Daily News Reports

Untold Storey - LTTE Massacre

Terrorism has many faces but one Cause

"LTTE Have brought nothing but misery for the Tamil
People" - United States of America

Oct 24, 2006.

No country could be more sensitive to the unholy outcome of secession than the United States.

US history includes forceful reminders of attempts at secession that ended in miserable failure. When eleven states formed the Confederate States of America in 1861 and declared secession, the US maintained that secession was illegal, and refused to recognize the Confederacy. This led to the American Civil War in April 1861. The agrarian Southern states based on attitudes to slavery, wished to separate from the industrialized North, a decision doomed from the start. When Abraham Lincoln became President on March 4, 1861, he declared that “no state by its own mere motion can lawfully get out of the Union,” calling the secession “legally void.” With the South losing the civil war, the concept of separation collapsed amidst the lives lost and blood shed.

From history to modern times, the US strategy in Iraq, with emphasis on integration and unity rather than a division of the country despite all odds, is a reiteration of the US stance that secession within a country is unacceptable as it is unworkable.

Within this framework and viewpoint, what is the US stance on Sri Lanka?

R. Nicholas Burns, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, the State Department’s third ranking official, in a recent interaction with South Asian journalists in Washington DC, gave the US stand in no uncertain terms. He said: “Let me set the record straight. The United States does not recognize the LTTE. We don't deal with them. We don't support them, we are extremely critical of them.... we have no sympathy whatsoever for the Tamil Tigers. They are a terrorist organization; they have brought nothing but misery to the people of Sri Lanka as well as to the Tamil population of Sri Lanka.” He added, “We have excellent relations with the government of Sri Lanka. I have met with President Rajapaksa. We are signaling our strong support for the government of Sri Lanka.”

Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Mr. Richard Boucher, who was in Sri Lanka recently, assured President Rajapaksa that the US strongly opposes terrorism and would support Sri Lanka in every way in the country's fight against terrorism as well as the quest for peace. The October 18, 2006 editorial of the Washington Times commented that, “Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher, rightly noted that the Tigers are a ‘terrorist group that needs to be treated accordingly’.”

For many years, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and its agents and sympathizers in the US and Europe, exploited the relative ignorance of Westerners and propagated a myth about “a Tamil Homeland” and the need to secede. Among the facts they omitted to present were demographic figures clearly indicating that only Jaffna peninsula, Mannar island and a thin coastal strip of the east and a few towns in the interior are inhabited by Tamils. Many Buddhist artifacts have been discovered in the geographic area claimed as “a Tamil Homeland.” About one-third of Tamils in Sri Lanka live in the north and east and the two-thirds consisting of both Sri Lankan and Indian Tamils live in the south. Thus, any “devolution package” will benefit only one-third of the Tamils, while two-thirds of the Tamil people will still be living in harmony with the majority Sinhalese and other minorities in the rest of the country.

The international community is at long last realizing the deception engaged upon by the LTTE.

It is, therefore, unfortunate, that a respected newspaper like the Boston Globe decides, in these enlightened times, to promote “self-rule in its own homeland” for Tamils. It adds, in apparent ignorance, “Peace in Sri Lanka must be accompanied by justice for the island's Tamil minority.” President Rajapaksa has promised justice for all communities in Sri Lanka and the right for all to live in peaceful co-existence.

The conflict in stances taken appears to point to an inconsistently handled information setup in past months where, according to Congressman Frank Pallone, Sri Lanka did not regularly or adequately brief US policy makers or the media.

It is vital that Sri Lanka keeps reminding the world that secession was never the goal intended. Maximum devolution within an undivided Sri Lanka is the goal to be reached in any meaningful negotiation with the LTTE.

Massacre of 11 Muslim Civlians Carried out by LTTE
Terrorists - Only Survivor.

Sep 21, 2006.

Giving a statement to the police, the victim, Kareem Meera Mohideen (60), said, "On Sunday evening suddenly a group of Tigers stormed the place where we were. They were armed with guns, sickles, knives and axes. They abducted us, took us to the forest, and blindfolded us. After it became dark, they attacked us with sickles, axes and knives.

“I too was hit by an axe and a sickle. I escaped as I pretended to be dead,” the statement quoted the victim as saying.

Mr. Mohideen was initially admitted to the Pottuvil hospital and later transferred to the intensive care unit of the Ampara General Hospital. Eleven other Muslim civilians were brutally killed in the incident.

LTTE Terrorists Murder a 3 year old girl and 2 other 
Civilians in a bomb attack in Colombo.

Aug 8, 2006.

The bomb went off near a girls' school in a residential area of the city.

A Tamil government minister opposed to the Tamil Tigers said the target was one of his party colleagues.

Grandfather's grief at another 3 year old infant murdered by LTTE
for 'Tamil Liberation'

Double blow for the LTTE:
Sri Lankan Army re-opens the Mawilaru sluice gate on
the back of the Muttur Victory.

Sri Lankan Army Soldiers have re-opened the Mawilaru slice gate closed by the LTTE terrorists in an attempt to ethnically cleanse the area of non tamil residents. This comes on the back of hastily retreat the terrorists made from Muttur town after over 150 terrorists were killed in fighting with the government forces.

LTTE Supporters break US Anti Terrorism Laws
By holding Illegal Fund Raising Event in New York City.

Aug 1, 2006.

The Arts and Cultural branch of the World Tamil Organisation
in New York held its Ninth annual children's sports festival at the
Jamaica High School sports facilities in Jamaica New York
Saturday July 31. WTO is a front organisation for the LTTE
which is banned as a terrorist Organization in the USA.

We urge all concerned readers to write the the US authorities
using the sample letters and links below:

FBI

Jamaica School

Sample Letters to the U.S. authorities:

Assistant Secretary Charles Burnes

U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520

Ms Molly Gower

Head of Sri Lanka Desk

U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520

NY Senator Charles Schumer -- 

NY Senator Hilary Clinton -- 

When the Bush administration has stated in no uncertain terms that in post 911 era n every US citizen should do their part to protect the country, we are shocked by your passive approach on the above incident. It does not seems to be inline with the Bush administration policy If the law enforcement failed to realize prior to the event, passive approach Raising the LTTE flag alongside the flag of USA you can say the picture says a thousand words. In fact as to my knowledge the creation of the Department Home Land security was to share information as an when they create a threat to national security.

We like to point out a few significant points in summing up this event.

It is imprudent for USA to assume that ruthless terrorist activities of LTTE will not affect USA

Alqaeda using the LTTE expertise on marine suicide bombing to bomb USS Cole is one example.

Failed attempt to kill on contract Bangla Deshi Prime minister in the year 2000 who had nothing to do with their issue.

Other area of the issue needs to be address is the fact that the school authorities were duped to lend the public school property for this purpose.

If flying the US flag has not breached the US law, what should be emphasized is to introduce legislature to do so.

When US flag is flown side by side with the LTTE flag needless to say it thoroughly degrades the value of the US flag as LTTE represent everything that US condemns ( Suicide bombing, Massacre, recruiting child soldiers Ethnic Cleansing, human rights violations war crimes using pregnant women as suicide bombers, beheading POWs the list goes on an on.)

Especially such activities involve children child welfare units should be informed as this kind of activity created child endangerment. If teaching of Tamil was the genuine reason, where was the flag of India? The country of origin of Tamil Language?

Therefore we believe it is thoroughly important for you to take a tough stand and recommend immediate investigation on this matter rather than proving the proscription of LTTE is a simply child glove as any indication of presence of the ruthless terrorist group LTTE in America should be taken very seriously.

August 2, 2006

Mr. Owen :

We were amazed to see the US embassy in Colombo Sri Lanka treating a front organization of the LTTE in New York with kid gloves. Any Sri Lankan expatriate in New York understands that the so called sports meet that was reported in the Daily News was a bold step to promote the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam among the expatriate Tamils despite the fact that the LTTE is listed as a terrorist organization under the State Department. There would have been a different reaction from US embassies anywhere if such a sports meet was held with the Al Queda flag in the front.

If the organizers were not LTTE they would have given a Lion Flag, a Union jack or india's Dharma Chakra to be carried in front of the march past instead of the flag of the world's most ferocious terrorist Velupillai Prabhakaran. Carrying a flag of a putative state, on par with this nation's stars and stripes would show not only what you are ready to tolerate and but what you would not dare even to investigate. We are glad to know that at least your letter showed to the world that some US embassies in the world would defend such an action for reasons best known to themselves.

You say that the LTTE is a banned organization under law. That law becomes a real ass if any front organization is able to hoist the flag of the banned organization, hold classes for the Tamil children in New York on the Fascist and racist policies of the organization, promote ethnic cleansing for a racist state, promote suicide bombing etc. which are well known policies of the organization. Under this law can you please tell us whether a single person has been prosecuted for supporting the LTTE. As far as we know there isn't a single individual so far in the US.

As an individual who is receiving your salary from the US tax payers like us you should stop actively or passively supporting such policies. The US may not be having a central education policy. Could you please explain under what kind of law US kids could be allowed to be educated in such inhuman uncivilized doctrines? Double talk and hairsplitting arguments are sure avenues to allow such brutal inhuman acts.Our fear is that next time you will be openly advocating to teach the very the policies that US is diametrically opposed in some queer schools in New York.

