LTTE Rump Fast Exploiting Canadian Soil To Revive Terrorism In SL
By Camelia Nathaniel
Sunday, 27th April 2014
The mighty show of LTTE very well proved that the organization still operates actively in Canadian soil and is capable of organizing events to raise funds
With depleting support for LTTE activism worldwide, LTTE fronts overseas, notably in Canada, are turning to prey on impressionable Tamil youth and children in order to revive their terrorist activities. As the photographs show, over 50 percent of the participants in the Tamil Community General Assembly gathered on April 13, 2014 were youth and children. Convened at the Toronto City Council Chamber by the National Council of Canadian Tamils, a designated LTTE front in Canada, its directing figure Ranjan Sri Ranjan alias Ramanthan Sri Ranjan formed a new front – the Tamil Community General Assembly.
Frontline anti-democratic fighters, spies and supporters of terrorism, the LTTE was globally notorious for recruiting a high number of youth and children in Sri Lanka. According to some reliable estimates, their recruitment of youth and children was as high as 40-60 percent compared to the number of its other cadres. Against the wishes of parents, teachers and principals, the LTTE propaganda, brainwashed and recruited or forcibly conscripted children and youth as LTTE cannon fodder.
In LTTE-controlled Jaffna and the East, and later in the Wanni, the LTTE threatened and killed many school principals and teachers who opposed their recruitment efforts to generate fear ensuring compliance. In Canada, if the Tamil youth do not join LTTE support activity, they are ridiculed with the derogatory term “coconut” (outside brown, inside white), psychologically affecting them. The teasing, harassing and embarrassing that some students were subjected to led them to mental depression that severely affects their studies and day to day activities.
After the defeat of the LTTE in May 2009, its overseas network keeps its ideology intact through a system of schools that purportedly teaches language and culture. In reality, the LTTE establishes new schools or infiltrates existing schools to indoctrinate Tamil children. As of May 2012, the LTTE operated 428 schools in Europe, notably in Germany, Switzerland, France, Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The LTTE ideologues and teachers indoctrinated and educated 22,500 students across Europe. Germany had the highest number (125) of such schools and 133 schools in Switzerland, and 65 schools in Denmark.
Brainwashing
The organizations that are spearheading the brainwashing of Tamil youth in Canada are: the Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC), the National Council of Canadian Tamils (NCCT), and the Tamil Youth Organization (TYO). Since the designation of CTC, NCCT and its affiliate TYO under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373 on March 20, 2014 as terrorist organisations, most Canadian Tamils distanced from functions organized by these entities that are engaged in terrorist procurement, fundraising and propaganda. Except hardcore LTTE activists, most LTTE supporters distanced themselves from NCCT and TYO of Nediyawan-Irumporai Faction of the LTTE and CTC, a constituent of Global Tamil Forum led by Fr S. J. Emmanuel.
Both Fr Emmanuel and Nediyawan (real name Perinpanayagam Sivaparan) are designated persons under UNSCR 1373. While Sahilal Sabaratnam, the former Communications Director of the Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC), is serving a 25-year long sentence in US prison for illicit arms procurement, his successor, David Poopalapillai, the current National Spokesperson of the CTC is designated as a LTTE terrorist.
While Sathajhan Sarachandran alias Satha Sarachandran, the former President of TYO (2003-5) was arrested for procuring arms for the LTTE, current and former LTTE persons including directing figures of CTC were under investigation for their association with terrorism. In addition to serving as the president and national president of the Canadian Tamil Students Association, Satha joined CTC and formed a terrorist cell with CTC’s Communications Director Sahilal Sabaratnam.
Indoctrination
The LTTE infiltrated several Canadian universities and school boards to gain access to Tamil youth and children. Furthermore, under the pretext of teaching Tamil Language and Culture, the LTTE formed several schools to indoctrinate youth and children. The universities that are worst affected by LTTE influence are in Ontario. In addition to a few colleges such as Durham and Seneca, the Universities of Waterloo, York, Rayson, MacMaster and Carlton are affected. With students parading with the Tiger flag and Prabhakaran’s photo, Toronto university authorities become tougher.
After Satha Sarachandran was arrested in the USA by the FBI for procuring weapons for the LTTE, the Canadian authorities were extra vigilant on Tamil student organizations. After Satha was sentenced to 26 years in a US prison, he wrote a letter regretting for his youth wasted by the LTTE fronts. For indoctrinating them in hate, Satha and Sahilal put the blame on WTM, TRO and CTC, the latter is still continuing to operate. They pled with the youth not to follow the advice of these groups and as the result, they ended up in prison.
Hypocrisy
The directing figures of these terrorist front organisations have been careful not to expose their sons and daughters to the hate propaganda of the LTTE. They have protected their children from participating in lobbying, fundraising and other terrorist and extremist supportive activities. They are aware of the increasing Canadian and international scrutiny of activity aimed at reviving the LTTE. Not only government, but also the private sector has started to screen recruits who applied for jobs. For example, a university student was hired by a bank in early 2014. But after the bank was informed that the applicant was engaged in LTTE activity at the university, she was “let go” by the bank. (Due to privacy reasons the name of the university, the student and the bank cannot be revealed).
Referring to two terrorists who were designated under UNSCR 1373 as terrorists, a Canadian Sri Lanka parent said, “David Poopalapillai and Pon Balraj never bring their children out and allow them to carry a LTTE flag. Some of their children serve in government holding sensitive posts. The organisers of these terrorist groups brainwash other children to get involved in these activities. The gullible children carry flags and ruin their future careers since they are not recruited to hold responsible posts. Jobs in government and increasingly in the other sectors are permanently closed for them. This is a warning to the parents to guide their children away from any of the LTTE functions.” The concerned parent added, “The same thing the LTTE did in Sri Lanka, its rump is doing it here (Canada). They brainwash the Tamil children and put them in the front. Due to the attraction, a small number of Sinhalese students are also involved.”
