LTTE promises mini Eelam in London

Many an eyebrow has been raised here by the rhetoric of some LTTE supporters in the local government election fray, who promise preferential treatment for the Tamil community, in a multi racial society that believes in social integration.

The LTTE have put forward several candidates to contest for the position of local authority councilors on the 4th of May in key areas with large Tamil constituencies.

While a large number of Tamils are participating in the elections, a close examination of some of the Tamil candidates indicate that they are either sympathisers or ardent supporters of the UK proscribed terrorist organization, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and have engaged in activities in support of the LTTE.

The motive of the LTTE action is to attempt to influence the political thinking of the British government in favour of them and gain access to voter lists and target Tamil residents for extortion.

The most interesting of the campaign material published comes from the six candidates contesting in London Borough of Harrow. They have published their joint mission statement in the LTTE front `Oru`, a weekly Tamil language newspaper which states:

`If re-elected we want to achieve the following:

A sports ground exclusively for Tamil men, woman and children.

A centre for the Tamil senior citizens to meet and socialise.

More grant funding to schools to develop art & culture.

Organise more lobbying to demonstrate the Tamil plight in North and East of Sri Lanka.

Organise more trips by MPs and Councillors to see the situation in Sri Lanka for themselves. Continue to help the refugees through the MP` and speak out for them.`

In the climate of social integration and inclusive politics practiced in the multi cultural Britain, campaign luring Tamils with the above slogans only confirms lack of understanding of local government politics and its finances. The published statements also confirm that candidates are unable to move away and advocate diversity in their approach. It is alleged that the above mission statements had not been vetted by the Labour Party before publication as it reflects cheap vote winning promises.

Of the six candidates Daya Idaikadar is the only experienced Councillor serving for nearly eight years and seeking re-election. But the mission statement incorrectly states all six are seeking re-election. He too failed to help the new comers to follow the procedures of the Party and avoid giving false promises that they will work to gain a sports grounds exclusively for Tamils and obtaining Council grants for weekend Tamil schools in Harrow when the Council has moved away from practicing exclusivity on such matters long time ago.

The Tamil candidates contesting the election are:

Gopal Gopiratnam ‘ He is contesting a ward in the Harrow Borough Council as a Labour candidate. He is involved with the LTTE front `Oru` newspaper. This is a free circulation weekly Tamil language newspaper in the UK. This paper has a history of attacking anyone critical of the LTTE. The newspaper does not publish wider views of the Tamils and only publishes news and views about the LTTE and writes to stifle the free thinking Tamil voices.

Tamilni Kulendran – An independent candidate contesting a seat in Merton Council. He is working to get the support of 300 odd Tamil votes in the ward he is contesting. He is a journalist, Immigration advisor and community worker.

M S P Selvanayagam contesting as Mike Selva ‘ He is re-contesting a ward in London Borough of Croydon as a Labour candidate. A Tamil nationalist and has close ties with LTTE supporting leaders in Tamil Nadu Pala Nedumaran, Veeramani and Vaiko. He is said to have met the Tamil DMK leader Dr Kalaignar Karunanithy.

Mrs Vijambihai Indrakumar- She is contesting as a Tory candidate in the Labour controlled Borough of Newham. A one time popular South Indian Bharathnatyam dancer, her popularity is enhanced because of her well respected and talented husband Dr K Indrakumar who has contributed enormously towards the enhancement of Tamil culture by his writings and contributions in major events. Since the break up of their marriage Mrs Indrakumar has developed political ambitions.

Yogan Yoganathan is the present Mayor of London Borough of Kingston re-contesting as a Lib Dem candidate. Very lively and an outspoken person and is a Tamil nationalist.

Rohan Ahilan Yoganathan- Son of Yogan Yoganathan. He is a professional and employed in the Asset Risk Management field. He is contesting in the London Borough of Kingston as a Lib Dem candidate. He is from the new generation of the Tamils born in the UK to enter politics.

Miss Elizabeth Mann known as Eliza Mann – She is re-contesting on the ticket of Lib Dem in London Borough of Southwark. In the advertisement published in the pro LTTE `Oru Paper` she states that she works for Human Rights (The LTTE kind) and Rehabilitation of Sri Lanka`. She has a history of pro-LTTE and pro-Eelam lobbying and fund raising activities for the LTTE in the UK.

Sockalingam Karunalingam- Contesting for a Harrow Council seat on a Labour ticket. A pro-LTTE activist and one time Chairman of Kanaga Durgai Amman Temple. During his chairmanship he transformed the temple management into a pro-LTTE establishment. Though he had good intentions in helping Tamil people he became a pawn of the LTTE and built a strong LTTE regime in the temple by starting youth and elderly people clubs with diehard LTTEers. He was unceremoniously removed from his post recently following acrimonious politics as a result of moderate voices strengthening their hold in the temple. He was appointed by the LTTE as manager of its Tamil Television Network (TTN) in the UK for the financial support he had given when he was Chairman of the temple. Karunalingam is said to be related to Mathivathani Pirabakaran the wife of the LTTE supremo Pirabakaran.

Daya Idaikadar- A serving Councillor re-contesting in the London Borough of Harrow. He is a self employed accountant. He is a contributor to the LTTE`s nitharsanam.com operating from Oslo. He wrote a letter to British Prime Minister recently condemning the military action by the Sri Lankan forces in Trincomalee without any reference to the suicide bombing by the pregnant LTTE woman in Colombo which caused deaths and also serious injuries to the Army Commander.

Paul Sathyanesan- Re-contesting his seat in the London Borough of Newham on a Labour ticket. He is an outspoken critic of Tamil gang violence in London.

