6.9.2008

Paris September 05. A close relative of the Sea Tiger leader Soosai has launched a new television channel for LTTE propaganda in Europe named Valary TV, which is to start telecasting from the French capital on September 6, 2008.

This was also announced in Thendral TV, another LTTE-connected television channel launched by Dr Nalliah Sivanathan of Thendral Medical Centre in London.

Valary TV is headed by one A C Taricisicus, who is a close relative of Soosai, the head of Sea Tigers, who stands accused of gun running, smuggling, piracy and kidnapping.

Taricisicus, who was the programme director of the pro-LTTE television station Tamil Television Network (TTN), which was banned by the French Government for its terrorist links, started Valary TV as an internet telecast under the web link www.valary.tv.

Valary television is expected to transmit through one of the European satellites and the most plausible one is Globecast, a Paris-based global satellite.

According to a senior Tamil media person, Taricisicus was attached to the BBC World Service before he took over as TTN programme director on behalf of LTTE. Taricisicus has worked in the Ministry of Education in Sri Lanka after passing out from Peradeniya University and later migrated to Europe. He was the founder of the London based IBC the first ever LTTE sponsored radio in UK. Later the LTTE appointed him as managing director of TTN.

An independent Tamil media person pointed out that after the TTN transmission was banned by the French authorities in May 2007, LTTE made several unsuccessful attempts to commence new satellite TV channels from several countries like Israel, Italy and Ukraine targeting the viewers in Europe/West.

The Valary internet channel was initially launched July 14 this year, following the decision of Israel authorities to cease Tharishanam TV transmissions that was beamed from Israel to Europe. According to the registration application, the office of Valary TV is situated in ‘Sarcell’ and the contact telephone numbers given are 09 63 56 79 15 and 06 24 69 47 48.

The website of Valary TV provides several telephone numbers, London (079 448 764 97), Holland (06 590 108 76), Norway (47 94 51 04), Italy (34 67 21 62 08) and Denmark (26 80 54 28) for the viewers to obtain further details of the new TV channel.

The Tamil media person said that it would not be too difficult for the French authorities to find out the close connections with the two television stations.

“Valary TV is the new name of the ceased TTN and I am sure the contents of the programmes would prove its link to the LTTE, a banned terrorist movement,” he said.

Analysts are of the view that the Valary TV would attempt to obtain transmission facilities from Globcast first, failing which they would approach other Western satellite services providers.