Prabakaran is dead but the LTTE is not and Eelam remains alive too
The figurehead of LTTE incorporated was killed on 19th May 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. We also need to realize 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 Prabakaran 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 Organizations and having them linked to recognized international human rights/charity organizations 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 Organization)
3. Illegal narcotics trafficking & 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 in order 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 Programme Officer Lawrenece Thilagar
- Following the delisting in the UK two new organizations were established the, International TRO (ITRO) and Tamil Support Foundation (TSF) to continue similar operations.
- K. 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 Organization (formerly Tamil Health Organization-USA) provides financial and material support for LTTE’s Centre for Health Care (CHC).
- Norwegian Tamil Health Organization 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 Sinagpore. 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 craftmanship value being bloated fivefold.
8. Hindu temples managed by LTTE (Human Rights Watch 2006 report covers LTTE management of Hindu temples
For further reading: Shanaka Jayasekara “LTTE fundraising & money transfer operations’.
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 Organization 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 organized by the LTTE fronts that Sri Lanka has banned)
- 2001 – USA designated LTTE as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist organization since 2 Nov 2001
- 2006 – EU (Council of the European Union) comprising 28 nations declared LTTE as a Terrorist Organization on 17 May 2006 (Austria, Beligum, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemberg, 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 Wickremasinghe Government on 4 January 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 organizations are
- Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam a.k.a LTTE a.k.a Tamil Tigers – EN/CA/2013/0102. Tamil Rehabilitation Organization a.k.a TRO. – EN/CA/2013/
- (Sri Lanka & Overseas)
- Tamil Coordinating Committee a.k.a TCC – EN/CA/2013/03
- British Tamil Forum a.k.a BTF – EN/CA/2013/04 (Operating from London, UK)
- World Tamil Movement a.k.a WTM – EN/CA/2013/05 (Operating from Canada)
- Canadian Tamil Congress a.k.a CTC – EN/CA/2013/06 (Operating from Canada)
- Australian Tamil Congress a.k.a ATC – EN/CA/2013/07 (Operating from Australia)
- Global Tamil Forum a.k.a GTF – EN/CA/2013/08 (Operating from UK)
- National Council Of Canadian Tamils a.k.a NCCT a.k.a Makkal Avai – EN/CA/2013/09 (Operating from Canada)
- Tamil National Council a.k.a TNC – EN/CA/2013/10 (Operating from Norway, Italy , Switzerland, France, Canada.)
- Tamil Youth Organization a.k.a TYO – EN/CA/2013/11 (Operating from Australia)
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