Prabhakaran is dead but not the LTTE and Eelam

by Shenali D. Waduge

The figurehead of LTTE incorporated was killed on May 19, 2009 alongside a handful of other LTTE leaders. The fact that a little over 11,000 LTTE cadres surrendered or were captured during the final phase of the conflict should showcase that there are many more trained LTTE cadres still at large and we do not know how many live in either Sri Lanka or overseas.

LTTE fanatics in foreign climes

We also need to realise that the very entities that funded and ran the LTTE propaganda from abroad also remain very much in the picture as do others who have supported the LTTE by virtue of disbursements from the LTTE global kitty. Therefore, the Sri Lankan populace and the international community as well as India must be aware that LTTE even minus a figurehead remains a potential threat and there is need to be forever vigilant and conscious that there is a thin line dividing peace and terror.

The Sri Lankan public are also reminded that there is a global ban on the LTTE but there is also the likelihood of the LTTE funding lobby succeeding to lift the ban and with LTTE cadres at large all that is required is to find another Prabhakaran to take charge and there are numerous people trained and vying for that role.

LTTE has a presence in 44 countries with offices in 12 countries and each of these countries has an LTTE representative (an LTTE ex-combatant or relations of LTTE leaders). Each country will have a political, finance, procurement and propaganda unit. Instructions are relayed via the Tamil Coordinating Committee.

LTTE fund raising from individuals/businesses takes place through

1.Collection from Tamil individuals and businesses (in Sri Lanka/Overseas)

2.Event-based fundraising through the LTTE International Coordinating Office (via false propaganda using pro-LTTE charities/Human Rights Organisations and having them linked to recognised international human rights/charity organisations to add credibility – TRO perfect example). The fund raising events include commemoration of combatants, LTTE military victories, cultural shows, sports, food festivals, guest speak panels, fund raising dinners, book launches. (event based fundraising is done mostly through the Tamil Youth Organisation)

3.Illegal narcotics trafficking and other criminal activity – LTTE has been involved in drug trade and gang violence resulting in over 13 Tamils being killed (2001-2003) in the UK. LTTE shipping fleet ships narcotics to Tamil gangs (Mackenzie Institute, Canada). Cross-border gang attacks also takes place to ensure local gangs are not implicated. Criminal acts include credit card cloning, human smuggling, money laundering, international payphone cards by setting up LTTE fronts registered as telecom retailers in Europe and these phone cards are sold to Tamil diaspora under different brand names (Gnanam phone cards said to be linked to LTTE fund raising)

4.Tamils associated with LTTE – just a handful of names

* TRO (US) head – Dr. Nagarathnam Ranjithan (houses raided by FBI in 2006)

* TRO (Denmark) International Coordinator – Dr. Jay Maheswaran (represented LTTE as senior member of LTTE delegation in September 2002 peace talks)

* TRO Program Officer Lawrence Thilagar

* Following the delisting in the UK two new organisations were established the, International TRO (ITRO) and Tamil Support Foundation (TSF) to continue similar operations.

* Karunamoorthy proprietor of Tamil DVD distribution company Aynagaran International is alleged to have close links to LTTE. DVDs are distributed across Europe and Canada through Tamil groceries.

* Ratnavel Sashidaran arrested by Singapore police in February 2007 (he was a LTTE human courier carrying cash) but was deported back to Switzerland without charge.

* V. Manoharan, former head LTTE international centre based in Paris said to be the brains behind the phone card business

* International Medical Health Organisation (formerly Tamil Health Organisation-USA) provides financial and material support for LTTE’s Centre for Health Care (CHC).

* Norwegian Tamil Health Organisation through CHC maintains medical units for LTTE (indicates how medical assistance from overseas was provided to LTTE).

* Alleged LTTE business ventures – Raani Café Cambodia said to have employed 8 LTTE members / Thamilini Restaurant Zurich / Makkal Dadai Supermarket Paris, Ashley Cash and Carry in Harrow / Thamilini Cash and Carry in Southhall.

5. A host of foreign parliamentarians, local government heads, UN officials etc have been associated with LTTE fronts as well and they continue to do so in view of these LTTE fronts operating as human rights organizations, charities and covering up their terror through other means.

6. LTTE-run schools (Tamil cholai schools) – in Denmark Tamil Coordinating Committee operates 28 such schools. Its head Arul Thilainadarasa was elected to Herning City Council, Denmark. Similarly other heads of LTTE assets have also managed to use Tamil votes to gain political positions in local bodies and thus influence foreign policy against Sri Lanka.

7. Hawala system (Undi) of remittance used by Tamil diaspora using Tamil jewellery shop owners as well as human couriers operating in Switzerland and Singapore. Jewellery shop owners in Switzerland provide funds to LTTE to purchase gold from Singapore.