Sandra Balendra ‘ A young energetic candidate contesting in London Borough of Barnet as a Labour candidate. She is from the new generation of Tamils born in the UK.

Thavathurai Jayaranjan – Contesting in London Borough of Newham on a Labour ticket. A strong activist of the LTTE and have engaged in its fund raising activities in the UK. He went to Sri Lanka recently and met LTTE`s S P Thamilchelvan in Vanni.

Krishna Suresh ‘ An accountant by profession and have done community work. He is contesting on Labour ticket in the London Borough of Harrow.

Sashikala Suresh- She the wife of Krishna Suresh and contesting in the same borough as Labour candidate. She received wide publicity in the LTTE`s nithasanam.com. Her profile advertised in the pro LTTE `Oru Paper` states that she was involved in the Tsunami fund raising. Further inquiries reveal that the funds were raised for the LTTE White Pigeon Charity. The charity is under investigation by the British Charity Commissioner for its links with a proscribed terrorist organization (LTTE).

Karima Marikar- She is contesting in the London Borough of Harrow as a Labour candidate. She states in her campaign material, `I feel my understanding of both Tamil and Sinhalese languages will help me reach out to some of the more under represented group in the community.`

Vaideeswaran Dayalan- He is contesting in the London Borough of Kingston on Labour ticket. He is board member of Kingston Tamil School, a weekend school run for the Tamils in South London.

The LTTE have already extracted Tamil names and addresses from the voting lists and are carrying out Tamil language propaganda in favour of their candidates. Tamils fear that the LTTE will soon be knocking on their doors for contributions for `the final war` and more promises of capturing Jaffna, which their leader promised to do within 10 years and before the dawn of the new millennium.(Island)

Be prepared for surprises

While Army Commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka, who survived an LTTE assassination attempt, is still in ICU, the government is in the Over Drive mode to thallu (jump) start the Geneva talks. It has reportedly given the go ahead for a seaplane to be placed at the disposal of the LTTE, which is bent on avoiding negotiations and has, through its attack on the Army Commander, demonstrated that it is not serious about strengthening the truce.

The LTTE on Sunday, unwittingly, debunked its claim that the roadblock to truce talks is the refusal by the government to airlift its Eastern Province leaders to Kilinochchi. The LTTE cyber arm TamilNet said that on Sunday the outfit had successfully transported a group of unnamed cadres to Mullaithivu by sea in defiance of the Navy. So, if it is desirous of talks, why can’t it ’successfully transport’, via the same route, the leaders whom Prabhakaran wants to meet for pre talks consultations? (This is the first time Prabhakaran wants to make a decision in consultation with others!) On the other hand, if the LTTE could smuggle a suicide bomber into the Army Headquarters, taking its leaders from a jungle to another, either by sea or overland, must be child’s play. It is clear that the LTTE demand for transporting its leaders to Kilonchchi from the East is only a dilatory tactic.

On Sunday, the Wanni Tigers attacked what they termed some camps of the Karuna Group, in a disputed terrain, where either the Army or the LTTE is said to have no presence. The Wanni Faction has boasted that its ‘commandos’ emerged victorious in the battle and if so, then why should it ask the government to disarm the Karuna Faction? Haven’t they shown the potential to do that themselves? Is it that the Wanni Faction wants the armed forces to function as mercenaries to do its dirty work?

The latest news is that an LTTE cadre has been arrested with a claymore mine and the Tigers can no longer deny their involvement in the terror attacks on the armed forces, which it earlier blamed on some resentful civilian groups.

So, we have a situation, where the LTTE has, through its own action, established that:

1. it is capable of transporting its cadres from the East,

2. its cadres are carrying out mine attacks on security forces and the Police and

3. it can take on the Karuna Faction or the Alternatively Armed Elements according to the SLMM.

Following last week’s suicide attack in Colombo, pressure is building up against the LTTE and even the Co-Chairs have found the outfit too embarrassing to mollycoddle any longer. The Tigers are up a gum tree and the government must be wary of making any commitment that might bail them out. Let them stew in their own juice.

The inordinate hurry the government is in to talk to the LTTE is suggestive of a mistaken belief that if the Tigers could be taken to Geneva-hey presto! – war clouds will dissipate and truce will be bolstered. The government had been cherishing that illusion before disaster struck at the Army Headquarters. One may lead a horse to water, it is said, but twenty cannot make it drink. The LTTE may be taken to Geneva but it won’t abide by the truce, unless sufficient pressure is brought to bear on it internationally.

Truce talks need to be held but not on the LTTE’s terms and the outfit mustn’t be allowed to make a virtue of its adversity yet another time. The government ought to demand that the Co-chairs wrest an undertaking from the LTTE to desist from suicidal terror and attacks on civilians, and that negotiations be conducted according to a timeframe, without letting the LTTE sanitise its terror by merely participating in talks without respecting the truce. Else, the LTTE will go to Geneva only to come back and make an attempt on another Security Forces commander’s or a political leader’s life. A few more rounds of haphazardly conducted Geneva talks will thus help the LTTE render the armed forces and the southern polity rudderless.

The government may work towards reinvigorating the battered truce without which the peace process doesn’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell (or Kilinochchi under the LTTE) but it had better take all precautions to protect VIPs, civilians and vital military and economic interests, without waiting till disaster strikes to act. In making peace with a terror group, which uses peace processes to further its military interests, a government is always in for many surprises. Let the government draw lessons from the mistakes of its predecessors, whose blunders helped the LTTE in no small measure with its war. (TIO)