‘Unable to muster support even for a demo’:

Support for LTTE rump in Germany on the wane

by Shirajiv Sirimane in Berlin

The support for the LTTE rump is fast fading in Germany and the Tamils have realised that the Government is sincere in its efforts to develop the North and the East and ensure equal opportunities for the minorities.

Second Secretary of the Sri Lankan Embassy, in Berlin, Kohula Ratnasingam said that though the number of Tamils in Germany is around 65,000 they cannot muster support even to conduct a demonstration.

“Tamil sympathisers had planned to conduct a large demonstration in front of the Sri Lankan Embassy while Sri Lanka was celebrating its Independence.

Though there are around 5,000 Tamils in Berlin only five turned up for the demonstration”, he said.This clearly shows that the LTTE rump is fast dying and that the Tamils have realised the Government’s sincererity.

He said that Sri Lanka’s Ambassador in Germany Sarath Kongahage had done a great deal of work to debunk the myths of the Tamils in Germany and have succeeded to overcome the pressure.

“We must also thank the German government for its assistance in this regard.” Many Tamils are keen to return to Sri Lanka and though they could apply for a German passport they prefer to have a Sri Lankan passport. “The Embassy is facilitating this,” he said.

Some Tamils are also exploring opportunities to invest in Sri Lanka especially in agriculture, education and the tourism sectors in the North. Ratnasingam, a Tamil himself, said, “I asked the Tamils whether they were looked down by the Sri Lankan Government and added that if it was so he wouldn’t be a Second Secretary,” he said. He said that German Technical Colleges are of a very high standard and Sri Lankans should learn the German language and enrol in these colleges for better employment opportunities in Sri Lanka and in Germany.”