LTTE resumes ethnic clensing by massacring
12 civilians

May 29, 2006.

Homeguards have been deployed to all the villages to provide security. "Hence the Tigers have selected an unprotected construction site on noman's land between the cleared and uncleared areas as their target," he said.

Sri Lankans in England Demonstrate Against
British Terrorist Broadcasting Cooperation

May 14, 2006.

LTTE Massacre

BBC News

A petition blaming the BBC for hampering Sri Lanka’s attempts to “eradicate terrorism” has been handed over to the BBC officials. Nicki Clarke, Executive Editor of the Asia Pacific Region and Priyath Liyanage, Head of Sinhala Service of the BBC World Service were handed over the petition on Monday.

Handing over the petition, Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) London organiser Rani Bulathwala accused BBC Sandeshaya of “badly influencing the whole of the BBC on Sri Lanka’s conflict”.

Dozens of Sri Lankans protested in front of Bush House, HQ of the World Service, accuse BBC of being “sympathetic to the Tamil terrorists,” during the recent upsurge of violence in the north and the east.

An organisation called Sri Lankans Against Terrorism (SLAT) is calling for an “unbiased” coverage on the long running conflict in the island nation.

“Viewed internationally as an icon for the dissemination of the truth about various countries and their affairs, it (BBC) has been less than impartial or straightforward or factual in its reports about Sri Lanka,” a statement by the SLAT said.

LTTE confuses Squatting with Sovereignty

May 14, 2006.

Political spokesman for the Tamil Tiger terrorist brigade LTTE, Thamilselvam’s delusions are running amok as he claims ‘sovereign rights’ for ‘access to the adjacent sea and airspace of our homelands’ in response to the sharp ruling they received from the SLMM following the sea attack on the Sri Lanka Naval Force personnel carrier.

Thamilselvam considers managing a havoc wreaking violent terrorist mob to be the same as running a Sovereign State. The LTTE is totally dependent on the Sri Lankan Government’s clemency for its very existence. The civil infrastructure the LTTE uses in the illegally occupied areas such as roads, electricity, water, telecommunication are provided by the Sri Lankan State free of charge. No one pays bills in this make believe monkey “State” for any of these services because no government servant is going to collect debts in a terrorist overrun area where there is no rule of law.

The rogue ‘civilians’ in these uncleared areas depend on the government salaries, pensions which are topped up by the ever generous remittances from the Tamil Diaspora around the globe for their sustenance. Their sick are flown at government expense to the proper hospitals in the rest of the country for medical care free of charge. The LTTE can not move from their hideouts without the security and escort provided by the Sri Lankan State free of charge.

In this wonderful free set up all what the LTTE is capable of doing is to dress up in their monkey suits and run around carrying arms robbing, killing and play acting any role of their choice. If one wants to be a Political Commissar in this cuckoo land, as Thamilselvam has found out, there is no need to go to school, no necessity to learn to read or write, no need to know your rear-end from your mouth- you can be a Political Commissar.

It is no wonder he gets away thinking that he and his monkey outfit has sovereign rights to Sri Lanka’s land, sea and air. This illiterate must be educated with the stark reality that he and his outfit is an illegal, unwelcome band of criminal fugitives who are awaiting their execution for the crimes against humanity committed over the last 23 years. While Thamilselvam’s ranting that the SLN is “also disturbing the LTTE exercises” (at sea) allows the reader a chuckle due to the mindless hilarity of his stupidity it must be dealt with the contempt is deserves through the immediate dispatch of a free tutor to the wanni to educate him on the legalities and conventions regarding maritime rights that a Sovereign State alone enjoys, barring any make-believe “homelands” or “de-facto states”.

The attack by the LTTE’s sea Tiger terrorists on unarmed Navy personnel carrier Pear Cruiser II with SLMM’s Helen Olafsdottir on board marked a defining moment in the LTTE’s future prospects for existence. Olafsdottir finally got her “evidence” on the atrocities committed by the Tamil terrorists.

Even though the Tamil terrorists have been killing over the last 4 years under the cover of the CFA the SLMM never laid the blame on these atrocities unequivocally on the terrorists. Not when the LTTE killed up to a hundred SLDF personnel though the use of claymores since December 2005, not when a Navy dvora was destroyed with personnel aboard, not when civilians were killed in Trincolmalee market through bombs, not when innocent farmers were shot and hacked to death, not when civilian mothers were butchered together with their infants, in fact, not even when the Chief of the Armed forces of Sri Lanka was targeted by a Tamil suicide bomber was Olafsdottir convinced enough to blame the LTTE squarely for the atrocities and rule that the LTTE violated the CFA.

Following all these incidents, the SLMM, and Olafsdottir in particular, came up with the typical fork-tongued response that it is possible that the LTTE may be responsible but refused to go any further as ‘there was no hard evidence’ to be conclusive in their determination. Instead the SLMM used the smoke-screen of innuendo against the Sri Lankan government alleging that SLDF is involved in the attacks carried out by one time LTTE leader Karuna on the LTTE. Finally Olafsdottir got her EVIDENCE- in the form of a near death experience at sea.

Finally it was Olafsdottir’s posterior in the Tamil terrorist firing line and she was UNEQUIVOCAL in awarding LTTE the responsibility. This attack on the Sri Lanka Naval convoy Thursday 11 May 2006 brought forth a straightforwardness and clarity so far unknown during the four year history of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM). The use of terms such as “gross violation of the ceasefire” “with the aim of provoking the Sri Lankan navy” “embarking on an offensive operation against the navy” have never been in the vocabulary of the SLMM when just as serious offensive action was carried out before this. One wonders if the Tamil terrorists have just turned a corner and started on their Road to Predition.

US to lead global campaign against LTTE
After resumption of Suicide Bombings

Apr 27, 2006.

Boucher called the bombing, which targeted the Army Chief, a terrible terrorist attack and said it was "regrettable the Tigers decided to restart the war instead of restarting the peace process".

Boucher said the United States was not talking to the Tigers. However, he said, "we work with a lot of parties who have a lot of contacts with them". The United States banned the LTTE nearly a decade ago.

The US was one of the first countries to condemn Tuesday's attack. "This is clearly an act of terror, which we condemn," the State Department's deputy spokesman Adam Ereli told reporters. "It is an unacceptable act of terror, a clear provocation and an escalation of violence."

Boucher and Ereli expressed the United States' sympathy to the victims.
"The people of this country ought not to have to live for another 15 to 20 years with this reprehensible terrorist group keeping this country verged on the edge of war," said US Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns in January.
The US has often called on the LTTE to give terrorism and all forms of violence in word and deed.

Co-Chairs of the Sri Lankan Peace Process (United States, European Union, Japan and Norway) condemning the attempted assassination of Lt. General Sarath Fonseka, exhorted the LTTE to cease all suicide attacks and other forms of violence.

The Co-Chairs summoned another emergency meeting Wednesday to discuss the current situation in Sri Lanka and possibly their future course of action with regard to the peace process, diplomatic sources said.

This was the second meeting the Colombo representatives of the Co-Chairs held within 30 hours of the brutal attack by the LTTE. They were expected to deliberate on appropriate steps to convince the two parties to stick to negotiations.

LTTE hacked to death a young mother
while breastfeeding her infant.
Murders a 3 year old Muslim infant.
Apr 24, 2006.

Military sources said this latest act comes barely 12 hours after the LTTE, in a similar incident, executed another crime at Muslim Colony, Kaduruwela, Polonnaruwa: killing a three-year-old infant while he was with his mother.

Home guards providing security to the area in Serunuwara rushed to the scene and began firing at the gang of weapon-carrying attackers, some of whom covered their faces with black pieces of cloth. Due to the fire fight, one home guard was injured.

Preliminary reports confirmed that tensions were rising fast in the area as villagers have begun flocking to the scene of the tragedy.

Mudiyaselage Rupasinghe, center left, mourns after seeing the body of his son Eranda Sadaruwan at a mortuary, at Kalyanipara, near the northeastern town of Trincomalee, Sri Lanka

LTTE Resumes Massacring Civilians
Six Farmers in Eastern Sri Lanka Massacred by
LTTE.
Apr 23, 2006.

Police say the Tigers massacred the villagers in the district of Trincomalee.

"Those farmers were working in their paddy fields when they were taken and shot," army spokesman Brig Prasad Samarasinghe said, Reuters news agency reports.

LTTE terrorists have been trying to provoke communal violence by targeting civilians.

In other violence on Sunday, the military said three terrorists were killed in clashes in the north and the east of the country. Police say a fourth terrorist is in hospital after eating a cyanide capsule similar to those regularly carried by the rebels after the police detained him.

Sri Lankan soldiers stand guard at a field after the massacre of six   farmers by Tamil terrorists at the Kalyanipura village, Trincomalee district in eastern Sri Lanka.

LTTE Resumes Hostilities in Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan Army is urged to take action to stop
Terrorism

Dec 05, 2005.

The government said in a statement, “It is regretted that in less than forty-eight hours the government has been called upon once again to condemn in the strongest possible terms a claymore mine attack on Army personnel carried out by the LTTE at Nallur near Jaffna this morning. The attack claimed the lives of an officer and six soldiers and injured one soldier. A diplomatic vehicle of a Colombo based Swiss embassy was also damaged, and three Swiss nationals were injured.