LTTE sends these human couriers with cash who will carry it and deposit to LTTE accounts in different parts of the world and return with receipts that carry overvalued gold jewellery purchases in Singapore with craftsmanship value being bloated fivefold.

8. Hindu temples managed by LTTE (Human Rights Watch 2006 report covers LTTE management of Hindu temples

LTTE ban by nations

* 1992 – India was the first to ban LTTE following the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.

* 1997 – USA banned LTTE as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation on 8 Oct 1997 and

* 1998 – Sri Lanka bans LTTE following LTTE attack on Dalada Maligawa, Kandy

* 2000 – UK designated LTTE as a Proscribed Terrorist Group under the UK Terrorism Act of 2000 (despite the ban UK Parliamentarians are regular invitees to events organised by the LTTE fronts that Sri Lanka has banned)

* 2001 – USA designated LTTE as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist organisation since 2 Nov 2001

* 2006 – EU (Council of the European Union) comprising 28 nations declared LTTE as a Terrorist Organisation on 17 May 2006 (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden & UK

* 2006 – Canada (despite the ban Canadian parliamentarians including present PM have graced events organized by LTTE fronts)

* Note the ban placed in 1998 was removed by the Ranil Wickremesinghe Government on January 4, 2002 to facilitate the infamous Ceasefire Agreement)

Who are the pro-LTTE groups still at large and how powerful are they?

1. The LTTE Diaspora Groups officially now declared as LTTE fronts by Sri Lankan Government gazette incorporating the UN Security Council Resolution 1373. These banned organisations are

2. Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam a.k.a. LTTE a.k.a. Tamil Tigers – EN/CA/2013/01

3. Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation a.k.a. TRO. – EN/CA/2013/02 (Sri Lanka and Overseas)

4. Tamil Coordinating Committee a.k.a. TCC – EN/CA/2013/03

5. British Tamil Forum a.k.a. BTF – EN/CA/2013/04 (Operating from London, UK)
6. World Tamil Movement a.k.a. WTM – EN/CA/2013/05 (Operating from Canada)
7. Canadian Tamil Congress a.k.a. CTC – EN/CA/2013/06 (Operating from Canada)
8. Australian Tamil Congress a.k.a. ATC – EN/CA/2013/07 (Operating from Australia)

9. Global Tamil Forum a.k.a. GTF – EN/CA/2013/08 (Operating from UK)

10. National Council Of Canadian Tamils a.k.a. NCCT a.k.a. Makkal Avai – EN/CA/2013/09 (Operating from Canada)

11. Tamil National Council a.k.a. TNC – EN/CA/2013/10 (Operating from Norway, Italy, Switzerland, France, Canada.)

12. Tamil Youth Organisation a.k.a. TYO – EN/CA/2013/11 (Operating from Australia)

13. World Tamil Coordinating Committee a.k.a. WTCC. – EN/CA/2013/12
14. Transnational Government Of Tamil Eelam a.k.a. TGTE – EN/CA/2013/13
15. Tamil Eelam Peoples Assembly a.k.a. TEPA – EN/CA/2013/14
16. World Tamil Relief Fund a.k.a. WTRF – EN/CA/2013/15
17. Headquarters Group a.k.a. HQ Group – EN/CA/2013/16

With the banning of LTTE and associated LTTE fronts we can finally sigh a relief that the Government has done what should have been done immediately following the May 2009 victory.

The order now issued necessitates that Sri Lanka reviews the foreign bans in place by US, EU nations, UK and Canada for there are key provisions under their laws that can enable Sri Lanka to press these foreign governments to take action against the individuals and entities now declared banned.

These organisations are controlled by four individuals whose names are also mentioned as banned

1. Perinbanayagam Sivaparan alias Nediyavan”;

2. Rev.Fr. S.J. Emmanuel
3. Visuvanathan Ruthirakumaran
4. Sekarampillai Vinayakamoorthy alias Vinayagam

The LTTE communication channels

* TamilNet
* Paris based Sankathi
* Germany based Pathivu.
* (Paris, London, Canada, and Australia based Eelamurazu is one of its many printed media
* “Nitharsanam” television unit of the LTTE

* LTTE launched the London based International Broadcasting Corporation, IBC Tamil radio station in 1997. IBC had urged Tamils in the United Kingdom to support pro-LTTE fundraising events organised by White Pigeon and other LTTE front associations

* Euro Television Channel – banned in Italy
* TTN in Paris, the French Satellite TV Channel has over 22,000 subscribers
* French PPN Tamil Tiger TV Channel

* Tharishanam – tv pay channel relayed throughout Europe which is broadcast via satellite “Makkal ” Television Tamil channel of Chennai, India, floated by Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder Dr. S. Ramadoss – who is a strong pro LTTE supporter runs programs to support LTTE propaganda materials in his Makkal TV

* Mathuram TV channel
* National Television of Tamil Eelam and Pulikalin Kural (“Voice of Tigers”)
* Thendral TV launched in UK from 2008
* Aiyanna Group – which Jane’s Intelligence quotes as being LTTE’s intelligence and operations’ body

* Office of Overseas Purchases (nicknamed the KP Department) – hopefully the GOSL has been able to extract information on others in this group from KP now in State custody.

