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Norway
newspapers expose LTTE fund-raising The Norwegian Embassy in Colombo confirmed that Aftenposten and VG (pronounced Vaygay) are two of the main newspapers in the country and the Stavenger Aftenblad is the top newspaper of Stavenger, the second biggest city of Norway. All three newspapers carried the news story released by the Norwegian News Agency, NTB. A spokesperson for Sri Lanka United, an organisation dedicated to Sri Lanka's unity, sovereignty and liberal, democratic and human rights said the Norwegian public had opened their eyes for the first time to see the real picture of the LTTE, which was nothing but a ruthless terrorist outfit with scant respect for the social and political values dear to the Norwegians. Following is the translation of the news story published in the Norwegian newspapers under the headline 'Tamil guerrilla fetches millions in Norway annaully': While Norway mediates in the conflict in Sri Lanka, Tamils in Norway every year send millions of Kroner to the Tamil Tigers' armed forces and police. Many Tamils are threatened to give. The collection is reduced to a system among Tamils all over the country and is carried out on a monthly basis. Several Tamils, whom NTB has spoken to, tell about pressure and threats against Tamils who do not want to contribute with money. The media spokesperson for the Tamil Coordination Committee, an organization close to the LTTE, confirms that the collections take place, but does not want to say what kind of amounts are collected. In Britain and the US, among others, money collection for LTTE is illegal, because the organization is labelled as a terror organization in those countries. "Yes, we collect money for the LTTE. We go to Tamil families who give money voluntarily," Vijayarooban Sivarajah, press contact for the Tamil Coordination Committee, told NTB. Asked what the money is used for, he answers: "You know that LTTE has its own infrastructure, police, courts, army." He becomes silent when asked how much money is collected and how it is transferred. He does not want to comment on whether it is millions of Kroner every year either. However, Mr. Sivarajah says the amounts that are collected monthly from families and individuals constitute several hundred Kroner. "The amount varies - 500, 400, 300 Kroner." But there are some who gives more? "Yes, it is," Sivarajah says. Other, well-informed Tamils in Norway, who do not support the Tamil Tigers, estimate that many millions are collected annually. "The money is paid from each person, preferably in cash. If you have 250,000-260,000 Kroner in gross yearly salary, you pay 5,000-6,000 per year. If a husband and wife duo work, they may pay 20,000 a year," a well-informed Tamil who does not want to state his name in fear of possible reprisals says. "If you do not pay you are accused of being opponent of the Tamil cause," he says. "There may be 7,000 Tamils in Norway who give between 5,000 and 50,000 a year to LTTE." Even if one moderates the figures significantly and assumes that 5,000 persons pay 5,000 Kroner per year, simple mental calculation tells that it will be 25 million Kroner on a yearly basis. One who tells that he gives monthly amounts to the Tamil Tigers is the Labour Party's City Council representative in Oslo, Yogarajah Balasingham. "I give 500 Kroner a month," he told the NTB. "More than 80 per cent of the Tamils in Norway support LTTE, maybe even more, because the support has increased after the cease-fire," he says. "I received 2,700 personal votes at the municipal election, even if I had openly said that I support the LTTE." When Foreign Minister Jan Petersen met the Tamil Tigers top leader in January, the Labour Party member Balasingham appeared in the Tamil Tigers' guarded headquarters. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs knows that Norwegian Tamils give money for civilian projects, but not for military purposes, information adviser Eirik Bergesen told NTB. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes it is Norwegian justice authorities that have to decide whether collection of money for military purposes is in accordance with the Norwegian law. It is probably many Tamils in Norway who supports LTTE of conviction, but there are also those who tell about pressure and threats. "Parents who cannot afford buying winter clothes to their children are still forced to pay their monthly toll to the Tamil Tigers," a Tamil expatriate says. He says if you actively raise objections against the LTTE the family in Sri Lanka may be threatened. He has experienced that himself. "People are scared, both for their family and property in Sri Lanka." A couple in the Eastern area of Norway refused to pay more because they believed the Tamil Tigers could not have the same demand for money now when there was a cease-fire. "They said they would note down our names, and then we would get problems if we visit Sri Lanka. Then we would have to pay more," the woman says. "Many pay because there will be problems if they do not. However, some do not even open up the door." The Labour Party's Yogarajah Balasingham rejects the claim that Tamils are being forced to give money. "That is wrong, absolutely wrong. That cannot happen here in Norway. I do not believe that those who say that speak the truth. It may be some who wants to destroy our organizations, maybe paid by Sri Lanka's Government," he says adding that people who face threats should report it to the police. Known and unknown leaders of the Tamil Tigers often travel in and out of Norway, also leaders who openly defend killings and terror. The purpose of the visits is to stay close in touch with the Tamils in Norway. The LTTE political wing leader S. P. Tamilselvan, has for example visited Norway three times since October 2003. Every time he visits Norway, he also organizes political meetings with LTTE sympathizers not only in Oslo, but also in Bergen and Tromso. |
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