The UN Investigative Panel must probe TNA – LTTE links

The UN investigative panel was mandated to conduct investigation during the period of the LLRC. That was between 2002 and 2009. The UNHRC has given itself an additional two years. With the LTTE designated as a foreign terrorist organization and following Sri Lanka proscribing 16 LTTE fronts and declaring 424 individuals incorporating the UNSC Resolution 1373 as supporting LTTE terrorists and with the UN Security Council Counter Terrorism Committee head in Colombo, the UNHRC cannot omit from investigation and comment in its March 2015 report the links between LTTE and the Tamil National Alliance and the LTTE Tamil Diaspora now banned.

Allegations against the LTTE for links with the LTTE and pro-LTTE groups

1. An unregistered alliance of Tamil political parties formed on 22 October 2001 before the Norwegian backed cease fire agreement of 2002 and immediately after the 9/11 attacks and the war on terror.
2. The TNA was signed by 4: TULF represented by R Sambathan, ACTC represented by N Kumarakuruparan, TELO represented by N Srikantha and EPRLF represented by Suresh Premachandran.
3. It was after the 10^th Oct 2000 Parliamentary elections that LTTE realized that it was losing its grip in both the North and East where its people were not getting represented. Even Sambanthan was not elected in Trincomalee.
4. It was former “Daily Mirror” columnist Dharmalingam Sivaram alias Taraki who gathered interested parties and promoted the need to unite under an umbrella organization to prevent votes splitting. What is important is that Taraki (Sivaram) suggested that the new organization must be supportive of the LTTE.
5. LTTE formed TNA to promote LTTE’s political interests both in Sri Lanka and Abroad
6. The TNA comprised (TNA is also dubbed Tiger Nominated Agents’)
   • All Ceylon Tamil Congress ACTC
   • Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front EPRLF
   • Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization TELO
   • Tamil United Liberation Front TULF\
7. TNA were political stooges of the LTTE and were directly controlled by the LTTE
8. TNA contested under TULF symbol in 2001
9. TNA contested under ITAK symbol of the house
10. TNA candidates were chosen by LTTE for the 2004 elections – list finalized by Thamilselvan
11. TNA-LTTE rigged votes in the 2004 elections – the 2002 ceasefire allowed LTTE to manoeuvre itself islandwide and set up TNA offices that ‘employed’ LTTE cadres to do propaganda work for the TNA which in reality was promoting LTTE agenda.
12. TNA took oaths in front of Prabakaran despite taking oath to safeguard the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Sri Lanka as per Sri Lanka’s Constitution.
13. The leadership of ITAK was forcibly taken from Avarangal Sinnathurai who was living in London and given to R. Sambanthan as a result of LTTE threats and intimidations against Sinnathurai http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2010/01/24/tna-parliamentarians-what-they-are-unmasked
14. The TNA was meant to be the political face of the armed LTTE giving them international acceptance.
15. It was the LTTE who chose candidates for the General Election of 2004 – LTTE even fielded its nominees under the parties that constituted the TNA. When TNA won 22 seats the TNA winners were all summoned to Wanni and given strict orders by the LTTE and Sambanthan was selected as the TNA Parliamentary group leader.
16. TNA-LTTE rigged elections :
    • In Jaffna and Batticaloa the LTTE cadres together with pro-tiger student organizations in the Thirunelvely and Vantharumoolai campuses engaged in election propaganda
    • LTTE bicycle brigades started intimidating rival candidates (TULF Anandasangaree & EPDP Devananda)
    • 5000 LTTE ‘volunteers’ helped rigged polls and TNA won in North and East (election rigging by TNA with LTTE for the 2004 general elections needs to be investigated)
    • It was because of the rigging that TNA got 8 out of 9 seats.
    • It was because LTTE rigged the polls that Selva.Gajendran, Pathmini Sithamparanathan, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam,Suresh Premachandran, Nadarajah Raviraj, Somasundaram Senathirajah, Sinnaiah Sivanesan and MK Sivajilingam won parliamentary seats – investigate.
    • It was because LTTE helped rig the polls that TNA got five of the six seats in the Wanni. Selvam Adaikkalanathan, Vinotharahalingam, Sivasakthi Anandan, Sathasivam Kanagaratnam and Sivanathan Kishore
    • It was because LTTE helped rig the polls that Sambandan and Thurairatnasingham got elected from Trincomalee – investigate if false.
    • Of the 22 TNA MPs that got elected 11 were from the original 4 constituent parties of the TNA – Sambandan,Thurairatnasingham, Senathirajah, Raviraj,Pararajasingham (TULF) Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam (ACTC)SElvam Adaikkalanathan, Vonoharahalingam. Sivajilingam (TELO) and Sivasakthi Anandan, Suresh Premachandran (EPRLF). – See more at: http://www.dailymirror.lk/opinion/dbsjeyaraj-column/49301-birth-and-growth-of-nexus-between-the-tna-and-the-ltte.html#sthash.dUBw24J1.dpuf
17. TNA members involved in LTTE propaganda work on the pretext of fund raising for the well being of Tamils in the North and East.
18. TNA MPs have abused their Parliamentary privileges to transport LTTE cadres and thus escape checking by security forces.
19. TNA MPs are accused of violating Parliamentary privileges and Sri Lanka’s Constitution by carrying out LTTE propaganda and participating in pro-LTTE events overseas inspite of these organizations being banned and linked to LTTE
20. Relatives of TNA MPs are already being investigated for crimes that include assassination and murder
21. TNA MPs are regularly travelling overseas to attend events/conferences/dinners/fund raising campaigns of proscribed pro-LTTE groups – who is funding the TNA MP travel and accommodation and other expenses. Investigate who funds TNA MP overseas travel to trail the link to pro-LTTE groups
22. TNA MPs are seen with pro-LTTE group leaders all of whom have been proscribed by the GOSL – guilty by association is a legally accepted norm.
23. TNA MPs have been called to attend meetings headed by LTTE leaders in the Wanni pre-2009 and covering the UN investigation period thus the UN investigators are bound to look into not only the ties between the LTTE-TNA but how far the LTTE ruled over the TNA. This would establish that TNA and LTTE are one and the same and the TNA was formed primarily to carry on the LTTE goals and objectives politically.

