Major LTTE fund raising event in London announced

(December, 09, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) The LTTE front White Pigeon which succeeded the activities of the now defunct UK charity Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) is holding a major fund raising event on 12 January 2007.

The fund raising programme titled ‘Mega Musical Festival -2008’ has been organised at the 10,000 seating capacity Alexandra Palace in early January 2008.

Some Tamil Nadu cinema stars and musicians costing over £30,000 are expected to perform at the event. The hall hire cost itself isexcess of £25,000. The organisers have pitched the prices of the tickets at £25 (single) £75 (family) and £100 (VIP).

Since the clamp down on the TRO by the UK Charity Commission, its front line activists have formed another charity in the name of ‘White Pigeon’ which is functioning as the UK arm of the TRO in the LTTE controlled Vanni. White Pigeon’s founder and present chairman is Dr N Sathiyamoorthy also known as Dr Moorthy was the chairman of TRO in the UK at the time of Charity Commission’s regulatory intervention which lead to its closure.

The White Pigeon Chairman is said to be a former armed cadre of the LTTE in the Trincomalee area in Sri Lanka before he claimed asylum in the United Kingdom. He is one of the frontline activists of the LTTE in the UK giving political commentaries in the LTTE front media and involved in the fund raising activities. He was given the honour to garland the picture of LTTE’s Thamilchelvan at a remembrance event at the Harrow Leisure Centre. Thamilchelvan died under suspicious circumstances in the LTTE controlled Vanni in November 2007.

In a report ‘The Home Office & HM Treasury’s Review of safeguards to protect the charitable sector (England and Wales) from terrorist abuse and the Charity Commission’s response to the consultation’ the Charity Commission has made reference on the closure of Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation in the UK. The report stated: ‘Further investigation concluded that the charity’s representatives had liaised with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (a proscribed organisation under the Terrorism Act 2000) to make decisions about where funds should be applied’.

The White Pigeon is accused of proving funds for LTTE sanctioned projects in the LTTE controlled area. It has so far not given details about large sums of money collected in the UK for Tsunami Relief work in 2004/2005. Following Tsunami tragedy, White Pigeon dominated the fund raising activities to the extent of sending the LTTE cadres to collect funds from the public on the streets and major city centres.