home Secretary highlighting the fact UK has become a base for most of the terrorist organisations in the world, including the worst terrorists organisation in the world, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
We have subsequently received a reply from the Home Secretary. The possibility of introducing legislation to ban the LTTE and other terrorist organisations from the UK is being investigated. We would urge all UK Residents to print this letter and send it to the Home Secretary and your local MP, after adding your name and address. We must exert pressure for the immediate closure of the LTTE activities in the UK, where it is estimated a significant proportion of their global funds are being generated for the pure purpose of destroying lives and peace in Sri Lanka.
Also, if you know any names and addresses of Tamil Terrorists who are bogus refugees or defrauding the UK welfare system, please send the information to us at sinhalaya@sinhaya.com.
If you would like to stop the LTTE raising funds in the UK to buy bullets
and explosives to kill innocent civilians in Sri Lanka, please feel free to copy this
letter and send it to your MP, Home Secretary or the Prime Minister after adding your name
and address.
You can email your letters to the home office at gen.ho@gtnet.gov.uk .Alternatively, you
can call the home office on Tel 0171 270 3035 and express your views.
24 Nov 1997.
Right Hon. Jack Straw
Home Secretary
House of Parliament
London SW7.
Terrorists’ Activities in U.K
In recent years the United Kingdom has become a safe haven for most of the terrorist organisations in the world. Most of these terrorist organisations, bent on committing mass murders , destruction of property, both state and private, and fighting legally elected governments have offices, supporters and the necessary infra structures to raise funds in England. A substantial part of the funds raised for the terrorist activities to purchase arms and ammunition and to train cadres come from England.
One of the most ruthless terrorist organisations, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Sri Lanka, has its head quarters in London and raises funds by resorting to legal and illegal means. Under the guise of organising social and cultural events, it collects funds even from school children and some London Boroughs like Newham, subsidise some activities of that organisation. A large number of Tamils from Sri Lanka have come to U.K. as bogus refugees and they have abused the social security benefit system to send huge sums of money to buy arms and ammunitions to cause mass murders and destroy property and valuable assets.
We urge you to ban all terrorist organisations, including the LTTE, from U.K, take suitable and effective actions to curb all fund raising activities of all terrorist groups and to set up some machinery to monitor the activities of all known terrorists and terrorist groups. Numerous requests made by Sri Lankan and other governments to close down operations run by these terrorist organisation have been rejected by the British government saying they are not breaking any UK law. If this is the case, then there is something wrong with the UK law. How can you justify allowing terrorist organisations such as LTTE to raise funds legally which are used to buy explosives and bullets that kill and injure innocent civilians including British citizens? Why do you want to give a safe haven to killers?
Reply from the Home Office
To:sinhalaya@sinhaya.com
Subject:Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Activities
in UK
Date:28th November 1997
Dear Sir or Madam
Thank you for your e-mail of 20th October to the Home Secretary concerning the activities of the LTTE. Your e-mail has been passed to me for a reply.
The Government is committed to combating vigorously any manifestations of terrorism in the United Kingdom. We are determined that this country should not be used as a base for supporting terrorism overseas in any way.
You ask why the Government allows the LTTE to operate in the UK. The Government currently has the power only to ban groups involved in activities related to Northern Irish terrorism. However, the Home Secretary has recently announced that the Government is preparing a consultation paper which will examine the possibility of banning foreign terrorist organisations operating in this country. The paper will also set out proposals to introduce permanent legislation aimed at tightening up controls on foreign terrorists seeking to make their base in the United Kingdom.
Any credible information or evidence about terrorist activity is investigated. The Prevention of Terrorism Act 1989 creates offences in relation to terrorist fundraising and, in the aforementioned consultation paper, the Home Secretary shall propose increasing those powers to investigate fundraising by terrorists. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to prove a link between money raised in one country and terrorist offences in another, as our experiences of IRA fundraising shows.
As regards your suggestion that we ban all LTTE members, where sufficient evidence emerges that individuals are involved in terrorism of any kind, we do not hesitate to take action against them, either under the criminal law, supported as necessary by prevention of terrorism legislation, or under Immigration Act powers.
Yours sincerely
Organised and International Crime Directorate