17.6.2008
The
Canadian Government has outlawed the World Tamil Movement
(WTM) under the Anti-Terrorism Act, after investigations
revealed undeniable links with the LTTE, widely considered
the most ruthless terrorist organisation in the world.
The
WTM has long been suspected as a notorious fund raisering
front for the LTTE.
"The decision to add the World Tamil Movement to
Canada's list of outlawed terrorist groups marks the first
time Ottawa has used the anti-terrorism law to shut down
a Canadian community group for ties to terrorists,"
the Canadian National Post reported.
Accordingly the Office of the Superintendent of Financial
Institutions has adviced banks and insurance companies
to notify the Royal Canadian Mount Police (RCMP) and the
Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) if they
hold any accounts linked with the World Tamil Movement.
"The announcement may mark the end of the road for
the WTM, which has operated in Canada since the 1980s.
Earlier this year, the RCMP seized dozens of bank accounts
linked to the group's officers and shut down its Montreal
branch office," the newspaper added.
The listing makes it illegal to financially support the
group.
In
2006, the Government of Canada banned the LTTE and its
all activities in Canadian soil categorizing the movement
as a 'terrorist entity'.
In a 184-page affidavit unsealed by the Federal Court
recently, Corporal Shirley Davermann of the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police (RCMP) has revealed that the Montreal-based
World Tamil Movement is essentially a 'foreign branch
of the LTTE'. Corporal Davermann has detailed in the affidavit
how the LTTE gives instructions to Tamil activists in
Canada, and how money is collected in Canada for the Tiger
cause.
Investigations of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police into
the LTTE's connection with the World Tamil Movement (WTM)
have unveiled that the WTM is acting as the major fundraiser
for the LTTE terrorists in Sri Lanka.
"In
2006, Tamil leaders lashed out at a Human Rights Watch
report that said fundraisers were shaking down Tamils.
Focusing on HRW's finding that people were afraid to report
extortion, Canadian Tamil Congress spokesperson David
Poopalapillai said, "This report makes me sick because
it is saying that we are covering something up and our
community is living in fear." At a CTC press conference,
Tamils denied there were fundraising drives to support
the guerrillas.
According to Political analysts, this move of the Government
of Canada is a severe blow to the LTTE terrorists who
have lost much ground, politically and militarily in the
face of relentless onslaughts by the Sri Lankan security
forces, internal disputes and a discernable loss of faith
among Tamils abroad.
The LTTE had earlier used Canada as an important offshore
base, setting up or taking control of several Tamil organizations
in that country and using them as fronts for fund-raising
and supplementing the monies collected through a multitude
of criminal activities.
Canada is home to the world's largest ethnic Tamil population,
and as such was a 'natural' base for propaganda and fund-raising
for the LTTE's terrorist cause.