Tamils excluded from LTTE 'peace event' with British MP

(By Dushy Ranetunge in London)

There has been a resurgence of LTTE activity in the UK and the Tigers are increasingly lobbying British government Ministers to highlight only their point of view.

On Saturday, an LTTE propaganda event was to be held at the University of East London, as usual in the guise of a peace event. The University administrators were alerted that it was an LTTE event and they initially cancelled it.

The British Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform, Stephen Timms visited the University and intervened on behalf of the LTTE organisers and re-secured the venue for the event.

The event was held on Saturday and included known front line LTTE activists, known not only to Sri Lankans, but also to New Scotland Yard Specialist Operations.

Among those present at the event were Murugesu Sivarajah a long standing and a hard core LTTE activist, C. Sithamparapillai, a lawyer and the Chairman of the LTTE front 'TRAG', S. Balasundaram senior and junior, both known LTTE activists.

Anti-LTTE activists Rajasingham Jayadevan and Vivekananthan, who had been initially invited had tried to enter the venue only to be kept out by LTTE goons. Jayadevan had then telephoned Stephen Timms, who had gone out to meet him, but in his presence an LTTE goon had pushed Jayadevan and Timms had stood by helplessly.

It is believed that Ministers of the British government were content with standing by while the LTTE intimidates Tamils who had come to hear him speak.

The reason for this may be because Stephen Timms is the MP for Eastham, and as the LTTE event was being held in his patch, he may have wanted to maintain the support of his LTTE constituents.