Terrorist Organization using Hindu Temple in Ontario for fundraising

rediff.com ^ | September 08 2001 | Ajit Jain in Toronto

[AM2000]

LTTE using temple for fundraising

The Ganesh Hindu temple in Ontario, re-opened after a $3 million renovation only last week, is being used to raise funds for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam, says a full-page report in the September 6 edition of The National Post.

Temple secretary Veluolu Basavaiah told the Indo-Asian News Service that on the final day of the Kumbha vaisekam on August 30, he saw that some young Sri Lankan Tamils had put up a table in a corner of the temple parking lot where they were selling some items.

"What could we do? We couldn't have disrupted our religious proceedings by calling the police. It wouldn't have been wise for us to create a scene there," he explained.

< According to him, the men were in the parking lot and not in the temple premises, a fact conceded by the Post story.

Explaining the predicament of the temple trustees, Basavaiah said: "Eighty per cent of our congregation comprises Sri Lankans. Many of them are new immigrants who came here as refugees. They carry political baggage from home. They have gone through civil war in their country. How could we evict them completely from the temple?"

The photographs in The National Post show Tamil Tiger flags, videos, pictures of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and other items on sale. The photos also show collection boxes on the table.

More than 20,000 people who attended the religious ceremonies at the temple were 'greeted not by a temple priest, but by eager youths selling red flags bearing the militaristic emblem of the Tamil Tigers, a guerrilla group in Sri Lanka, where many of the temple-goers originate', said the report.

'Nearby, men waved collection jars, soliciting donations for a Tamil relief organisation that Canada's intelligence service suspects is secretly funding the Tigers' war against the Sri Lankan government', it continued.

'Money for refugees,' they pleaded.

Going to the temple or other religious places 'is becoming a politically charged affair. It means having to endure the pressure tactics, fundraising campaigns and shrill propaganda of militants soliciting support for far-off wars that worshippers thought they had left behind', argued the daily.

But temple president R K Moorthy expressed ignorance about any such material being sold at the temple. "We don't officially support any of this," he said. "We're a non-political, charitable organisation. Our purpose is religion."

Basaviah too emphasised that they were in no way involved in any kind of fundraising for the Tamil cause. "It is purely a religious organisation and we do our religious prayers and other rituals inside this biggest temple in North America," he said.

The Post quoted a former temple trustee, Adiyar Vipulananda, as saying he was angered by the aggressive tactics employed by the Tamil Tigers, and that the divisive politics of Sri Lanka -- and particularly the Tigers - should be kept out of temples.

Basaviah said the issue was to have been discussed at a meeting of the temple trustees on Wednesday, but other items took precedence. "If we have time, it will be discussed" at the next meeting, which is likely to be held two weeks later, he added.

[AM2000]

Here is what the US State Dept has to say about the LTTE..

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) a.k.a. Tamil Tigers, Ellalan Force. Known front organizations: World Tamil Association (WTA), World Tamil Movement (WTM), the Federation of Associations of Canadian Tamils (FACT), the Sangillan Force

Description: The most powerful Tamil group in Sri Lanka, founded in 1976. Uses overt and illegal methods to raise funds, acquire weapons, and publicize its cause of establishing an independent Tamil state. Began its armed conflict with the Sri Lankan Government in 1983 and relies on a guerrilla strategy that includes the use of terrorist tactics.

Activities: Has integrated a battlefield insurgent strategy with a terrorist program that targets not only key government personnel in the countryside but also senior Sri Lankan political and military leaders in Colombo. LTTE political assassinations and bombings have become commonplace, including suicide attacks against Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa in 1993 and Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991. Has refrained from targeting Western tourists out of fear that foreign governments would crack down on Tamil expatriates involved in fundraising activities abroad. Prefers to attack vulnerable government facilities and withdraw before reinforcements arrive.

Strength: Approximately 10,000 armed combatants in Sri Lanka; about 3,000 to 6,000 form a trained cadre of fighters. The LTTE also has a significant overseas support structure for fundraising, weapons procurement, and propaganda activities.

Location/Area of Operation: Controls most of the northern and eastern coastal areas of Sri Lanka and has conducted operations throughout the island. Headquartered in the Jaffna peninsula, LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran has established an extensive network of checkpoints and informants to keep track of any outsiders who enter the group's area of control.

External Aid: The LTTE's overt organizations support Tamil separatism by lobbying foreign governments and the United Nations. Also uses its international contacts to procure weapons, communications, and bombmaking equipment. Exploits large Tamil communities in North America, Europe, and Asia to obtain funds and supplies for its fighters in Sri Lanka. Some Tamil communities in Europe also are involved in narcotics smuggling.