“The LTTE engaged in a stealth war against Sri Lankan security forces using the cover of the Cease-fire Agreement. It is clear to all that the LTTE, which participated in peace talks with the successive government for the past three and a half years, has not transformed from its terrorist tendencies. The strategy is to provoke a confrontation with the security forces. As a responsible government, we will act with restraint, but take all measures required to maintain law and order in the peninsula.”

The Secretary to the Ministry of Defence in the last two days has met the head of the SLMM, impressed upon him the serious nature of the situation, and urged decisive measures from the SLMM regarding the LTTE’s adherence to its Ceasefire obligations, the government added.

New Army commander  Lt-Gen Sarath Fonseka said "We are ready for any situation... we have not dropped our guard," during a press conference he held yesterday.

US Condemns murder of Seven Soldiers by LTTE terrorist

The United States yesterday condemned last Sunday's LTTE attack on a Sri Lanka Army vehicle, which caused the deaths of seven soldiers in Jaffna.

US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Adam Ereli said, “The US remains gravely concerned about persistent violations of the Ceasefire Agreement, particularly over the past few weeks. Such violence is inconsistent with LTTE claims to be committed to the peace process.

“We call on both the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE to take immediate action to prevent violence and to uphold the terms of the Ceasefire Agreement,” his statement said.

India Urges EU to Ban LTTE

By S. Venkat Narayan
(c) Jayadeepa

NEW DELHI, December 5: India has asked the European Union (EU) to ban the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) by branding it as a terrorist organization.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sent to the EU, through the Ministry of External Affairs, a dossier on the LTTE and three Indian terrorist outfits to be considered for a ban, according to informed sources here.

The LTTE has acquired notoriety for being one of the most lethal and well-organised terrorist groups in South Asia. India was the first country to ban the LTTE on 14 May 1992, an year after the outfit’s woman suicide-bomber Dhanu assassinated former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at an election rally on the outskirts of Chennai on the night of 21 May 1991.

The outfit has since been banned by Malaysia, Canada, Australia, the United States (in 1997), and Britain (2001).

On September 26 this year, the EU barred Tamil Tigers from visiting its 25 Member States, and declared that it is actively considering listing the LTTE as a terrorist group. Condemning their "continuous use of violence and terrorism" the EU asked the Tamil Tigers "to take immediate public steps to demonstrate their commitment to the peace process and their willingness to change."

The EU also decided that each of its Member States will, where necessary, take "additional national measures to check and curb illegal or undesirable activities (including issues of funding and propaganda) of the LTTE, its related organizations and known individual supporters."

Between May 1976, when Velupillai Prabhakaran floated the LTTE to wage an armed struggle for a separate Tamil homeland in Sri Lanka’s northern and eastern provinces, and February this year, the dreaded outfit carried out 241 suicide bombings---the most by any terrorist outfit across the globe. Its high-profile victims include India’s Rajiv Gandhi, Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa, Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, and a failed attempt on the life of Chandrika Kumaratunga.

The Indian dossier sent to the EU says the LTTE runs a wide network of publicity and propaganda activities through bases in at least 54 countries. Financial support comes in the form of donations, forced or otherwise, from expatriate Sri Lankan Tamils across Switzerland, Canada, Australia, the UK, the US and the Scandinavian countries.

If and when the EU formally bans the LTTE, that will freeze transfer of funds and financial assets of the outfit across all its 25 member states.

In its 29 May 2000 issue, TIME magazine estimated that the LTTE raises US$60 million annually for its "war chest" from an estimated 900,000 Sri Lankan Tamils living in 40 countries. THE ECONOMIST of London estimated in its 20 July 2002 edition that a sum of US$4 billion was being withheld from the Tamil Tigers in the wake of the ban imposed on it by various countries.

Meanwhile, the Indian outfits which New Delhi wants the EU to ban include two Kashmiri militant groups and one Sikh extremist outfit. They are: Harkat-ul-Jehadi-I-Islami (Huji), Jamiat-ul Mujahideen, and Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF).

Huji is a splinter group of the Harkat-ul Ansar, whose Bangladeshi unit was formed in 1992 with Osama bin Laden’s help. Of late, it has been active not only in Bangladesh but also in border districts of Indian states bordering that country, namely: West Bengal and Assam. The KLF, which was active during the militancy in Punjab in north India in the 1980s, claims to have several offices across Europe.

The sending of the dossier comes in the week of the EU recently including Kashmiri outfit Hizbul Mujahideen in its terror black list.

Sinhaya Hails Mahinda Rajapakse
New Sri Lankan President
Nov 18,  2005

Sri Lankan premier Mahinda Rajapakse has won the presidential election delivering a victory to a unitary Sri Lanka, and a defeat to the LTTE terrorism..

Mr Rajapakse, of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), said the result was a victory for the people.

"Democracy will be strengthened and law and order will be established in the country," he said.

All citizens in Sri Lanka were able to vote freely and fairly, except for those under LTTE control, who were once again attacked, murdered and intimidated by the LTTE to enforce their 'Boycott'.

Some of the LTTE atrocities on the election day:

A Voter was attacked in Jaffna

A voter who went to cast his vote was attacked by the LTTE today around 09.30 am. This incident took place in Jaffna Madam Road. Kandalingam Thathuvam was the person attacked.

A Voters hand was attacked with a knife

A person who went for voting was attacked with a knife and injured in the hand by the LTTE today morning at Kumburumoolai in Batticalao. The people of the area condemned this brutal action of the LTTE.

Army was injured severely in Chenkalady

An army was injured in the in a grenade attack and shooting by the LTTE on the army engaged in guard duty in the polling booth of Chenkalady Maha Vidyalayam. This incident took place at 12.05 pm when four civilians were also injured.

Activist Shot and Killed by LTTE

One UNP activist was shot and killed by the LTTE. The voters from the LTTE controlled area were not allowed to vote by LTTE, sources said.

Voters from the government-controlled area of Vavuniya voted smoothly but the public was not allowed by LTTE through the Omanthai checkpoint from the uncleared areas, sources said.

Government controlled voters in the Batticaloa District voted without any hindrance but the LTTE controlled area voters were not allowed to vote as the LTTE had blocked the Badulla Batticaloa road by filling with tyres.

In Jaffna the LTTE threatened the voters in various ways. The passed by in motor bicycles covering their faces with black cloths and threatened the voters.

The voters of government controlled area of Mannar voted without any problems, but the LTTE had not allowed the public of their area through their Uyilankulam check point.

Political observers opine that the LTTE does not know the meaning of democracy and human rights. This is why they did not allow the public to vote freely. If they call for a boycott and if the people are behind them they do not have to prevent the public from voting using violence or any other means, the public would have stayed home. But here that is not the case; the people were forced to stay away from exercising their basic rights. This shows that not all the people are behind the LTTE on their own will, they are threatened and as a result of intimidation and fearing for their lives the people do what the LTTE orders them to do. This act of the LTTE has been exposed to the world even more now as the international monitors are in the country to monitor the 2005 elections.

Hand grenade hurled at a polling booth

A hand grenade was hurled at the polling booth at the Jaffna Stanley Collage around 7.45 am toady, but it failed to explode. LTTE cadres who came by in a motor bicycle have hurled this grenade. LTTE cadres were seen roaming in motor bicycles near most of the polling booths in Jaffna and threatened the voters.

Hand grenade attack in the Valaichenai area in Batticaloa

LTTE exploded a hand grenade in Puttalam area in order to threaten the people who came for voting. This incident took place at 8.30 am today. Nobody was injured in this incident and the voters were zealously casting their votes. No voters were allowed to come to the polling booths from the LTTE controlled area by LTTE to vote.

Active UNP member shot and killed in Trincomalee

UNP member, R. Somapala residing on Kandy Road in Trincomalee was shot and killed by the LTTE. He owns a tyre store on Kandy Road. He was working for the UNP in this Presidential Elections. He was shot and killed today around 2:30 pm.

A female Post Officer hacked to death in Batticaloa

The Kalwunkerni Post Officer Gomathi Veerapathiran (35) of School Road, Kaluwunkerni was kidnapped last night around 9 pm and hacked to death by the LTTE.

Reports say, that yesterday afternoon, the LTTE had gone to her post office and demanded that she hand over the undelivered ballot papers to them. But Gomathi had refused to give them to the LTTE.

Finally, some good news - Two LTTE cadres killed while making a bomb

Two LTTE cadres were blown up and killed while they were making a bomb the Paandiruppu area in Kalmunai. This incident happened this afternoon and 3 children who were playing in that area also were injured. Reports reveal that the explosion took place while they were making a bomb to interrupt the normalcy of the public in the area.

US Condems LTTE intimidation

US condemns Tigers for “interference” in Sri Lankan democratic process
(AFP)

19 November 2005

WASHINGTON - The United States on Friday condemned what it called interference by Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tiger rebels in the island’s democratic process, saying the rebels intimidated voters in just concluded presidential elections.

