ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Shenali Waduge

There is little doubt to the truth that non-profit especially charitable organizations have become terroristƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s best friend. It is through these organizations that terrorists are sending money tax free to terrorists to procure arms & ammunition to kill while simultaneously using their ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-human rightsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ camouflage to exert pressure on Governments/UN & international bodies by feigning concerns for the lives of people, communities and livelihoods thereby shielding terrorists from legal punishment. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ How are people to know which NGO/INGO, which non-profit organization, which charity is honorable & genuine? There is certainly no guarantee. In a world with 7billion people the generous hearts are many. They want to give when catastropheƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s take place ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” they know nothing of the politics that prevail. Terrorist organizations are responsible for totally ruining and exploiting peopleƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s generosity.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ When terrorist organizations disguise themselves as charities, shed false tears, create picturesque propaganda to entice people to donate to their ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-causeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ they are not only abusing the tax systems but swindling people.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ This is how the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization, World Tamil Movement, Tamil Refugee Aid, Tamil Foundation, Canadian Foundation for Tamil Refugee Rehabilitation and thousands of other LTTE-front organizations fooled people into giving money to them when instead of using that money for tsunami victims, orphans, education, flood victims ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” the money was used to KILL PEOPLE and fatten their purses.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is not only the LTTE that has derived this strategy of penetrating into foreign society disguised as ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-charitiesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. Other terrorist organizations have followed LTTE example especial Islamic terrorists who find it easier to demand from Muslims for according to Islam they are supposed to give a percentage of their earnings to charity.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ This is certainly an ugly trend with charities increasing it simply means that terrorist organizations are misusing tax systems, avoiding paying taxes while receiving tax concessions. What are the legislatures doing about this!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ LTTE charities in the UK

The UK Charity Commission suspended the Sivayogam Trust in March 2007 after a 2 year probe. Its founder Nagendram Seevaratnam admits connections to the LTTE & having made ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-substantial financial contributionsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ to it. Sivayogam Trust also runs a Hindu Temple in Tooting, South London and funds 5 orphanages in Sri Lanka two of which were in Kilinochchi & Mullaitivu. These orphanages thick inside LTTE territory were no ordinary orphanages. Can we imagine a terrorist organization internationally accused of child conscription running orphanages as its CSR! Do people actually believe that LTTE was running a terror campaign while looking after orphanages?

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The TRO (Tamil Rehabilitation Organization) the main umbrella of the LTTE disbursing massive amounts of money towards the LTTE procurement of arms, ammunition etc was removed from the UK Charity Commission in August 2005 but not before it transferred its funds to the International TRO & the White Pigeon. The same year White Pigeon also came under investigation. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

There are plenty of other charities in the UK: Tamil Health Organization, Tamil Aid, Tamil Schools Sports Association, Technical Association of Tamils, Tamil Support Foundation. They united to launch a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-global appealƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ for what they called ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Mercy Mission to VanniƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. The event was held in March 2008 at Whitehall Palace, London. UK MPs, celebrities & media all attended to be appraised of the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-humanitarian situationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ in Sri Lanka. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚£200,000 was pledged by the Hindu Temples Group (UK).

Can anything be more hilarious than a terrorist organization promoting human rights!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The event proceedings began with an impassioned speech by Tim Martin who spoke of the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-desperateƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ need for assistance to give food & medicines to the Vanni. In other words the items were to go to the LTTE for it was an area TOTALLY under LTTE control. A video was shown describing the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-humanitarianƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ situation.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Also present at the event were several UK MPs perhaps unaware that LTTE is banned in the UK!ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Conservative MP Lee Scott for Ilford North, Labor Party MP Stephen Pound for Ealing North speaking at the event said ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-we cannot allow genocide to take place before our very eyesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, Conservative MP Andrew Pelling (Croydon Central), Conservative MP John Horam (Orpington), Labor MP John McDonnel (Hayes & Harlington) Mayor Cllr Eliza Man and Tamil National Alliance Pathmini Sithamparanathan were also present.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Not missing the event at any costs were long standing supporters of LTTE Keith Vaz MP, Joan Ryan MP, Siobhain McDonagh MP from the Labor Party.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The speeches given at this event was so dramatic that the audience had been moved to tears. Maybe, they would have also cried had they seen student monks whose heads were chopped by the LTTE, or pregnant mothers who had their bellies ripped apart by the LTTE, or children clubbed to death by the LTTE. Dastardly the acts may be, horrifying the pictures may be ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” these are what the world needs to be shown if they are to understand the other side of the LTTE that is been nicely portrayed through the charity & non-profit organizations that they are steering from behind. Government of Sri Lanka must use all its missions to display every incident of carnage by the LTTE. People now need to know the real story and graphically see for themselves the real side of the LTTE.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ This sham of giving audience to a terrorist movement whose disciples are paid to or for dear life preaching the good deeds of a terrorist organization needs to really stop. ItƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s really going beyond the nonsensical. Making a Government look like terrorists and Terrorists look like peace doves is rather bizarre.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is believed that there are over 50 Tamil charities functioning through the UK.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ LTTE charities in Canada

