Succumbs to electoral pressure:

Tamil diaspora confab behind Mauritius’ CHOGM boycott

by Manjula Fernando

Close on the heels of Mauritius’ decision to boycott CHOGM 2013 in Sri Lanka, an LTTE supportive diaspora conference had been organised at the behest of a key terrorist operative.

An authoritative source told the Sunday Observer that the three-day conference titled “International Tamil Diaspora Solidarity Conference” was held from November 8-10 and allegedly LTTEer Perinpanayagam Sivaparan known as Nediyawan was behind it.

The objective of the conference was to call for a boycott of CHOGM 2013 in Sri Lanka.

The sources said that Mauritius’ decision to keep away from the Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka may have been influenced by this conference and LTTE lobbying.

Mauritius Prime Minister Navin Chandra Ramgoolam said that he was boycotting the Colombo meeting on November 13.

Mauritius’ population consists mainly of people of Indian descent and the Tamil population accounts for about nine percent.

“Like India and Canada, Mauritius too came under electoral pressure, where the Tamils constitute nine percent of its population,” the source said. He said this significant portion of votes can tilt the outcome of elections in Mauritius.

The New Indian Express last year quoted Mauritius Vice President A.V. Chettiyar as saying that most Tamils in Mauritius were LTTE supporters on his visit to Madurai.

He declined to divulge further details saying that it was classified information.

Nediyawan’s international front, the International Council of Eelam Tamils (ICET) teamed up with the Mauritius Tamil Temple Federation (MTTF) to organise the event. It is alleged that MTTF President Menon Murdy had worked closely with Nediyawan’s team and was their spokesperson in Mauritius.

A team of delegates to the conference had also met Foreign Minister Arvin Boolell to press for a CHOGM boycott.

A similar conference by the Nediyawan faction was held in Geneva earlier.

Academics, Human Rights activists and a few Members of Parliament were invited to the event and Penang’s Deputy Chief Minister Prof. P. Ramasamy delivered the opening address.

The sources said that the degree of LTTE propaganda in Mauritius was disturbing given their decision to keep away from the Commonwealth’s flagship event.