Congratulating Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse on his victory in the polls Thursday, the State Department said the United States ”regrets that Tamil voters in the northern and eastern parts of the island did not vote in significant numbers due to a clear campaign of intimidation by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).”

As a result, “a significant portion of Sri Lanka’s people were deprived of the opportunity to make their views known,” department spokesman Adam Ereli said.

“The United States condemns this LTTE interference in the democratic process,” he said. Washington regards the Tamil Tigers as terrorists.

EU and US Condems LTTE Terrorist initimidation of Tamil
Voters in North and East
Nov 18,  2005

John Cushnahan, who led an 83-member observation mission, said at a news conference that Thursday's voting in the Tamil-majority north and east was "marred by violence accompanied by an enforced boycott" by the Tigers.

The rebels used "unacceptable tactics" during the poll, and "they should be condemned for that," he said.

Low voter turnout was recorded in the northeast as grenade attacks, roadblocks and intimidation kept many Tamils from voting.

Other Tamils heeded a boycott called by pro-rebel groups, who complained that neither of the main candidates were sensitive to the political rights or the plight of the northeastern Tamils.

The Tigers fought the government for nearly 20 years to try to create a separate homeland for minority Tamils, accusing the majority Sinhalese of discrimination. The conflict claimed more than 65,000 lives.

A shaky, Norway-brokered cease-fire between the government and the Tigers has been in place since February 2002. Subsequent peace talks have stalled due to disagreements over the rebels' demands for broad autonomy in the northeast.

Governing party candidate Mahinda Rajapakse won the election with a slim margin. His chief opponent, Ranil Wickremesinghe, complained to the commission that a rebel boycott had reduced his chances and asked for a re-vote, which the government-appointed commissioner rejected.

The EU mission also said in a statement that there was widespread misuse of state resources and state media by Rajapakse's governing party.

Cushnahan said he would have supported a re-vote if the election commissioner had chosen to hold one.

Sri Lankan Students Protest Murder of School Principals
by LTTE terrorists in Jaffna.
Oct 20,  2005

The students allege that Tamil rebels, LTTE, carried out the killings.

Student spokesman, Nuwan Sanjeewa accused the LTTE of carrying out a "bogus peace" while strengthening their military arsenal. He also criticised the Norwegian of bias.

"We know that the Norwegian government is the only European government that opposed the EU ban on LTTE. We call upon the Norwegian government as facilitators to talks between the government and the Tamil Tigers to persuade the LTTE to lay down their arms and enter into real peace," said Sanjeewa.

Last Tuesday the principal of Kopay Christian College Nadarajah Sivakadacham was killed by gunmen in front of his home in Kopay North. In another incident principal of Jaffna Central College, K. Rajadurai, succumbed to injuries after been shot near the Jaffna library on Wednesday.

The Sri Lanka Army as well as the EPDP leaders blamed the killing on the Tamil Tigers.

LTTE Terrorists Murder Village Official

LTTE terrorists fatally shot a village official in northern Sri Lanka Wednesday while dozens of university students protested outside the embassy of peace broker Norway against a spate of alleged attacks by the guerrillas, military and students said.

P.Weerasingham was shot dead in Vavuniya 210 kilometers (130 miles) north of the capital, Colombo, military spokesman Brig. Nalin Witharanage said.

He said though the terrorists carried out the attack, the motive is still uncertain.

LTTE Impose Dress Code for Tamils

JAFFNA, Oct 17: Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tigers have imposed dress restrictions for Tamil youth, sources in Jaffna said. Posters put up by the LTTE have detailed separate dress codes for females and males. The growth of beard and long hair have been forbidden for young men.

For girls, close-fitting shirts and skirts have been banned along with the wearing of trousers. Instead girls have been asked to wear the Tamil costume of Shalwar Kameez.

“This seems worse than the Taliban. But how do we protest,” a young Tamil university student wondered, lamenting that her student allowance was not sufficient to invest in a whole new wardrobe.

“Normally a directive like this would bring us out onto the roads in fiery protest. But this is Jaffna and for us it is like living in a killing field,” a woman rights activist said. The dress directive was preceded by posters asking Tamils not to interact with members of the Sri Lankan military.

Two Jaffna principals gunned down by LTTE

by Ranil Wijayapala and Thakshila Jayasekara
Daily News

LTTE pistol gang members yesterday gunned down Jaffna Central College Principal Kanapathy Rajadurai (58), a strong critic of LTTE child conscription.

He was on his way to the Jaffna Weerasingham hall to attend a cultural show when he was fatally shot, Military sources told the Daily news yesterday.

Rajadurai had been at the helm of the Central College, one of the oldest schools in Sri Lanka, for the last 10 years. He was the father of one child.

The incident took place just 20 hours after suspected LTTE pistol group men gunned down Kopay Christian College Principal N. Sivakadadchan, another fierce opponent of child conscription.

Rajadurai was reported to have been shot at by the unidentified gunmen near the gate of the Weerasingham Hall while he was riding his motorcycle in that direction to attend the cultural show organised by the Jaffna Divisional Secretariat. The Hall is only a short distance away from the school.

According to the sources, audience at Weerasingham Hall had heard gunfire from the gate around 3.45 p.m. "No one seemed to have seen the perpetrators," a military official added.

Rajadurai succumbed to his injuries around 5 p.m. at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital.

Sivakadadchan was shot at his residence in Manipay, Kopay around 8.30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Schoolchildren in Kopay had protested the killing yesterday, blocking roads and shouting slogans. According to the sources, both school principals have firmly stood against child conscription by the LTTE in Jaffna. Unconfirmed reports said that the principal of the Jaffna Central College had close contacts with the EPDP solely for improving education facilities (EPDP leader Douglas Devananda is the Minister in charge of Tamil Language Schools) and that had led to his death at the hands of the LTTE.

Coincidentally, the killings took place on the 20th anniversary of the murder of E. Anandarajah, Principal of St. John's College, Jaffna by the LTTE.

European Union Bans LTTE Delagations.
Sep 29,  2005

The European Union hereby declares its condemnation of the continuing use of violence and terrorism by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The pursuit of political goals by such totally unacceptable methods only serves to damage the LTTE's standing and credibility as a negotiating partner and gravely endangers the Peace Process so much desired by the people of Sri Lanka.

The European Union repeats its condemnation of the shocking murder of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar and of so many others in Sri Lanka in recent weeks.

The European Union is actively considering the formal Listing of the LTTE as a terrorist organisation. In the meantime, the European Union has agreed that with immediate effect, delegations from the LTTE will no longer be received in any of the EU Member States until further notice.

The European Union has also agreed that each Member State will, where necessary, take additional national measures to check and curb illegal or undesirable activities (including issues of funding and propaganda) of the LTTE, its related organisations and known individual supporters.

The European Union furthermore repeats its serious concern at the continuing recruitment and retention of child soldier cadres by the LTTE and reminds them that there can be no excuse whatsoever for this abhorrent practice to continue.

The European Union takes this opportunity to underline the Statement of 19 September by the Co-Chairs of the Tokyo Donor Conference calling on the LTTE not least to take immediate public steps to demonstrate their commitment to the peace process and their willingness to change.

LTTE Violating Ceasefire: European Monitors
Sep 16,  2005

"This is a very serious matter," said Helen Olafsdottir, a spokeswoman for the team monitoring the ceasefire agreement between government forces and the guerrillas.

Three male and two female police officers, two Catholic priests and a civilian were detained by the Tigers on Friday, after they ventured into terrorist-controlled territory in Mannar. All but the three police officers have been released.

Mannar, about 220 kilometres north of Colombo, is a government-held town but the terrorists have pockets of control.

The group of eight, attached to Sri Lanka's child protection authority, said they were tracking a pedophile allegedly hiding in terrorist territory when they were detained by the terrorists.

"The policemen should have never been detained. These people were unarmed and chasing an internationally wanted criminal," Olafsdottir said, adding, "It's a violation of the cease-fire and adds to the deadlock the two parties are already in."

She said the monitors had demanded the immediate release of the detainees.

The terrorists have denied access to the men.

Sri Lankans Stunned by the Government's decision
to hold 'Peace Talks' with LTTE only days after the
terrorists murder their Foreign Minister.
Aug 21,  2005

Sri Lanka's opposition party, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna said that LTTE’s latest move to hold talks with the government was another strategy to save themselves from international and local opposition against their killing of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar.

Revealing its stand on the talks between the government and the LTTE, JVP leader Wimal Weerawansa said that LTTE is now desperate in the face of massive opposition and being rejected from every corner of the world. "This is a strategy adopted jointly by the Norwegians, President Kumaratunga and the LTTE,” he said.

“They are now being rejected by everybody and we have information that lots of foreign forces, who knew the late Minister’s ideals, are planning to ban the LTTE and curb their operations in their soil,” he added.

In the aftermath of the murder of the Sri Lankan foreign minister by the LTTE, a Pro-LTTE charity is banned in UK. LTTE is shocked after Britain decided to de-list TRO. United States is also believed to be studying TRO operations.

Sinhaya urging all Sri Lankans to oppose any peace talks with LTTE terrorists until those responsible for terrorist and criminal acts are handed over to stand trial.

