LTTE ACTIVITIES IN THE UK

Children killed by LTTE

The organisation of support for the Tamils of Sri Lanka goes back toNovember 1978 when Tamil Co-ordinating Committee or TCC was formed at the instance of Amirthalingam for the purpose of Co-ordinating the UK based political and militant front organisations. Its President S K Vaikunthavasan has been the initiator of many efforts to bring the government of Sri Lanka into disrepute as oppressors of the Tamil minority - This theme is yet been followed and it is in UK that the vicious anti-government propaganda is strongest. Vaikunthavasan is also remembered for the incident where on 5 Nov 1978 he walked up to the rostrum of the United Nations before the Sri Lanka Foreign Affairs Minister who was billed to speak could reach it and held forth for about a minute on the Tamil cause before he could be removed.

The centre of LTTE activities for the area has now shifted to Paris and the LTTE activities in UK are now co-ordinated by LTTE International Secretariat at No 211 Katherine Road, London E6 IBU , United Kingdom, Fax No 0181-4708593 The following are the pro-LTTE organisations in the UK

* London Tamil Manram

* Tamil Co-ordinating Committee

* Eelam Solidarity Campaign

* Tamil Information Centre, Thamil House, 720 Romford Road, London E12

6BT, Tel No. 0181 514 6390

* Tamil Rehabilitation organization (TRO) , 79 Hoe Street, Walthamstow,

London E:17 4SA, UK , Tel No. 0181-520 5876

* International Federation of Tamils, 17, Birchiew Close, Yateley,

Camberley, Surrey GU17 7 DL UK Tel No. 01252 876894

* World Saiva Council ,c/o London Meikandaar Adheenam, 72, King Edward

Road, El7 6HZ, UK

The KALATHIL a well known Tamil journal with a wide distribution is published by the International Federation of Tamils Located at 17 Birchview Close Yateley Camberley, Surrey and has N Satyendran, son of late S Nadesan QC who is the legal brain of the LTTE as one of its advisors. The LTTE

International Secretariat distributes Internationally regular Press releases from the LTTE headquarters Sri Lanka.

In its Campaign to gain international support for the Eelam cause it regularly publishes pamphlets reports and booklets. With a view to gain international support to pre-empt military offensive on Jaffna. One of the latest booklets published is entitled SLAUGHTER OF TAMIL CIVILIANS, JULY 1995 and highlights the civilians killed and wounded and the buildings inclusive of the Church of St. Peter and Paul in Navaly damaged in the aerial bombings and artillery shelling. The other pro LTTE publications are:

* Viduthalai Puligal

* Tamil Times Tamil Times Ltd. P O Box 121, Sutton Surrey SM13TD United

Kingdom. Tel No. (0181) 672 1811 Fax No. (0181) 767 6791

* Tamil Nation, P O Box 373, Croydon, Surrey, CR96 1B, United Kingdom

* Network , The International Federation of Tamils 17, Birchview close,

Yateley, Camberley, Surrey, GV17 7DL

* Thamilan, 19, Undine Street, London SW 17 8PP, United Kingdom , Tel No.

(0181) 6721811 Fax No. (0181) 76767

It also maintains an Information Centre where one could telephone in and obtain the latest news on the situation and up date of any incident occurring in Sri Lanka (Tamil Eelam British Branch, 42 Albany Street, London NW1 4EA, Tel No. 0171 387 4339, Fax No. 0171 622 1864).

Tamil expatriates in the UK raise huge sums of money for the Eelam cause. Almost every expatriate family will contribute towards the Eelam cause. Most of them have lost at least one of their family in the North East war and rightly or wrongly believe in the essential justice of the armed struggle waged by the Tigers. Information is now received that those employed in UK with families in the Jaffna are called upon to pay money equivalent to Rs 5,000 to 10,000 per month- Another venue through which funds are channelled to the LTTE is through the Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO). ostensibly to maintain its various projects in Sri Lanka and in pursuance of the Foster parent's scheme where a number of orphanages have been established in Sri Lanka, funds have been solicited from sympathetic and philanthropic organisations throughout the world These have been requested to forward their contributions through the TRO branch at No 79 Hoe Street London E17 4SA UK.

London has been the venue for regular protest marches demonstrations and seminars to protest against military action of the Sri Lankan government, to mobilise Tamil public support and lobby international opinion in favour of the Eelam cause. The Sri Lanka High commission has often been the scene for these protests and has also been the target for violence from explosives and acts of arson The latest protest launched was on 15 July 95, where though permission had been granted for an assembly of 100, more than 8000 were present in front of the " Prime Minister's Office claiming to be on behalf of the 65 Tamil community organisations through out Great Britain. They called on the British government to condemn Sri Lanka's gross violation of humanitarian law in the ongoing military operations.

It is reported that whilst previously most of the Tamils who were not professionally qualified obtained employment in the lower grades, presently employers are vary of employing Tamils due to their many involvements and their internecine rivalry between the various Tamil groups that have sought refuge in the UK. This would only lead to an increase in the Tamil refugees who are unemployed and create more problems for the host country.