* The Tamil National Alliance – traces its origins to an unregistered alliance formed by LTTE in 2001 and thus TNA’s announcement that ‘LTTE was the sole representative of the Tamils’. TNA’s 2001 election manifesto claimed LTTE was the ‘Tamil National Entity’. This was followed by the TNA’s 2004 manifesto that said “Accepting the LTTE’s leadership as the national leadership of ‘Tamil Eelam’ Tamils and the Liberation Tigers as the sole and authentic representative of the Tamil people, let us devote our full cooperation for the ideals of the Liberation Tigers’ struggle with honesty and steadfastness. Let us endeavour determinedly, collectively as one group, one nation, one country, transcending race and religious differences, under the leadership of the LTTE, for a life of liberty, honour and justice for the Tamil people.”

* What is clear is that LTTE leader Prabhakaran and his cadres were just instruments of a larger exercise contrived not by the LTTE but by a group of people living in Sri Lanka and overseas (some of whom have now departed) far before LTTE came into existence. It is on this ground that Sri Lanka needs to remain alert at all times.

The death of the LTTE leader does not necessarily mean the death of Eelam and this remains very much on track. Thus, we need to place in proper context the LTTE Terrorism and Eelam Agenda. Formerly both complimented each other now the latter has taken lead role with the former kept lying in the wings to be used when necessary, which is why GTF leader Emmanuel is rallying the escaped LTTE cadres into one fold.

The most damaging decision immediately following the defeat of the LTTE was to not take action against the TNA membership and in particular all TNA MPs who had been associated with the LTTE since 2001.

While not taking action against the TNA the next faux pas that the GOSL committed was to hold elections in the North allowing TNA the proxy LTTE to politically gain control of the North knowing that Tamils would be forced to rally around them.

The Government appears to still not realize the mathematics of who supported/benefited from the LTTE and who actually suffered because of the LTTE and this connotes to how many listens to LTTE.

The TNA remains very much alive politically for the lack of resolve by the GOSL to take action against it for links with LTTE terror, this major fault has resulted in TNA being able to use their political privileges to push ahead with the Eelam agenda tied to the foreign LTTE fronts who enjoy VIP status among foreign parliamentarians as well as within the UN given that some hold observer status as NGOs/human rights groups etc.

Thus, TNA is and will remain a danger to Sri Lanka and its ties to political coalitions spells dangers to the country’s future. The announcement of TNA’s support to the Common alliance candidate and the LTTE fronts through Global Tamil Forum asking the Tamils to vote meaning the Tamils would be asked to vote for the common candidate because a deal has been struck.

What we should also realise is that TNA’s main constituent party ITAK is facing a court case where the petitioner is questioning if ITAK’s constitution is federal or confederal.

If the ITAK constitution is confederal it is a stepping stone away from declaring independence through the implementation of the 13th amendment. What Sri Lanka’s Government must realise is that this key amendment needs to be removed or made redundant to protect the territory and landscape of Sri Lanka.

More than anything Sri Lankans need to realise and come to terms with the fact that the most abhorred person in Sri Lanka (Prabhakaran) is no more and so are his key leaders but there are many dangerous LTTE trained cadres still out there.

Remember we rehabilitated only 11,000 of them and there were far more than 11,000 that made up the LTTE. Tamilchelvan himself declared in 2003 that 35% of LTTE cadres were from Tamil Nadu. This statement connects with the recent announcement by India that LTTE still aspires for a Greater Eelam which includes the state of Tamil Nadu, part of Kerala, part of Karnataka, part of Andhra Pradesh and northeastern provinces of Sri Lanka.

So Prabhakaran is dead, LTTE key leaders are dead but the entities, individuals, organisations that carried out intelligence, procurement, campaign fund raising, mobilising of people, businesses and ventures remain very much in place.

It is only a matter of finding a leader at least near to what Prabhakaran could achieve if these entities wish to recommence terror or use its political prowess to fool Sinhala politicians to giving in to the very demands that LTTE and Prabhakaran were demanding with the gun… are our leaders fool not able to tell the difference?

If the politicians are foolish and driven by their selfish agendas it is left to the people to be wiser and be alert and ensure that all those that have had links to the LTTE never emerge into powerful political positions or leadership roles.