UK bans pro LTTE 'Charity' 
Aug 18,  2005

The United Kingdom Charity Commission has removed a pro-LTTE NGO, Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) from its registered charity list. TRO has been removed since Aug 10th from the Register of Charities.

Sources in the High Commission of Britain said that after comprehensive investigation that Home office found clear link between the LTTE and TRO.

“We have found that some of TRO’s money is used for giving training for child combatants,” a source added. 

TRO is the front organisation actively involved with development works in North and East after signing of the cease-fire agreement. Accordingly more powers vested to TRO in proposed controversial post-Tsunami Rehabilitation structure. However, the LTTE is shocked after Britain decided to de-list TRO.

TRO is operating freely in the USA, despite LTTE being banned as a terrorist organisation, and anyone contributing money to LTTE liable for criminal prosecution. Sinhaya is urging all its US based readers with information linking LTTE with TRO to supply this information to the FBI via their tip line https://tips.fbi.gov/

LTTE Terrorists Murder
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister
Aug 12,  2005

Mr. Kadiragamar

Police launched a massive manhunt for the killers, sealing off the capital and conducting house-to-house searches in some areas. The Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam were immediately blamed in the shooting. Earlier this month, two LTTE members were arrested outside Kadirgamar's official residence after allegedly conducting surveillance and videotaping the area.

Police have discovered that terrorists surveilled Kadirgamar's movements from the bathroom of an abandoned, neighbouring home, military and police sources said. Inside the home, police found the tripod used in the shooting, the sources added.

They said the snipers appeared to have been in the home for several days, monitoring the foreign minister's comings and goings.

Military sources said there had been repeated intelligence warnings about Kadirgamar's life being in danger, including one issued just last week. His security detail is the second largest in the nation, behind only the president's contingent.

Kadirgamar, 73, had successfully campaigned for countries, including the United States and Britain to recognise the LTTE as a terrorist organisation. Although he vehemently opposed negotiations with the group at one point, he participated in recent peace talks. He continued to oppose a number of key issues, however, including a separate Tamil homeland.

He is considered a close adviser to President Chandrika Kumaratunga.

Kadirgamar had just returned for a swim after attending a function for the release of a book he edited, police said. As he walked toward the house from the pool about 11 p.m. (1 p.m. ET), three shots were fired, and Kadirgamar was struck in the head and chest.

He was rushed to National Hospital in Colombo for emergency surgery but died an hour later, according to hospital and police sources.

The murder is yet another violation of the current cease fire by the LTTE terrorists.   The truce, in place since February 2002, has been threatened by recent previous murders carried out by the LTTE terrorists.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan deplored the killing.

"Sri Lanka has lost a deeply respected statesman dedicated to peace and national unity," Annan's spokesman said in a statement. "The secretary-general hopes that this tragedy will not weaken the commitment of the people of Sri Lanka to achieve a durable peace in the country."

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called Kadirgamar "a man of dignity, honor and integrity, who devoted his life to bringing peace to Sri Lanka."

"This senseless murder was a vicious act of terror, which the United States strongly condemns. Those responsible must be brought to justice," she said in a written statement.

Sri Lanka's ambassador to the United Nations, Bernard Goonetilleke, said, "His contribution (to Sri Lanka) was immense."

The irony of the situation is that while the LTTE terrorists engage in these terrorists acts in Sri Lanka, a key LTTE leader, Mr. Anton Balasinham continue to opereate and preach hate freely from United Kingdom. This is even more puzzling given the recent terrorist attacks against the UK. We urge all our UK based readers to write to Mr. Tony Blair (at 10 Downing Street, London, UK) and their local MPs asking him to expell all terror preachers from the UK, including Mr. Balasinham and other LTTE members.

LTTE Again Breaks Cease-fire Agreement
 - Monitoring Mission

5 April 2005

A Sri Lankan navy boat was fired at near Muttur while patrolling in Trincomalee bay Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) said.   SLMM spokesman Helen Olaffsdottir told the BBC that the boat was fired at about 0400GMT off the LTTE-controlled coastal area.

There was a naval monitor from SLMM also on board, she said.

Sri Lanka navy has already complained the matter and SLMM is in touch with the Tamil Tigers Olaffsdottir said. "The SLMM can't determine at this stage who fired and what the reasons were." But the Tamil Tigers have admitted shooting at the boat.

LTTE's Trincomalee district political wing Elilan told BBC's Tamil service that terrorists returned fire only after they were fired at by the naval boat which came up to 200 metres of the coast.

But the SLMM said the monitor who was on board confirmed that Sri Lanka navy did not fire at the LTTE at all. "The LTTE's claim is wrong", Helen Olaffsdottir said.

The LTTE also claimed that Sri Lanka navy should have informed them had they wanted to patrol in an area under terrorist-control. "That is also not correct because these patrols are ongoing in Trincomalee; they have patrols every day".

"We have to also bear in mind that the LTTE does not control sea water according to the agreement," SLMM said. Helen Olaffsdottir also refused Tamil Tigers' claim that the boat came up to 200 metres of the coast.

"The monitor would have stopped the navy from approaching so close as it might be seen as dangerous prevocational act."

Military spokesman Brig. Daya Ratnayake told BBC Sandeshaya that the government would abide by the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA).

LTTE Resumes Killing Spree
7 March 2005

Military spokesperson Brig. Daya Ratnayake said suspected Wanni gunmen stormed Kolakanawadiya village and indiscriminately opened fire on civilians, killing six and injuring three others. The injured were rushed to the Polonnaruwa hospital for treatment.

“Continuous murder of Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim civilians, contrary to what has been assured by LTTE on number of occasions, goes against what the LTTE pledged, saying that they would not do any harm to civilians,” Brig. Ratnayake said.

Scenes following the Massacre

LTTE: Curse of the Sri Lankan Tamils

LTTE began to politicise the tsunami disaster almost as fast as the tsunami waters receded from the north east coast-line. Firstly, they started hijacking aid deliveries, and then went on to block aid deliveries that were not authorised by the terrorist group. Immediately following this, the LTTE got into a bitter argument with the Sri Lankan government on aid delivery, instead of working with them to deliver aid to the Tamils in the North and East who were suffering badly. As a result of this bickering, a clear window of opportunity was missed to get help for the Tamil people from the world, and UN general secretary Kofi Annan could not visit the north and the east of the country. Whatever the rights and wrongs of these arguments are, the people who have suffered the most are the Tamils in the North and the East. Now the LTTE terrorist are engaging in the despicable act of forcibly recruiting orphaned children from the tsunami refugee camps. While the south of the country is getting help, recovering, and will start the rebuilding effort soon, the Tamils in the North and the East will be confined to the refugee camps without an end to their suffering in sight.

LTTE have driven the once prosperous Tamils of north and east of the country to despair. Most people in these areas now live in utter poverty. They have no freedom and no democracy. Anyone who opposes the LTTE's views are ruthlessly dealt with.

May be this is exactly what the LTTE wants. What place would there be for LTTE in a prosperous North and East with real democracy? This also explains why the LTTE does not want the Sri Lankan government or anyone else to re-develop the North and the East following the tsunami damage. The day the Tamils get the courage and strength to turn their back on the LTTE will be the day they will finally gain their freedom and prosperity.

Sinhaya

Sri Lankan Tsunami Disaster:
LTTE Terrorist Recruiting Children from Refugee Camps
14 January 2005

"In the aftermath of the tsunami, you would have hoped that recruitment would have stopped," Unicef's Victor Nylund said.

The issue of child recruitment has been a major point of difference between Unicef and the Tamil Tigers since a ceasefire began in early 2002.

Correspondents say the issue is particularly sensitive now, given the arguments between the terrorists and the government about the distribution of aid in areas of Sri Lanka controlled by the terrorists.

"We have enough proof that these children had gone missing from the camps and are now with the LTTE [Tamil Tigers], " the head of Unicef in Sri Lanka, Ted Chaiban, told reporters on Thursday.

Unicef says one child, a girl, was recruited in Batticaloa. Two other girls, from the same family, were recruited from a camp in Amparai, Unicef says.

The UN agency said later on Thursday that the girls in Amparai had now been reunited with their family.

Unicef's Victor Nylund said that having to monitor child recruitment was taking away resources that Unicef could be better using to help children affected by the tsunami.

"All efforts are needed in the relief effort, especially for orphaned and separated children," he said. Unicef estimates the Tamil Tigers have some 1,300 child soldiers.

BBC Report

Sri Lankan Tsunami Disaster:
LTTE Planning to use Tsumani donations for buying Arms
09 January 2005

The Immigration and Refugee Board said on Friday it had information that money collected by the Canadian-based Tamil Relief Organization was used to finance the separatist group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The LTTE controls north and east Sri Lanka, which was affected by the recent tidal waves.

Canadian Defense Minister William Graham has called for investigation of the activities of the Tamil Relief Organization.

Canada has the world‘s largest Tamil community on its territory. The Tamil Relief Organization does not have an official registration as a charity foundation, but it has been raising funds for Tamils under humanitarian slogans for a long time. The organization became especially active after the tsunami disaster. It denies relations to LTTE terrorists though.

Canada, in contrast to the United States and the United Kingdom, has not put the LTTE on the list of terrorist organizations. The United Nations has authorized freezing of bank accounts of the LTTE and related organizations.

