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Saturday 26 May RNW - NEWS AND ANALYSIS FROM THE NETHERLANDS IN 10 LANGUAGES, WORLDWIDE 24/7 ON RADIO, TV AND ONLINE
A Tamil demonstration
Johan van Slooten's picture
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The Hague, Netherlands
The Hague, Netherlands

Dutch prosecutor: Dutch Tamils 'directly linked' with LTTE

Published on : 8 July 2011 - 2:31pm | By Johan van Slooten (Photo by RNW)
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The Dutch Public Prosecutor says four Dutch Tamils who were arrested last year, have direct links with the Tamil Tigers separatists’ army, the LTTE. The rebel group has been listed as a terrorist organisation by the European Union since 2006. The Tamils who are currently on trial in the Netherlands, are accused of extorting money from other Dutch Tamils.

In court in the Hague, the Public Prosecutor said the four men were also charged with organising illegal lotteries (with all proceeds going to the LTTE) and for being members of a criminal and terrorist organisation.
 

Listed names
The four suspects, who appeared in court, are believed to have listed the names of all Tamil families living in the Netherlands, indicating who pays money to the LTTE and who doesn't. According to the Public Prosecutor, those who do pay money are often forced into doing so.

"Violent and ruthless"
The Public Prosecutor stressed the fact that the Tamil Tigers “are a violent and ruthless” organisation, who fought their war with the Sri Lankan government with bomb attacks and other forms of serious violence, while recruiting and deploying child soldiers.

Victor Koppe, who is the lawyer of one of the suspects, 45-year-old Srinangan R. (surname withheld under Dutch law), pointed out that Sri Lanka’s government army has seriously violated human rights in their war against the LTTE. “Many Tamils have been kidnapped or have disappeared,” he told the court.

United Nations
The UN is currently holding an investigation into possible war crimes during the final months of the decades-long civil war between the government army and the LTTE in 2009. The investigation targets both the LTTE and the government army.

Human rights organisations say that government forces were responsible for many war crimes during these final months. Recently, Channel 4 in the UK showed video footage of government troops allegedly executing Tamil Tigers who had surrendered.

The armed conflict lasted 37 years. In the 1980s, many Tamils fled their country, many of them travelled to Europe. Around 10,000 of the Tamil diaspora currently live in the Netherlands.

There have been similar cases in other European countries in recent years in the UK and Switzerland.

Investigation
The four suspects’ court case will probably take many more months , as Dutch police are still investigating many of the charges against the four men.
 

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Discussion

Sures 21 July 2011 - 2:41pm / Holland

We cannot live our lives like tamils of people who are doing bad. Thats why the tigers stood up for it. If there is no way for peace by peace...there will be peace thru war..

MAH 16 July 2011 - 2:09pm / JAPAN

I applaud the Netherland authorities for seriously following the LTTE trail of terrorism. For months now, we are being told that the UN is looking into war crime accusations by both sides, yet all we hear (with the exception of Netherlands) is one side propaganda using dubious, biased and unsubstantiated information in support of the LTTE and their supporter. Does anyone in your country think something is really not right! From the UN to government politicians in search of votes, everybody is on a witch hunt instead of search for facts. Congratulation Netherlands, you never fail to amaze me and maintain my hight opinion of you.

Mango 15 July 2011 - 3:17pm / SL/UK

Finally Holland is closing the stable door after the Eelam horse has bolted. But where is Overseas Eelam, now? In the UK, with their tame MPs and journalists, constantly seeking fresh ways of keeping alive the twitching corpse of Tamil Eelam.

E.g. Siobhan McDonagh MP says: “I believe that a boycott of Sri Lankan goods by British citizens will help Sri Lanka to resolve its past, in the same way that the boycott of South Africa helped that country to bring about peace and reconciliation.”

http://thecarthaginiansolution.wordpress.com/2011/07/12/when-pig-fly-bri...

