LTTE leaders in US, Norway and India behind offensive stamps
by Manjula FERNANDO
The intelligence sources believe the hardcore LTTE leaders are behind
the issuance of a string of offensive personalised stamps depicting
terrorist symbols in the European Union.
An Intelligence source closely monitoring the LTTE activities
overseas said Rev. Fr. Emmanuel has mediated a pact between LTTE's
US-based lawyer Rudrakumaran and Oslo-based Nediyawan who once fell out
with each other due to a power struggle for new leadership, as well as
India based Vinayagam, were behind the stamp racket.
The stamps issued in France, UK, Germany and Norway were reported to
be sold at higher denominations than the face value.
It is believed the outfit has launched a massive propaganda campaign
to win over the Tamils into contributing to its separatist cause, once
again.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan Ambassador in Oslo Rodney Perera told
theSunday Observer that the stamps in Norway were issued at a time when
a large number of Sri Lankans from all ethnic, religious and social
background were celebrating the National Day of Sri Lanka at special
events in Oslo.
"I have been vigorously pursuing the issuance of the LTTE stamps in
Oslo, to have them annulled."
He said that the mission wrote to the relevant Norwegian authorities,
Foreign Affairs Ministry, Transport & Communications Ministry, Post &
Telecommunications Authority, and the Posten Norge on this matter.
"Vehement protests were lodged on the basis that depicting
well-documented symbols and personalities of terror are totally
unacceptable to Sri Lanka as this would naturally glorify terrorism and
cause great pain of mind to the victims and their families who were at
the receiving end of LTTE acts."
He said this shows that the LTTE elements continue their desperate
quest to undermine the reconciliation and development efforts by the
Government.
Ambassador Perera added that this was a 'great piece of evidence' to
show that Norwegian Council of Eelam Tamils (NCET) who made the order
for offensive stamps, is the official arm of the LTTE and that Norwegian
authorities should go after them.
The Interpol recently listed a Norwegian LTTE Tamil in their most
wanted persons list.
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