Details

Sri Lankan Tsunami Disaster:
LTTE Terrorists using Tsunami disaster
for propaganda and fund raising.
07 January 2005

The Government is perturbed at the conflicting statements of Mr. Thamilselvam to the International Media, that LTTE areas are not getting assistance from the Government.

It is unfortunate that the LTTE and its agents are now carrying on a campaign that LTTE held areas do not receive disaster aid from the Government, the Secretariat said.

"The people in the affected areas in Jaffna, Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu have in fact been receiving more Government assistance than those affected in the South.

"The Southern districts and some parts of the Eastern districts being more accessible, receive sufficient quantities of assistance from NGO's, the business community and other organisations," it said.

For the past two decades the Government has been sending food and essential supplies to the Northern and Eastern Provinces to be distributed to people displaced by the military conflict.

These items were distributed through the District Administration headed by the Government Agents in each of the districts, states the media release.

The Secretary to the President wrote toThamilselvam on December 28 informing him that the Government stands ready to grant assistance to disaster affected persons and areas.

The Secretary requested the LTTE to keep him informed of the relief requirements in areas held by them.

Thamilselvam at a meeting with UN representatives held at the LTTE Press Secretariat on December 29 had thanked the President for initiating action to provide relief to the North and East.

He said that he saw the cooperation from the Government as a silver lining.

The LTTE expressed its satisfaction at the relief measures implemented and had communicated this to the Heads of UN Agencies and officials representing the President when they visited the North soon after the disaster.

No Tsunami Warning But This Is A Warning Against Any Element Of Surprise By The LTTE !

World Council Of Sinhala Peers

The President of SLUNA Sri Lanka United National Association Toronto Canada Mr. Mahinda Gunasekera a dedicated patriotic Sri Lanka domiciled in Canada has released this latest bulletin as an eye opener to the World as well as the Sri Lankan people that the LTTE continue to be an impure and insincere lot of none other than proscribed terrorists who are quick to take advantage of a situation and attempt to turn it to favour their objectives which have little to do with the humanitarian effort of a country in suffering.

The information in this bulletin is a result of careful research and painstaking fact finding which must be heeded very carefully as the unpredictabilities of the LTTE known for their opportunistic theatrics could easily match the same element of surprise of the Tsunami which has devastated Sri Lanka and the following is a warning for all concerned in authority and decision making within the Sri lankan Administration to take careful note of so as not to ne fooled or misled by the theatrics that the LTTE continue to indulge in.

Notwithstanding the reality that their war machine and military capabilities have been decimated by the after effects of the Tsunami according to the latest intelligence reports they have been quoted as having pledged every effort to rebuild their military resources and they must never be permitted to accomplish this within Sovereign Sri Lanka and to the contrary need to be rendered non functional given their mendacious track record and the guile and cunning of their leader public enemy No1 Velupillai Pirapaharan (Prabhakaran) now pontificating with his goodwill utterances to a nation he and his cohorts once tried to destroy!

Sri LankaUnited National Association(SLUNA)
Toronto Canada
MEDIA RELEASE December 29, 2004

TSUNAMI DISASTER AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PROPAGANDA
AND FUNDRAISING BY THE LIBERATION TIGERS OF TAMIL EELAM (LTTE)

The world has been deeply shocked and saddened by the sudden fury of the Tsunami Tidal Waves that caused immense destruction of homes and property, and also took the lives of over 68,000 persons in the South East Asia region over a coastline stretching across 8,000 kilometers. Sri Lanka is one of the hardest hit regions with a death toll of 22,000 and several thousand still reported as missing. The survivors whose homes were lost are said to number over a million people, who are temporarily housed in temples and churches in make shift shelters till help arrives.

We have been overawed by the magnitude of the disaster, and remain fearful of the possible health hazards and the enormous task of re-building and rehabilitating the affected areas. At the same time, we have been touched by the goodwill and initial support extended by Canadians and the rest of the global community.

In the midst of the mixed emotions of sorrow and comfort from the swell of compassion, we find the front organizations of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Canada using this tragedy to make unwarranted accusations of deliberate neglect of regions in the north and east of Sri Lanka that are mainly inhabited by Tamils who were also affected by the Tsunami disaster. Urgent requirements of food, water, tents, etc. have been promptly shipped by the Government to the five northern districts of Jaffna, Mullativu, Kilinochchi, Mannar and Vavunia, with offers of further help to these areas. The UNHCR, UNICEF and ICRC have been coopted to assist the government in the relief efforts. Sadly, the LTTE does not permit Sri Lankan Government officials, NGO Aid Agencies, or Media personnel to enter and freely travel in the uncleared areas of the Vanni presently controlled by them, but they have the audacity to make exaggerated claims of death and destruction through their mouth pieces in Canada and other western cities, to create an impression of harsh discrimination against the Tamil people.

Unfortunately, the CBC and other Television Stations and some Canadian Print Media have given time and space to these outlandish utterances, and at the same time refused to grant any time whatsoever to other parties who seek to correct the deliberate distortion and false picture being painted by the pro-LTTE propaganda agents. They have asked Canadians to contribute relief funds to the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), another front organization of the LTTE with an extremely poor record, which is in reality a conduit that channels funds to its war chest whilst doing the minimal amount of humanitarian work for which the funds are supposedly collected. They have also named a new organization called the Canadian Tamil Congress which sprang up immediately after the LTTE was designated as an international terrorist group by the UN Security Council in September 2001, possibly to handle the work previously undertaken by the known fronts such as WTM and Fact which assumed a low profile following the LTTE's listing.

We would like to instead ask the Canadian public who are desirous of helping the victims of the Tsunami disaster to contribute to better known and better established charities such as UNICEF, Care Canada, Red Cross, Oxfam, Doctors Without Borders, etc., to ensure that your monies will reach the proper victims in the entire South East region, or make sure that the ethnic organization you choose is one that has a clean record and well respected within the community.

Whilst we sympathise with members of the Tamil community who hail from our common motherland of Sri Lanka, who have also suffered the loss of family and friends as a result of the unexpected natural disaster that struck 700 kilometers of Sri Lanka's 1000 kilometer coastline, we call on them to desist from useless propaganda, to sink all differences in this crisis that we face and use our energies to ease the suffering and difficulties confronted by the affected population as a whole.

Yours very truly,

Mahinda Gunasekera
Honourary President

LTTE Terrorists Murder Swiss National
13 October 2004

The victim identified as Hans Ulrich was attacked as he was in his home in Batticaloa on Monday night, police said. Police suspect Mr Ulrich was murdered by LTTE due to their suspicion of his association with breakaway terrorist group.

A spokesman for the Swiss embassy said they were not aware that Ulrich was living in the troubled Batticaloa region until they were informed of the overnight attack.

Local police officials said the man had been living in the region for almost two years after having visited the eastern region as a tourist several times.

There had been factional fighting among Tamil terrorists in the region where the local Tiger guerrilla commander led a split in March.

Sri Lankan Army Rescues Tamil Youths Abducted by LTTE Terrorists.

Five Tamil youths abducted by the LTTE Terrorists have been detained with two LTTE terrorists, the security forces say.

The terrorists were forcefully taking them to Sampur LTTE camp, the youths told the Sri Lanka Navy officers, when the truck they travelled stopped and searched at a check point in Nilaveli.

All seven were handed over to Trincomalee office of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) by the Navy officials.

The police said however the SLMM have released two LTTE members with the truck. The youths, all between 16 and 24, were then handed over to Uppuweli police station by the SLMM.

They told the police that they were abducted a few days ago and kept in a government farm.

Karuna forms a political party while tendering
humble apologies to the Tamil people 
13 October 2004

The breakaway LTTE commander Karuna has launched a new political movement yesterday, while blasting the LTTE Leader Prabhakaran.

Issuing a statement launching the Tamil Eelam Peoples Liberation Tigers party on the Web at www.tmvp.org, V. Muralitharan alias Karuna said "Today we droop our head in shame for being associated with Prabhakaran in the struggle for the last 21 long years".

"All those slaughtering that were committed in the past were done on the orders of Prabhakaran and as I have been a member of the outfit ... for whatever has happened, I tender humble apologies to the Tamil people," he said.

"As I am confident that certainly there will be a dawn for our people, that is why I am organising this movement TamilEela Peoples Liberation Tigers," Karuna said. I call upon the Tamils to join in large numbers and strengthen this organization and expedite the liberation."

“Prabakaran has created a wedge of enmity in the midst of the Tamils and has led the nation towards a ruinous path. Prabakaran has not only ruined the leadership of the Tamils, but also has ruined everything, beginning from art, culture, including human compassion and all the righteous conducts of our people.”

“Our responsibility is not only winning back the lost rights of the Tamil Nation, but also redeem our people from Terrorist Prabakaran. Therefore :

(a) We TamilEela Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal hereby pledges that we will continue with our struggle until we win back our liberation under the leadership of Karuna.

(b) We hereby assure that according to the advise and aspirations of the Tamil people, we will formulate our proposals and policies and would come forward to diligently implement accordingly.

(c) We guarantee that the liberation of the Tamils would be based according to the valuable democratic principles.