Anshul 13 July 2011 - 4:26pm

Tamils must say no to racism, terrorism and violence. This is the way to build peace.

baduge 12 July 2011 - 9:40pm / Sri Lanka

Channel 4 report is not much more than a collage of LTTE propaganda videos. No cellphone company had towers in the war zone. Why would anybody carry a cellphone there? It's LTTE who had them for their propaganda purposes. It doesn't take an Einstein to realize it's a way biased report. It's token mentioning of LTTE's brutal tactics is only to avoid being a total LTTE propaganda video. Mani is an LTTE activist who had even met the senior LTTE leader Castro before. Channel 4 portrays her as a woman in the street. No GoSL views presented whatsoever. The prisoner execution video had been published before and its meta info had been contradicted, but they included it anyway without mentioning anything about it. GoSL herding people to the no fire zone is a vicious lie; it was LTTE who did that. Then GoSL shelling hospitals; at that time there was lot told about LTTE crossing the borders and shelling hospitals and blame the army and LTTE also placing guns besides hospitals to invite retaliatory attacks. At the least, Channel 4 should have said these claims are controversial, but they just put the blame squarely on GoSL. Showing flowing blood is just the way they reported it, not that no blood flowed when NATO bombs hit homes; they showed only collapsed buildings as if bodies evaporated. Any war is brutal. What we need is to put this ugly chapter behind, but what some of these Western institutions and countries do is help LTTE revive that.

true tamils 12 July 2011 - 2:54am

dutch government has a serious responsiblity to get the tamils back their self detemination because they destroyed them

MAH 16 July 2011 - 2:14pm / JAPAN

The sad fact is that Tamils have been destroying themselves all along. You pick bad bedfellows.

true tamils 11 July 2011 - 6:34pm

Dutch between 1658 and 1798 on the island currently known as Sri Lanka.

early 17th century, SriLanka was partly ruled by the Portuguese and the Tamil ,Sinhala kingdoms

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaffna_Kingdom

Tamils lost their independent country by these colonization

we have doubt that dutch government started his Colonial interference once again on tamils. channel 4 released Lanka's war crimes against Tamils most of the countries support international investigations of Sri Lanka mass killings but dutch government's interference favors to srilanka and want to hide its war crimes

no one did not allow to see ltte prisoners in srilanka prisons but dutch has allowed why ?

it shows clearly dutch working together with srilanka against Tamils by saying ltte

true tamils 11 July 2011 - 6:34pm / srilanka

Dutch between 1658 and 1798 on the island currently known as Sri Lanka.

early 17th century, SriLanka was partly ruled by the Portuguese and the Tamil ,Sinhala kingdoms

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaffna_Kingdom

Tamils lost their independent country by these colonization

we have doubt that dutch government started his Colonial interference once again on tamils. channel 4 released Lanka's war crimes against Tamils most of the countries support international investigations of Sri Lanka mass killings but dutch government's interference favors to srilanka and want to hide its war crimes

no one did not allow to see ltte prisoners in srilanka prisons but dutch has allowed why ?

it shows clearly dutch working together with srilanka against Tamils by saying ltte

Anonymous 11 July 2011 - 9:42am

Sri Lanka’s government army has seriously violated human rights......... The UN is currently holding an investigation into possible war crimes.....
..............

Western countries openly helped the terrorisism in Sri Lanka and they continue to do so. However, when these outbred criminals are troublesm for their owncountries, they just investigate. Otherwise the agenda is the same. The qutation here high light this fact.
Sri Lankan

Anonymous 11 July 2011 - 9:42am

Sri Lanka’s government army has seriously violated human rights......... The UN is currently holding an investigation into possible war crimes.....
..............

Western countries openly helped the terrorisism in Sri Lanka and they continue to do so. However, when these outbred criminals are troublesm for their owncountries, they just investigate. Otherwise the agenda is the same. The qutation here high light this fact.
Sri Lankan

Amit De Silva 10 July 2011 - 2:23pm

Tamils must reject terrorism, war and violence. It is sad to note that Dutch Tamils have been funding the LTTE. They have blood on their hands the the law enforcement authorities must take all steps to arrest and bring to justice all those who have funded terrorism in Sri Lanka.