With a presence of 300,000 Tamils, Canada has become an easy nation to be misused, a Govt easy to win over and systems easy to manipulate. Canada is today LTTEƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s perfect haven with thousands of tax payers money going towards processing illegal immigrants smuggled or attempted to smuggle into Canada. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Nevertheless the Canada Revenue Agency audit discovered that the Canadian Foundation for Tamil Refugee Rehabilitation (CAFTARR) had given large amounts of money to ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-non-qualified doneesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and the CRA revoked its charity status. CAFTARR had been giving money to the TRO in May 2005 & January 2006. CAFTARR had also sent money to the Ramakrishna Mission in Sri Lanka from February 2005 to June 2007. A letter sent by CRA to CAFTARR informs that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-on the basis of publicly available informationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ both TRO & the Mission are part of the Tamil Tiger support network. Canada banned the LTTE in 2006.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Canada Revenue Agency has also revoked the Tamil Refugee Aid Society of Ottawa effective July 2010 once again due to ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-non-qualified doneesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ in receipt of charities raised.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The CRA audit also indicates that the Tamil charity involved an individual who had been convicted in the US conspiring to provide material support to the LTTE. Additionally the Tamil Refugee Aid SocietyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s liaison officer was named in documents filed in the Federal Court of Canada as being the area sales coordinator for the World Tamil Movement also having ties to the LTTE.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Revoking charitable status implies that these LTTE front charities can no longer issue donation receipts for income tax purposes & is no longer a qualified donee under the Income Tax Act. In other words they will not be exempt from income tax.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It was in 2001 that the B.C. Supreme Court sentenced the 1st Canadian under Canadian law to stop fundraising terrorism. This meant donors could be imprisoned for 14 years if they facilitate terrorist activity. Thus Prapaharan Thambithurai became the 1st Canadian to be convicted in 2008. He admitted he knew that a portion of the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-humanitarian fundsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ sent to the World Tamil Movement would be going towards the LTTE.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Canada despite loopholes that allow LTTE front organizations & other lobbies to prevail is however stern about not allowing registered charities supporting terrorism misusing the tax advantages of charitable registration. This is where the GOSL and anti-LTTE lobbies need to be alert about and to continuously press the CRA to take action against all LTTE charities that exist in Canada.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The conference discussed the LLRC report, CanadaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s response through Minister Baird, International Crisis Group warnings, human rights abuses in Sri Lanka.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Look up their website http://www.chrv.ca/about.php. Of the 7 Board Directors ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” 4 are Tamil. Event Coordination is done by a Tamil, Media relations are carried out by Tamils (3), marketing communications is done by a Tamil, fund raising is done by a Tamil, human rights liaison committee is headed by a Tamil, community liaison is done by a Tamil, political liaison is done by a Tamil, Legal Advisory committee is headed by a Tamil even memberships/nominations and audits are done by TamilsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.its an all Tamil show supposed to be projecting itself as an unbiased, non-partisan, international human rights organization. Now those agreeing to take part must surely be looking up these credentials before accepting especially MPs, renowned journalists, media personnel & others..unless they come with a different agenda!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ A major network of LTTE front organizations are using their ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-human rightsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ coat to lobby amongst CanadaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s MPs and penetrate their weak points.

Canada must respond as to why the Canadian Government has been slow to specify LTTE as a terrorist group?