We are giving separately the statement of our leader Karuna. We appeal to the international community, print and electronic media all over to give us their unstinted support and cooperation. Our party would hereafter be called in abbreviation as T.M.V.P," it added.

LTTE told to end Killings of Civilians and Recruitment of
Child Soldiers.
06 October 2004

The human rights record of the Tamil tigers has come under intense pressure from a number of prominent human rights organisations. The LTTE delegation visiting Europe was urged to put an end to political killings and recruitment of child soldiers.

Amnesty International, International commission of jurists and Human rights watch appealed to S.P Thamilselvam, leader of the Tamil Tiger political wing in a meeting at Geneva to respect international humanitarian laws and the human right laws of the land.

Nicholasw Howen Secretary General of the International Commission of Jurist said

LTTE Child Soldiers

“We appeal to the senior LTTE leaders to show the world that they are both willing and capable of respecting lives and rights of Sri lankans”.

Commenting of the recent killings of Tamil political activists, rivals in the East and alleged Sri Lankan military informants, Lobuna Freih, Geneva director of Human Rights Watch said “At a time when we should be moving back to peace talks the LTTE seems to have dramatically escalated killing of opponents and is still recruiting child soldiers.”

Geneva representative of Amnesty International, Peter Splinter cautioned that the prevailing climate of fear in the East will make finding a lasting peaceful solution more difficult.

According to UNICEF in May, June and July 2004 alone the LTTE has recruited 259 child soldiers. Actual numbers are likely to be much heiger as most parents dont report forceful recruitment due to fear of reprisals.

The Ealam Peoples Democratic Party accuses the LTTE of assassinating more than 160 of its carders since commencement of the cease-fire.

Former LTTE Eastern commander calls Prabahakaran
a Mad Dictator, Traitor.
06 October 2004

The LTTE's renegade eastern commander Karuna, criticising his former leader, said Prabhakaran is killing innocent civilians as well as fighters.

In an interview with the London-based Tamil Broadcasting Corporation, Karuna said, “LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran is a mad dictator and traitor who has given up the quest for Eelam and is pleading for an interim administration.”

He also said Prabhakaran's people are killing not only fighters but also innocent civilians in Batticaloa. Karuna said he is committed to the democratic process and reaffirmed that he would form a political party soon.

He also claimed that he is still in Sri Lanka said that it is the Wanni LTTE leadership that is working with the Sri Lankan Army.

“Newly-appointed military leader Banu travels in armed forces helicopters, with Army protection,” Karuna said.

Norway begs LTTE to Stop the Killings

Norway's Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen, condemning the on-going political killings taking place in Sri Lanka by LTTE, has asked the LTTE to do everything possible to stop them.

Mr. Helgesen made this request at a meeting with the LTTE delegation in Geneva led by Political Wing leader S.P. Thamilselvan. The Norwegian Embassy in Colombo said, “Deputy Minister Helgesen communicated to the LTTE delegation Norway’s growing concern regarding continuing breaches of the cease-fire agreement.

“Mr. Helgesen emphasised the negative implications of cease-fire violations for the peace process as a whole and underlined that such violations also make the work of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission difficult.”

LTTE breaks off contacts with S.L Army
Threaten to Restart Fighting 
29 June 2004

Diplomatic sources say the Norwegian-led peace monitors are deeply concerned with the Tigers' withdrawal. Deputy head of the monitoring team, Hagrup Haukland, met the Tigers' political wing leader, SP Thamilselvan, on Monday to try to solve the dispute.

Mr Haukland said: "We had hoped the [Tamil Tigers] would change their mind, but this was not so."

Mr Thamilselvan said: "The future of the cease-fire agreement and the peace talks is not in our hands now. It is in the hands of the Sri Lankan army, truce monitors and the Norwegian [peace] facilitators."

Norwegian envoy Erik Solheim is due back in Colombo

Col Karuna broke from the mainstream Tamil Tigers four months ago to set up a separate regime in the east but after a brief spell of internecine fighting he vanished.

The Tigers have since refused to resume security talks on day-to-day issues concerning the cease-fire, which has held since February 2002.

Mr Haukland said: "[This] complicates our role and things at a local level... I don't think it will jeopardise the [cease-fire] agreement but it does make things difficult."

Norway's peace envoy, Erik Solheim, was due to arrive in Colombo later on Monday to try to breathe new life into a peace process that faltered when the Tigers walked out in April last year.

LTTE also have resumed their on-going campaign to kill political opponents. The LTTE pistol group shot and killed an ex-PLOTE member last night at Pattakulam in Vavuniya. The victim has been identified as K. Devaraja (49), the father of two children. While riding home on a bicycle, two gunmen arrived and shot the victim, killing him on the spot.

LTTE Stepping up Recruitment of Child Soldiers - U.N.
28 June 2004

The United Nations children's agency in Sri Lanka says Tamil Tiger terrorists have stepped up recruitment of child soldiers in recent weeks. The terrorists have repeatedly made commitments to end the practice.

Unicef says it has received reports of 159 children being recruited since the beginning of April.

But it is common for the number of reported incidents to be a fraction of the real number because parents are too afraid to complain against the terrorists.

The LTTE admit they are involved in a recruitment drive in the north of the island, which in itself is not a violation of the ceasefire agreement with the government.

But Unicef says children under 18 years of age are being indiscriminately caught up in the recruitment process. It has called for them to be released immediately.

Unicef has been working with the Tigers for a year now on a joint plan to rehabilitate all children affected by Sri Lanka's long-running civil war.

But the organisation said in a statement the lack of co-operation from the terrorists on the child soldier issue had been very unfortunate. It said none of the steps it repeatedly asked the Tigers to take to prevent child recruitment were implemented.

It is clear from the increasingly strident tone of statements from Unicef that it is becoming more and more difficult for them to continue to try and rehabilitate child soldiers without the terrorists taking the issue seriously.

Many of the top Tiger leaders themselves were under 18 when they joined the movement and it appears they have failed to appreciate the international concern this issue evokes.

Harsher critics say the terrorists deliberately target children, despite the adverse publicity, because they find them easier to control on the battlefield than adults.

SL and US follow common interest to abolish
terrorist financing - US 
26 June 2004

"Like the United States, Sri Lanka has long suffered from acts of terrorism."

The Unites States yesterday said that it and Sri Lanka share a common interest in eliminating sources of terrorist financing.

US Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead at a seminar on money laundering said, “Like the United States, Sri Lanka has long suffered from acts of terrorism.” “Some people might say that money laundering is not a big problem in Sri Lanka, since the island has no large drug-trafficking or organized criminal groups,” he said. “But money laundering facilitates all crime by giving criminals the ability to enjoy the proceeds of their crimes and also by giving them resources to expand their criminal activities.”

The first money laundering laws targeted the drug trade. However, in recent times, most international organizations and countries have recognized the need to expand money laundering laws to cover all serious crimes, he added. The seminar was co-sponsored by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka

President Kumaratuna's Party wins a peaceful election on an anti terrorist platform, while candidates in North and East are subjected to LTTE violence and intimidation.

05 April 2004

Savoir of the Nation:
President wins Sri Lanka election

President Chandrika Kumaratunga's party has won the country's parliamentary elections fighting on an anti terror platform.

Final results showed the United People's Freedom Alliance had 105 seats, compared to 82 for Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe's party.

Mrs Kumaratunga's party is expected to hold talks with smaller parties to form a coalition government.

FINAL ELECTION RESULTS
Total seats: 225
Total ballots: 10 million
Freedom Alliance: 46%
United National Party: 38%
Tamil National Alliance: 7%
Buddhist party: 6%

The two are long-standing rivals. Mr Wickramasinghe's United National Party won narrowly in December 2001, making him prime minister with a mandate to negotiate peace with the terrorists.

But the president says he has jeopardised national security by offering too much ground to the terrorists.

Many voters have also complained that, despite two years of cease-fire, they have not seen any peace dividend, with the cost of living constantly rising.

The majority Sinhalese community appears lukewarm about the peace process, which has been stalled for months.

An additional complicating factor in the peace process is the split that has recently developed within the Tamil Tigers.

Voting on Friday was generally free of violence although there were 250 complaints of intimidation or ballot stuffing during the polls in LTTE strongholds on North and East, elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake said.

Tamil parties opposing the Tamil National Alliance accused the LTTE of intimidation and malpractice and were not allowed to campaign freely. Number of tamil candidates opposing the LTTE sponsored TNA were murdered during the election campaign. These were the only lives lost during this election campaign.

03 April 2004

April 03, 04.45 AM: An influential Australian parliamentarian addressing the Federal House of Representatives in Canberra charged the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) of Sri Lanka had in the most undemocratic way assassinated, shot and wounded opposing candidates and election officials in an effort to scare them from electoral involvement or just simply to eliminate them during the election campaign that led to today’s general elections. .

Don Randall, Chairman of the Australia-Sri Lanka Friendship group in the Australian Federal parliament in a hard-hitting speech before the House described the recent speech of pro-Tamil terrorist Member of Parliament attac king Sri Lanka for calling the current general elections as a “sordid and obsequious grab for the extremist Tamil Tigers in his very marginal electorate.”

He was replying to pro-Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) M.P., John Murphy, who represents the electorate, Lowe in New South Wales and believed to have many pro-Tiger supporters among the registered voters in the electorate.