Evidence of LTTE-TNA links

1. LTTE & TNA demands are virtually one and the same – refer the manifestos / refer TNA speeches in Tamil / and most importantly at NO TIME throughout LTTE reign of terror has any TNA member condemned LTTE atrocities publicly. At no time has the TNA appealed for the LTTE to release civilians that LTTE kept as human shields/hostages. At no point in time did TNA give a single packet of rice to poor Tamils to claim concern for them.
2. 2001 TNA election manifesto declared LTTE as the ‘sole Tamil national entity’ and the ‘sole representative of the Tamil people’ and that LTTE had the right to negotiate on behalf of the Tamil people.
3. 2004 TNA election manifesto declared
   1. “Accepting the LTTE’s leadership as the national leadership of ‘Tamil Eelam’  Tamils and the Liberation Tigers as the sole and authentic representative of the Tamil people, let us devote our full cooperation for the ideals of the Liberation Tigers’ struggle with honesty and steadfastness. Let us endeavour determinedly, collectively as one group, one nation, one country, transcending race and religious differences, under the leadership of the LTTE, for a life of liberty, honour and justice for the Tamil people.”

   http://www.tamilsydney.com/content/view/1210/37/

   http://www.tchr.net/rsdetr_decl_tna_election.htm

4. 2004 EU Election Observation Mission Chief John Cushnahan released the EU report on June 17, 2004 clearly establishing the LTTE-TNA alliance: Quote: Firstly, the LTTE intended that no other rival Tamil party (or Tamil candidate from the mainstream political alliances) to the TNA would be able to claim to represent Tamil interests. A chilling message to this effect was sent early in the campaign when a UNP candidate and an EPDP activist were murdered. Incidents such as this seriously restricted the right of the parties other than the TNA to campaign freely in the Northern and Eastern Districts. During the 2004 elections, the major incidents of violence was perpetrated by the LTTE, whereas at the earlier elections; the primary source of the violence (although not all), were the two largest political parties. Unquote  
5. Foreign mission reports/country facts/data mention TNA as being a pro-LTTE political party. Foreign mission reports have mentioned TNA as being pro-LTTE
6. A letter by Anandasangaree to the Indian Prime Minister dated 2 October 2014 declares that LTTE made use of S. Senathirajah, the President of the ITAK ,to strengthen their position. Anandasangaree also accuses Senathirajah of unfairly reviving ITAK “”TULF MP Mavai Senathirajah who is in the process of reviving the Federal Party visited Killinochchi and had meetings with the LTTE Deputy Political Commissar Thangan on 14-10-2003. The revival of the Federal Party is being undertaken at the behest of the LTTE”.
7. Anandasangaree goes on to say “All concerned parties should now accept that both the TNA and the ITAK had been revived by dishonest means on the instigation of the LTTE to lookafter their interest. It is this TNA that nominated candidates for all electoral districts in the North and in the East for the 2004 elections, Mr. Thamilselvan retaining half the number of slots in each one of the electoral districts. Of all the members elected to the 2004 Parliament, majority belonged to the LTTE. Not only that, the worst part was the declaration, the four secretaries of the four Parties made was carried in the manifesto issued by them for the 2004 Parliamentary Elections. The signatories were M/S Mavai Senathirajah, G.G. Ponnambalam, Presanna Indrakumar, and Suresh Premachandren representing the ITAK, ACTC,TELO, and the EPRLF respectively.”
8. Anandasangaree translates that declaration thus “:-“Accepting the leadership of the LTTE as the National Leadership of the Tamil people and also accepting the LTTE as the real sole – representatives of the Tamil people, we honestly and firmly pledge to give our full support for the struggle the LTTE had undertaken on behalf of the Tamil Nation”.
9. TNA holds meeting with Global Tamil Forum head Father Emmanuel in South Africa on 8^th January 2012. Global Tamil Forum is proscribed by GOSL and its head is also declared a LTTE supporter under UNSC Resolution 1373.
10. TNA is also associated with Rudrakumaran the head of the TGTE both organization and leader proscribed under UNSC 1373. Rudrakumaran’s policy statement of 1 January 2012 states: “At present we are also making steady progress in expanding our ties to the nations of the World. We have established several contacts with many political entities including the nation of South Sudan, the government of Northern Ireland, and ANC of South Africa… we shall be able to make steady progress in our march for liberation in year 2012…”
11. Both TNA and GTF were invited by the African National Congress to its Centenary Celebrations. TNA MP Sumanthiran gave BBC a statement “We are trying for a political solution that recognises Tamils as a nation and South Africa’s help will be vital for both the TNA and the government in achieving that”. The European INGO that funded the TNA visit to South Africa needs to be investigated.
    
