"Peace with Justice" is the theme of the International Conference on the Conflict in Sri Lanka organized by two front organizations of the LTTE on June 27-28, 1996. This is one in a series of conferences planned by the LTTE to mobilize international public opinion against the Government of Sri Lanka.
The two front organisations of the LTTE spearheading this conference are the Australian Human Rights Foundation and the Australian Federation of Tamil Associations Inc. The LTTE states that the conference will discuss the possibilities and the obstacles to peace and what the international community could do for the cause of peace.
The LTTE strategy is to raise the cries of "peace" and "justice" while prosecuting the war. The LTTE believes that bringing pressure upon the government in Colombo by mobilizing the international community against the war effort of the Sri Lankan security forces will help the LTTE, currently on the retreat.
The literature announcing the conference states," The war in Sri Lanka continues unabated. The situation turned for the worse when Government forces invaded and occupied Jaffna, which is the Tamils historical city and spiritual home. 400,000 people are now displaced refugees. The is also an absolute censorship of news under emergency rule."
The LTTE literature on the conference adds,"The Sri Lankan government's devolution package has been criticized by Tamils as not meeting their aspirations and security needs, and by Sinhala extremists as giving too much. Its passage through select committee, parliament, and referendum is beset with many difficulties."
The LTTE has hand-picked speakers for the conference. They are a mixture of Sri Lankans and foreigners who are either supporters of the LTTE or of the LTTE cause. Many of the speakers had already addressed a number of international and regional conferences on behalf of the LTTE.
The conference will be followed by a workshop and a panel discussion. Thereafter, four groups will be formed, and an action plan supportive of the LTTE goals will be formulated. The LTTE believes that these groups will be able to lobby foreign governments and organisations against the Colombo government. The action plan is scheduled to be implemented by the segments of the international community particularly by the NGOs.
The conference is scheduled to be inaugurated by the "lighting of the flame of peace" by Bill Armstrong, President of the Australian Council for Overseas Aid (ACFOA). According to a well informed source Armstrong was not aware that the organisation inviting him to inaugurate the conference was not a front organisation of the LTTE. Section of the Australian government has alerted Armstrong of the implication of participating in this conference.
Among the other speakers scheduled to talk are Dr. Dagmar Hellman of Germany, an LTTE supporter, who had come to the attention of a number of security and intelligence agencies in the West and in Canada for her role in supporting an organisation committed to terrorism. Dr Hellman, who wrote her doctoral thesis on nationalism in Tamil Nadu is from the German Malaysian Institute in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia.
Karen Parker, a lawyer hired by the LTTE to advise them against a number of court cases from the arrest of the LTTE leader in Canada,Suresh to the Rajiv Gandhi murder case is also scheduled to speak at this conference. Karen Parker is an attorney-at-law specializing in international law and humanitarian intervention. As a member of the American States Inter American Commission on Human Rights, she has appeared for a number of cases where American Indians have needed legal help.
Vasantha Rajah, the former Chairman of the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation, who resigned after a series of disagreements with Sri Lankan media personnel, is now working for the LTTE. According to BBC sources, when Vasantha Rajah returned to the United Kingdom after his resignation from the Colombo government, he could neither secure employment with his previous employer the BBC nor with another media organisation in the United Kingdom.
Thereafter the LTTE had approached Vasantha Rajah. It is alleged that Vasantha Rajah is working as the unofficial media consultant to the LTTE's International Secretariat in London. After the LTTE published a book authored by him, Vasantha Rajah also addressed a number of meetings in Europe and elsewhere to further the goals of the LTTE.
According to well informed sources the LTTE has sent feelers to the Tamil Congress leader Kumar Ponnambalam, requesting him to accept an invitation to address the Australian conference. While some LTTE supporters in Australia have objected to Kumar Ponnambalam's presence,many have welcomed it.
The conference will also be addressed by Peter Schalk.
The most important LTTE cadre to attend this conference will be Visvanathan Rudrakumaran, the political advisor to the International network of the LTTE. Rudrakumaran, who graduated from the University of Colombo, has played a critical role in developing the LTTE organisation in the US during the past two years. According to sources in the LTTE, Rudrakumaran who enjoys the confidence of Prabhakaran and Balasingham, is groomed to succeed a very important LTTE figure.
Another speaker scheduled to address the conference is Dr. Sri Skandarajah, a graduate from the University of Ceylon, currently the President of the Eelam Tamil Association in New South Wales. Dr. Skandarajah is a senior lecturer, faculty of agriculture and rural development at the University of Western Sydney. ETA raises funds for the LTTE war effort. The LTTE has paid for the air passage for all the speakers and in some cases pledged to pay up to US $ 2000 per speaker to meet their expenses.
According to international security organisations,the LTTE front organisations in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea raise about US $ 25,000 a month. According to well informed sources,as it is becoming hard for the LTTE to operate in the West, they are now looking Eastward, where the laws are relaxed against political activity of organisations engaged in terrorism..
The conference is scheduled to be held at the Edmund Barton Conference Center, Kings Avenue, Barton, Canberra. The LTTE has specifically informed that admission to the conference will be by prior registration. Tamil and Sinhala groups that oppose the LTTE are planning to demonstrate in front of the conference venue.
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