LTTE seminar on Ethnic Conflict

(March 24, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) The front runners of the LTTE in London under a so-called structure of Global Peace Support Group held a two day international seminar on ‘Ethnic Conflict in Sri Lanka’ on 22 and 23 March 2008. The organisers faced serious difficulties in holding the event as the Vice Chancellor of East London University intervened to cancel the hall bookings following some serious representations to him by some students of the University and opposing factions that the seminar is an LTTE event.

The organisers approached the local Member of Parliament Hon Stephen Timms and impressed upon him that the function will not be a sectarian LTTE event. Hon parliamentarian’s strong representation and police assessment of the event ensured revision of the decision by the Vice Chancellor.

Hon Stephen Timms MP assured the Vice Chancellor that the event will incorporate cross section of the Tamil community and there will not be any constrains imposed. Accordingly he informed the concerned members of his constituency to attend the seminar and undertook that he will do the needful if any problem arose. He also advised them to register their names with the organisers before attending the event. Accordingly some who do not subscribe to the LTTE methods registered their names.

When the leader of the Tamil Democratic Congress R Jayadevan after obtaining prior permission from one of the organiser K Kunabalasingam and proceeded to the venue, he was confronted by the well known hardcore LTTE men and they refused him entry. A Tamil man in LTTE security attire was called in and R Jayadevan was asked to leave the place.

Jayadevan phoned Hon Stephen Timms MP and explained the situation and the MP too arrived at the venue and attempted to resolve the conflict. The hardcore LTTE men would not budge and were making tirades that Jayadevan was an agent of the Sri Lankan government. Utterly disappointed MP, unable to help had to give up his effort. He told the LTTE men ‘I am very disappointed and you have not kept your promise to me’.

Jayadevan and two others had to return and many others were told not to proceed to the venue due to the confrontational attitude of the LTTE.

Hon Stephen Timms MP was supposed to make the opening address at the seminar but the unhappy MP did not and after staying there for little while he left the hall disappointed.

The reason given for not allowing Jayadevan and others were due to heavy booking to the capacity. Those who attended function and a report filed in the ‘Thesamnet.com’ confirm only 200 people attended in the 400 capacity hall.

Reading through the report filed by ‘Thesamnet.com’ in Tamil one could without say it was an LTTE event. Organisers failed to attract diverse views of the Tamils and restricted to participants who advocated pro-LTTE views. Noteworthy is the specially invited ardent LTTE supporter Keran Parker from the USA. She has been advocating a pro-LTTE stand for the past 20 years. In her speeches she had never made any reference to violation of human rights of the LTTE against the Tamil people for over 25 years and its failures to follow accommodative politics to safeguard the minority Tamil people’s interest. Her silence on the LTTE’s effort to drive away thousands of Muslim people from their traditional homeland in the north further confirmed her inability to go beyond the LTTE writ.

The controversial speaker was Vijesingam. Having entered the Tamil political life after retirement, he joined the Colombo based Tamil organisation called AGOTIC. His stubborn, inexperienced and irregular political play in the organisation led to pioneering AGOTIC facing natural death. After unceremoniously shutting down the AGOTIC, he decided to come to the UK and claimed political asylum. He is now a spokesman for the LTTE and has been given exclusive participation in the pro-LTTE media to espouse the LTTE cause. During his speech at the seminar he was unable to distinguish between Tamil nationalism and the LTTE terrorism. He lacked comprehension that Tamil nationalism had been waylaid and undermined by the LTTE by its terror tactics. At his mature age, he failed to say a few words of solace to the people caught in the violent clutches of the LTTE. He went on to attack those Tamils (like the petty little fellows of the LTTE) that those who oppose the LTTE are mercenaries of the Sri Lankan government.

Prof Peter Shaljk of Upsala University was another uncompromising LTTE speaker specially invited by the organisers to speak at the seminar. He too takes the very same position like Karen Parker and spoke as though he is in the payroll of the LTTE.
- Sri Lanka Guardian