12. TNA MP Sridharan was an ardent supporter of the LTTE and was a member of the LTTE for a brief period
13. TNA MP Sridharan is married to the sister of Theepan (one time head of LTTE military wing)
14. TNA MP Sridharan’s brother migrated to Switzerland and is running anti-SL websites promoting LTTE ideology. The two sites are very popular among Tamil Diaspora.

(1) lankasri.com

(2) tamilwin.com

1. TNA MP Sridharan has launched his own website to promote himself as a future leader sridharan.com
2. TNA MP Sridharan and his brother have organized a Youth Front in Switzerland to gain support of Tamil youth in Sri Lanka and to that end he formed a Youth Front in Vavuniya on 13 December 2012 with TNA MP and head of ITAK Mavai Senathirajah. The Youth Front is named as ‘Federal Party Youth Front’
3. TNA MP Sridharan has links with Nediyavan, Rudrakumaran, and Vinayagam – all named and banned by the GOSL in order to raise financial support and Reggie has sent money to MP Sridharan to look after Mahaveer families, LTTE disabled cadres and to start orphanages in the North. These actions are a direct threat to the national security of Sri Lanka.

TNA-LTTE links shown in photographs

In 2003 TNA leader Sampanthan with LTTE’s Anton Balasingham and Tamilselvan

TNA leader Sambanthan paying homage to dead LTTE

TNA Leader Sampanthan with Prabakaran and Tamilselvan

Notice the LTTE flag – LTTE’s Tamilselvan at head table, TNA leader Sampanthan and present ITAK leader Mavai Senathirajah

In the words of veteran political commentator DBS Jeyraj adequately sums up the TNA-LTTE links.

“PULIPPAATTU”

Many including myself hoped that the TNA would make a clean break from the past after the LTTE was decimated in 2009.That however has not happened. In perhaps the greatest disappointment of all former Supreme court Judge CV Wigneswaran started singing the “Pulippaattu” (Tiger song)after being nominated as TNA chief ministerial candidate for the Northern provincial council

Sadly this sorry tale of the TNA toeing the tiger line continues even after the fall of the tigers.The TNA is unable to break away from its pro-tiger past and is generally adopting the extremist line propagated by LTTE and pro-LTTE elements in the global Tamil Diaspora. The perception that the TNA is aligned to the LTTE is one that seems to gaining ground mainly due to the party’s woeful conduct in the post – May 2009 phase.

One way of shedding this image is for the TNA to assert itself independently by boldly exposing the human rights violations of the LTTE before the UN panel probing the seven year period between 2002 – 2009. Since the TNA –LTTE Nexus prevailed throughout the seven yer period under review the TNA should have no difficulty in doing this. The question at this critical juncture is “Will the TNA do so”?

DBS Jeyaraj

Thus not only is the Government of Sri Lanka bound to investigate TNA ties to LTTE and LTTE Tamil Diaspora but the UNHRC Investigation needs to in the light of its mandate period investigate the links as well.  If the previous elections had been rigged that brought TNA initially to Parliament, do we not have every reason to suspect mischief at play in every election that TNA has won? If so, should both the GOSL and UNHRC not insist that an investigation be launched into TNA to establish once and for all if TNA continues to have ties to the LTTE and the LTTE Tamil Diaspora which is very much active.

– by Shenali D Waduge