Ananda Seneviratne 10 July 2011 - 7:13am / USA

Most of the Tamils outside Sri Lanka have funded and supported this bloody ruthless terrorist group just simply to carve out a separate dreamland, a monoethnic state within tiny Sri Lanka by 35 years of inhumane brutal terrorism. These blood thirsty terrorists have killed tens of thousands innoncet civilaisn, politicians, and leaders of military. These terrorists and their international pro LTTE supporters are the worlds best false informants which they have very successfully defeated the Sri Lankan goveremnt by spreading fake videos, photos, political miinformation and false propaganda to win Westerners attentio. 99% Westernes have been chaeted and taken for a ride by these liers and rogues of LTTE and Pro-LTTE.

GoVikes 10 July 2011 - 3:25am / USA

Mr. Sivakumar and other peace-loving Tamils, the silent majority, has stepped up bravely to speak against terrorism and violence. These genuine persons should be protected by law and not allowed to be threatened or intimidated by the gangs: "Fellow Tamils! Open your eyes (and mind) and see for yourselves!!"
http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2011/07/08/fellow-tamils-open-your-ey...

MasalaVadai 9 July 2011 - 10:40pm / Canada

About time you Dutch act on TERRORISTS using your soil to extort money and intimidate Tamils. We in Canada also realized too late and are paying a price with Tiger terrorists pretending to be refugees coming over and ruining our lives. We fled war and persecution in 1983 but we love the west, opportunities to make money, get a good education and benefits of living in Canada. but now we go back as tourists to Sri Lanka and see the difference in a positive light since the war ended. The Tigers are cursed for destroying Tamils and making life hell for all Tamils. Your liberal politically correct ways will cost you a lot as these vermin pests will suck the nation dry, steal credit cards, steal identities and support terrorism in Sri Lanka again. Enough of terrorists. FINALLY...

MasalaVadai 9 July 2011 - 10:39pm / Canada

About time you Dutch act on TERRORISTS using your soil to extort money and intimidate Tamils. We in Canada also realized too late and are paying a price with Tiger terrorists pretending to be refugees coming over and ruining our lives. We fled war and persecution in 1983 but we love the west, opportunities to make money, get a good education and benefits of living in Canada. but now we go back as tourists to Sri Lanka and see the difference in a positive light since the war ended. The Tigers are cursed for destroying Tamils and making life hell for all Tamils. Your liberal politically correct ways will cost you a lot as these vermin pests will suck the nation dry, steal credit cards, steal identities and support terrorism in Sri Lanka again. Enough of terrorists.

NoEalamInSL 9 July 2011 - 8:26pm / Sri Lanka

Finally hearing good news from the Netherlands, busting the LTTE terror network. NL, once a paradise for multi-culturalism has now become a hell for foriegners because of criminals like LTTE terrosits live in the Netherlands. These terrorsts first brain-washed Dutch people about war in SL and then they sought help from Dutch people. They even collected money from empty bottles in supermarkts (eg. c-1000).

GoVikes 9 July 2011 - 7:49pm / USA

Thank you, prosecutor! This is a necessary step to stop the evil terrorist menace that is spreading all over the world. Tamil terrorists have infiltrated every corner of the earth making the war as an excuse to become "refugees", and are doing everything to prevent them from being deported back to a now-peaceful Sri Lanka. With their money, they have made inroads into western politics. Extortion and violence by Tamil gangs is creating havoc in England and Canada, among peace-loving Tamils.

If the West is not vigilant, extortion, violence and terrorism will become commonplace in the future.

T. Sivakumar 10 July 2011 - 2:25am / Australia

Thanks for the firm action by Dutch law makers. LTTE Tamil terorists has done signifcant damage to peace loving people in Sri Lanka. These blood suckers even took life on Mr. Rajiv Ghandi, the former Indian PM who actually fed them in 80s against Sri Lanka. These parasite do whatever the things to fund thier terror activities. Being a tamil, I myself is shame of these tamil terrorists.

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