The Canadian Government banned 33 of the 42 listed terrorist organization in 2002/2003 but the LTTE was listed only 2008 two years after the EU listed the LTTE (2006)

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ LTTE charities in USA

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In 2009 the charity group Tamil Foundation was found guilty of raising funds for the LTTE. It has been designated under ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Executive Order 13224ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ for providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism. The President of the Tamil Foundation is also the head of the TRO (US) which was designated as a terrorist organization in 2007. This clearly shows that these LTTE front organizations posing as charities are simply not giving up. Its head banned in 2007 was quick to set up another charity and since the US authorities were alert both have now been banned. This however means greater vigilance about other charities that are carrying on charity work but in reality collecting funds to sponsor terror.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The flip side is that not only terrorists are misusing charities/non-profits/NGOs but so too are Governments who use these organizations to channel money to carry out destabilizing programs while being stationed in these countries enjoying local hospitality. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Thus, many of the local NGOs are often used as pimps to spread sentiments that serve the vested interests of the Governments & organizations that are paying them.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Therefore, we should not be surprised at the explosion of foreign funded NGOs in existence. They are all part of a New Policy plan and will attempt all possible avenues to penetrate into the defense & sovereignty of nations. Most of the NGOs in Sri Lanka have acted as proxies of the LTTE ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” they have been promoting devolution, concept of 2 states, demilitarization all needless to say following an anti-Sri Lanka theme. It is their voice as members of the local NGO circuit that gets quoted as being ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-endorsedƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ by foreign Governments & NGOs simply because they have been paid to give such statementsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.so it comes as no surprise when over the years they harped the need to involve LTTE as an integral part of Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s solution, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ when they give estimates on the loss of life and point accusing fingers at the armed forces, when they project the image of Government troops disrupting civilian life in the North ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” all these are part of a bigger plan and these NGOs are being paid for every word that comes out of their mouth and for every statement they give.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If we look back to some of the incidents during the terrain of the war we would recall a statement by the Norwegian PeopleƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Aid, a Norwegian Government funded NGO that said its earth moving vehicles, trucks & tractors had been ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-stolen by the LTTEƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. The NPA was also responsible for smuggling arms to SudanƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s People Liberation Army in Sudan. It was with these equipment that the LTTE was able to build & fortify massive bunds, trenches & bunkers. The Sri Lanka army found many items that belonged to INGOs used by the LTTE.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ There were over 25 aid and humanitarian agencies ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-involvedƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ in ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-developmentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ work in the Wanni. There is nothing impressive to see about any work done throughout the years they were located in the areas of Vannerikulam, Vidalathivu, Thunnukkai & Mallavi which begs to question what have they done with the money they collected?

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ We also have an example of a staff member from the Zoa Refugee Care who decided to join the LTTE instead of moving with the other staff to Vavuniya. Similarly another aid agency ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” Action Against Hunger without removing its local staff to safety when all others evacuated found the best excuse to blame the Government troops when these staff had been killed by the LTTE. It is these local & foreign bodies today that are carrying on the misinformation campaign nevertheless strengthened by the inability of the Government to devise a clear strategy to overcome lies and fabrications.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ What needs to be reiterated is that NO organization has any credibility much less any right to use ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-human rightsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ terminology if that organization is made up of people who are part of a terror outfit or sympathizing with a terrorist outfit & using the organization to fabricate lies against a Nation & its Government.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Going through the lists of front organizations of the banned terrorist movement the LTTE, how they have spearheaded and manipulated the charity systems in different parts of the world further depicts the hypocrisies that prevail.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ What are responsible governments & the UN security council & its membership especially the UNHRC going to do about this ugly trend of terrorists disguising as Human Rights champions?

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri Lanka has been accountable ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” it has rehabilitated scores of captured former LTTE combatants, it has started development projects, it has started livelihood projects assisting civilians to start life afresh, Sri Lanka has made a terror stricken North a place where children do not have to fear being kidnappedƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.all thatƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s really left for Sri Lanka to do is to punish individuals & political parties for aligning with terrorists and that should start with the TNAƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦..soon the Govt will have to listen to the will of the people with regard to the TNAƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦a party that should have been politically written off no sooner the LTTE was eliminated!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Shenali Waduge