Terror Propaganda television Tharisanam suspends its Euro Broadcasts

(By Walter Jayawardhana)

The European broadcasts of the "Tharisanam" Television - a major propaganda arm of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is to be suspended immediately, the service announced.

It is believed the Television Service which has been used for a long period of time as an organ not only for LTTE propaganda but also as a tool to raise funds for the terrorist organization's much needed weapons and ammunition, that have been also used to harm civilians through their suicide bombers and claymore mines became a major cause for Israeli government to bring pressure on the Israeli satellite company to suspend the broadcasts.

Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said , "I have spent the major part of 2007 to educate foreign governments about the lethal quality of the LTTE and how its broadcasts are used to raise funds for terrorism against unarmed civilians."

It is believed that the broadcasting of Tharisanm , which could be translated easily to "True View", was connected to companies in France, Israel and Hong Kong.

Tharisanam did not promise to return the money of its subscribers and it is generally believed it would use avenues like Tamil political parties in Tamil Nadu to continue their broadcasts through some other satellites. Though Tharisanam has been suspended in Europe and Britain, where part of the money is raised for the terrorist group, it is believed the broadcasting would continue in Australia where a different satellite is being used.

According to Sri Lankan authorities the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo has been working on the problem continuously for the last seven months. It has come to light that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has been using French and Israeli satellites , named Globecast and Satlink, with the help of the pro-LTTE political party Pattalai Makkal Katchi (PMK) in Chennai that is led by Dr. Ramdoss. It is alleged the LTTE funds PMK activities in Tamil Nadu.

Meanwhile the London based Tamil Broadcasting Corporation head, V. Ramraj leaked the following letter to the press, claiming that it had been sent to the Israeli satellite Company by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Israel:

"Following our conversation, we wish to bring to your attention an application that has been received by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from the CEO of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri-Lanka, referring our attention to broadcasts of the Tamil underground organization LTTE, by Satlink Communications Company. According to the information we have received, the company under your management is broadcasting, via satellite, a Tamil channel named Tharishanam".

The content of the broadcast includes propaganda on behalf of LTTE, to the Tamil community exiling in Europe, including an effort for money raising for the benefit of the activity of this organization in Sri Lanka. The government of Sri Lanka required from the State of Israel to act so that the Israeli company will cease the broadcast of the Tamil channel.

"For your knowledge, the Tamil underground LTTE, is battling for independence in east of Sri Lanka and is making use of means of terror and violence. Said underground is defined as a terror organization in the United States, Canada, the European Union countries and India. It is not yet defined as a terror organization in Israel. However, any connection between it and an Israeli body is highly problematic and even extremely severe in light of Israel's coping against the terror organizations.

In light of the high political importance that we see in resolving the issue, according to the manner required by the government of Sri Lanka, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is of the opinion that it is not appropriate that an Israeli company shall provide services, directly or indirectly to a body that is identified with a terror organization such as the LTTE. "Therefore, we will be thankful for taking our aforesaid standpoint into consideration in the continuation of your activity."

Ramraj claimed he managed to obtain it from certain LTTE activists in London who are disgruntled with the hierarchy of the party.