Murphy’s speech was blasted for making “inaccurate” and “inflammatory” statements to appease his Tamil constituents in his electorate, Lowe

Randall, addressing the Federal House of Representative , March 31 , said the “inaccurate and misleading inferences have a particular resonance because , on Friday (April 2 ) “the people of Sri lanka go to the polls in a general election.”

He said according to the pro-Tiger parliamentarian , “ unfortunately, due to a conflict between the President, who holds executive power, and the Prime Minister, the President dismissed parliament in February this year of this year and Sri Lanka will face general elections on 2 April 2004. It is vital that these elections are free and fair. It is particularly important that the Tamil people of the north-east, who have been deprived of their franchise during the last two decades, are permitted to cast their votes at the forthcoming elections.”

But Don Randall emphatically said in his speech , “The reality is that the President of Sri Lanka took her measure all but early to seek a fresh mandate from the people on a number of vital issues to the nation. National security, abolition of the executive presidency, costs of living and unemployment were just some of the pressing issues cited by the President. So why was the member referring to a personal, private or political conflict between the President and the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka? He is grossly incorrect to make such an allegation.”

Describing Murphy’s statement as “unfortunate” and “disturbing” Don Randall tol d the parliament, “As the chair of the Australian parliamentary friendship group, I have closely examined the tenor of the member's speech. This matter has also been brought to my attention by members of the official and wider Sri Lankan community. The member's assertion that a general election has been called by the Sri Lankan President due to a conflict with the Sri Lankan Prime Minister is very much disputed.”

Randall further addressing the parliament said the other statement of Murphy that the Tamil people had been deprived of their voting rights during the last two decades was totally inaccurate .He pointed out, “The member for Lowe's other incorrect statement is that the Tamil people of the north coast have been deprived of their voting franchise during the past two decades to vote in elections. The fact is that the Sri Lankan government since 1998 have taken all measures to see that the Tamil population, particularly in the north and eastern regions, have been given ev ery opportunity to vote in all elections, be they general elections, provincial or local elections. It is in fact the terrorist group, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam- LTTE-who have taken every measure to stop the local members of the Tamil community voting.Since the Norwegian sponsored cease-fire agreement between the government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE in February 2002, the torment, torture and assassination of non-LTTE Tamils and Tamil leaders under the guise of political work conferred on the LTTE since the ceasefire have continued unabated. The LTTE may be abiding by the ceasefire and not engaged in civil war, but they have taken the opportunity to further isolate and eliminate opponents of their stated goal of an independent Tamil state within Sri Lanka. For example, the Tigers continue to violate both human rights instruments and the CFA by forced conscription of children. This can be confirmed by such bodies as Amnesty International and UNICEF.”

Randall reminded the Australian parliament that the Tamil Tigers during this election campaign had acted in the most undemocratic manner preventing the Tamil people of Sri Lanka to exercise their franchise freely and fairly. Pointing out the most recent incidents that happened he said, “In the context of the coming national elections, a number of alarming developments have occurred. Candidates in the forthcoming elections, MPs and officials opposed to the LTTE have been shot, wounded or killed in an effort to scare them from electoral involvement or to just simply eliminate them. Added to the unstable situation with the Tamil Tigers is a new problem in that the eastern commander of the LTTE, Colonel Karuna, has split from the northern alliance with the Tigers. This creates a further dangerous and unstable movement in Sri Lanka's political environment.

By way of background, there is much more that could be outlined in this tinderbox of Sri Lankan politics. For this very reason, it is rather ir responsible for the member for Lowe to blame the President of Sri Lanka for calling early elections due to her conflict with the opposition Prime Minister.”

Don Randall further told the Federal parliament of Australia it was also not true for John Murphy to claim that the Tamils in the North and East had been denied their legitimate vote for decades due to Sri Lanka government

He said, “It is also dangerous for the member for Lowe to claim that the Tamils in the north and east have been denied their legitimate vote for decades due to the Sri Lankan government. If the member for Lowe wishes to be an apologist for a prescribed terrorist organisation in the form of the LTTE, then he is on very dangerous ground. In his adjournment speech, he exposed his motives for such allegations. Very simply, he admitted that there are large numbers of Tamils in his electorate. By suggesting that his constituents were concerned about the Tamils right to vote, he exposed his position th at he is endorsing the position of those Tamils who accuse the Sri Lankan government of not allowing them to vote. The people who advocate this position are not the majority of Tamils but the Tamil Tiger movement or the LTTE. This is a servile act for the Tamil extremists in his electorate.This is not the position of the majority of Sri Lankan people or the Sri Lankan government. The member for Lowe is not a member of the Sri Lankan Parliamentary Friendship Group but many of his Labor colleagues are. This further illustrates his narrow and partisan focus on the Sri Lankan issue. I trust this Friday's Sri Lankan elections will be nonviolent and democratic. As for the member for Lowe, his adjournment debate will be seen for what it is: a sordid and obsequious grab for the extremist Tamil Tigers in his very marginal electorate.”

01 March 2004

"The LTTE continued to commit serious human rights abuses. The LTTE was responsible for arbitrary arrest, torture, harassment, disappearances, extortion, and detention. Through a campaign of intimidation, the LTTE continued to undermine the work of elected local government bodies in Jaffna and the east. "

"On occasion, the LTTE prevented political and governmental activities from occurring in the north and east. There was overwhelming evidence that the LTTE killed more than 36 members of anti-LTTE Tamil political groups and alleged informants during the year."

"There were also instances of intimidation of Muslims by the LTTE, and there was fighting between LTTE personnel in the east and Muslims that left several Muslims dead. The LTTE denied those under its control the right to change their government, did not provide for fair trials, infringed on privacy rights, used child soldiers, and discriminated against ethnic and religious minorities."

"The LTTE used torture on a routine basis." - 2003 US State Department Human Rights Report

Read the full report

03 February 2004

John Pilger in his column in the New Statesman (8th December.2003) ‘’The BBC and Iraq: Myth and Reality’’ leaves no doubt in the mind of the reader that the BBC is continuing the policy of the first Director general John Reith ‘recorded in his diaries ‘’ that impartiality was a principle to be suspended whenever the established order and its consensus were threatened.’’ It is indeed ironic that in the 1920s at the beginning of this broadcasting initiative Reid had a vision of an independent impartial broadcasting service unlike the system existing in the USSR at the time controlled by the state and that in the USA driven and protected by the commercial world.

In April of 1995 BBC gave legitimacy, credibility and importance to the mass murderer and convicted killer Prabakaran the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. (LTTE) giving him and this group of terrorists publicity.The murderer was interviewed by Ms A.Sooriyapiragsam aTamil. On behalf of the BBC, this interview was given publicity across the globe.

Mr Vasantha Raja a former producer of the BBC in a programme presented a falsified version of the history of Sri Lanka in a BBC programme as factual, misrepresenting facts, a diabolical and damaging propaganda against the Sinhalese who tolerates the treachery of the Tamils to the present day. Documented, authenticated historical facts were thus ignored as if the BBC. had become a propaganda machine for the barbaric Tamil terrorists this is the perception of the Sinhalese.

Numerous Tamil organisations arose in the West undisturbed. Their Transnational criminal organisations flourished (30th August 1987. The Sunday Times). LTTE terrorism includes mass murder, suicide bombing and desecration of many holy places. Tamil terrorism appears to be unchallenged by the West. The West appears to be supportive by their non intervention and failure to suppress Tamil terrorism. Tamil terrorism is a global enterprise well resourced and supported it is alleged by Christian and Catholic churches as LTTE is mainly comprised of Catholics. BBC appears to have a special interest in the welfare of the Tamils at the expense of the Sinhalese just like the Sri Lanka Government. Vasantha Raja an LTTE activist was appointed as a BBC producer.

Subsequent to this Vasantha Raja appeared on Channel 4 following the bombing of Colombo when many civilians were maimed and killed. He failed to condemn this heinous crime. He continues to represent the LTTE terrorists.

BBC appears to have a special relationship with the LTTE appointing Tamil producers and giving publicity to the convicted killer the LTTE leader. Inaccurate information from Tamil sources was reported by the BBC on the Sri Lanka situation. BBC was and is promoting the interests of the Tamil terrorists accepting their fanaticism. On presenting biased information to the world misleading the public indicates lack of ethics and good journalistic practice.

BBC could have served humanity if the will was there. However they have an agenda and continues to be a propaganda machine for the LTTE terrorist as can be heard over the radio in the ‘Sandesya' programme.

Fund raising for LTTE terrorist activities continue in the West. Defrauding social security systems as refugees the western Christian countries, especially UK were ever willing to help the Tamils who in turn continued to terrorise the host nation Sinhalese whilst destroying the infrastructure. Charles Anthony the son of the convicted murderer has been given privilege status sponsored to be educated in England. The orphans of the soldiers that defended the country are living below poverty line, some brought up in orphanages punished for the heroism of their fathers’ many thousands of families made homeless and poorly cared for. The terrorists live in comparative luxury. Their representative trots around the world promoting their interests. The Sri Lanka Government is guilty of treasonous acts working against the interests of the Sinhalese Nation like