Juanita Nathan, a public school board trustee in Markhan ward 7-8, came to the attention of Canadian law enforcement and intelligence services after her links to the LTTE were exposed. She replaced a LTTE activist, Neethan Shan, who represented the same riding in 2006-2010. Nathan held the post of Vice President of CTC. In late 2013, Nathan sought nomination to run for Liberal Party federal election in Markham-Tornhill riding in 2015 but later withdrew. Many were shocked when Nathan received a book written about Prabhakaran, the leader of the LTTE, a proscribed terrorist group in Canada.
Parents questioned Nathan’s role as a trustee and if this book should be placed in the school libraries because it indoctrinates the children.
Dancing to the tune of terrorism
Nirothini Pararajasingam, also from Scarborough in Toronto, is another common face at LTTE propaganda and fundraising events. A dance instructor, she kept the LTTE alive through songs and dances. Year after year, nearly hundred children trained by her have been performing at the annual celebration where terrorist-criminals including the suicide killers were commemorated. Her troupe continues to perform at most events that were organized by LTTE fronts including CTC.
After the end of the war in Sri Lanka, the strength of the LTTE overseas gradually diminished. With reduced coercive power to threaten expatriate Tamils to contribute funds or participate in demonstration, less than 10 percent of the Tamils today advocate, support or participate in LTTE overseas activities.
However, through CTC and NCCT, the LTTE is reorganizing in Canada under the guise of human rights activism. Despite CTC and NCCT association with the ruthless and deceptive LTTE, CTC’s Gary Anandasangaree and Vany Selvarajah and NCCT’s Ranjan Sri Ranjan and Krisna Saravanamuttu were in Geneva to lobby human rights organizations. Those who funded and supported the vicious terrorist campaign in Sri Lanka are today targeting the youth and children in Canada.
The recent attempt by the LTTE to reorganize in Sri Lanka revealed that funding came from Nediyawan-Irumporai group also known as Makkal Peravai (Tamil Eelam Peoples Assembly). Formed in June 2010, NCCT is the Canadian arm of Makkal Peravai and successor to World Tamil Movement, proscribed by the Government of Canada in April 2006. With Ranjan Sri Ranjan behind the scenes, Krisna Saravanamuttu formed the newest LTTE front, the Tamil Community General Assembly, predominantly consists of youth, mostly students. A Canadian Sri Lankan remarked, “Krisna is conditioning our youth with rhetoric and lies. Most parents were unaware that by letting their children participate in banned terrorist groups will affect their future.” Others associated with forming LTTE’s newest front is Thiru S. Thiruchelvam, NCCT, Sevanthi Prabhakaran, and a few others who are keen to revive the LTTE. Thiruchelvam was previously a member of CTC and President of Tamil Eelam Society of Canada.
Deprived of high office
There are a few well educated Canadian Tamils who were deprived of high official posts due to their links to terrorism. Elagu Elaguppillai, a Sri-Lankan-born Canadian nuclear scientist was denied a security clearance for a position at Atomic Energy Canada in 1996. Elagupillau was the president of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) in 1995-96, a LTTE front subsequently designated by the US as a terrorist entity for providing funds for procuring weapons from North Korea. Although he immediately resigned, Elaguppillai was on the watch lists of several governments due to his speciality and subsequent involvement with LTTE in Wanni.
Despite Canadian politicians who were lured by campaign contributions and minority votes made pronouncements to please their constituents, Canadian law enforcement and national security agencies maintain a close watch to mitigate the LTTE infiltration. Working with their foreign security and intelligence counterparts, they have identified recent attempts by LTTE fronts to penetrate the political system and subvert the administrative structures.In addition to a background check, when people applying for any important positions including high security jobs, in future, the applicants’ face book and twitter accounts will be screened too.
The LTTE is no more. Yet, the LTTE fronts were able to present a distorted picture of the reality in Sri Lanka and instilled fear in the Tamil communities overseas.
The failure of the Sri Lankan government to counter LTTE disinformation and misinformation prevented a change in Tamil perceptions. The UN-designation of LTTE fronts that supported terror and are determined to revive terror will create space for mainstream Tamils to take control of their destinies.
Canada should facilitate the process of the community for them to return to the mainstream by investigating and prosecuting the financiers, facilitators and directing figures of the LTTE. For the community to reach its full potential, the LTTE leaders who propagate extremism and violence should be replaced by mainstream leaders.
Accountability: Start from where!
Canada’s call for accountability should start on Canadian soil. As terrorist supporters are as guilty as the perpetrators, they should be held accountable for their terrorist crimes.
The LTTE branch chief in Canada since 2003 is Kiranji Subramanium alias Thamil from Punguduthivu. She is a relative of Madhivathani Prabhakaran, the wife of the terrorist leader. A citizen of Canada, Thamil is not a public figure and like Prabhakaran, Thamil has lived in a basement bunker.
While political lobbying including working with Canadian political parties is directed by Nehru Gunaratnam, propaganda and finance including publishing the Ulaghatamilar – the newspaper of the proscribed WTM – is directed by Kamalavasan alias Kamal. Due to the neglect of the Canadian government, the grip of the LTTE on the Tamil media remains significant. Nearly five years after the defeat of the LTTE, an alternative point of view printed or aired should not be tolerated! As the largest support base for the LTTE in the past, Canada should firmly act to prevent another generation of youth from being filled with hate. It will obviously ruin their present and future.
See more at : http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2014/04/27/the-grip-tightening/
