The Dutch judiciary says that Tamil Tiger leaders in the Netherlands have played a prominent role in financing the civil war in Sri Lanka. The 10,000 Tamils in the Netherlands, police say, were under the iron grip of the guerilla group.
Marcel Haenen (NRC Handelsblad)
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) waged a bloody war for a quarter of a century in Sri Lanka, but on May 17th, 2009, it admitted defeat to the country’s majority Sinhalese regime. Tamil Tiger founder and chairman Velupillai Prabhakaran died the following day, killed while he attempted a desperate escape from the battlefield in an ambulance.
Meanwhile, some 8,300 km north of that battleground, Tamil Tiger representatives in places like Schagen, The Hague, Breda, Zeist, Raalte and Ammerzoden had yet to capitulate. Their struggle for a Tamil homeland continued. The Dutch police said that until their arrest in 2010, the Dutch Tamils had remained active in raising funds and organising meetings to gather support for their struggle and liberation organisation.
This came to light through digital information obtained from Ramachandran S., 52, a Dutch Tamil from Schagen who was arrested in April last year. He had ‘plans for financial activities’ in his possession, which called for continued fundraising to support the remaining LTTE warriors hidden in the jungles of northern Sri Lanka. For that purpose, a new fund was supposed to be set up under Ramachandran’s supervision, according to a judicial report on the investigation.
Operation Koninck
The investigation into possible criminal activities by the Tigers in the Netherlands has been ongoing for the past two years under the code name ‘Operation Koninck.’ The criminal investigation department has so far identified 38 Tamils and five legal entities as suspects. They are under suspicion for financially supporting or taking part in a criminal organisation. The LTTE was placed on a European Union list of terrorist organisations. According to the judiciary, the LTTE has been responsible for a reign of terror in northern Sri Lanka. It has carried out numerous bomb attacks and assassinations. The Tigers murdered former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 and Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa two years later. The United Nations and UNICEF have also accused the Tigers of recruiting child soldiers.
Ramachandran is one of the two Dutch Tamils detained for 13 months. According to the judiciary, he is one of the international leaders of the organisation. The Dutch officials say that he ranks high within the LTTE and has been responsible for large sums of money coming through from the Netherlands, which has subsequently been used to buy arms. It is assumed that Ramachandran oversaw a flow of money worth some EUR136 million worldwide, according to an analysis by the fiscal investigative body Fiod, based on information obtained from a USB stick found in his home.
Dutch authorities also say that Ramachandran organised the money flow. Messengers with cash are sent to countries where purchases can be made. Money was being transferred, and sometimes LTTE money in a certain country would be used to buy jewellery, which in turn would be resold elsewhere. The bookkeeping was meticulous, with even the travel costs of the suspects neatly written down, as were the salaries received by the two main suspects from the LTTE. Rent and insurance were also reimbursed.
Battlefield
Another Tamil detainee, locked up since last year, is 46-year-old Srirangam R. from The Hague, who is believed to be the leader of the Tamil Tigers’s Dutch division. This man, like a number of other suspects, fled from Sri Lanka to the Netherlands two decades ago. The Dutch public prosecutor’s office suspects him of being instrumental in a number of functions, including fundraising and propaganda.
In cooperation with Sri Lankan colleagues, the Dutch investigative team was able to inspect Tamil Tiger documents which were seized by the Sri Lankan military in areas which had been under LTTE control until 2009. Among those documents was a form filled out by Ramachandran in 2003, saying that he was responsible for LTTE activities in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. He wrote on the form that he had been active in the organisation since 1989, and that he had also worked in other countries. The documents were created when LTTE representatives from abroad met each other in Sri Lanka.
“By going to the battlefield and visiting the warriors, I realised how many obstacles and how much grief these people have to endure while they sacrifice themselves in a life of combat. This has formed and stimulated us even more,” Srirangam wrote about the meeting in 2003. The text had been translated from the Tamil language. Almost all the Tiger suspects speak little Dutch although they have lived in the Netherlands for many years.
Espionage
'Operation Koninck' started in 2009 after a report by the Dutch intelligence and security bureau AIVD. For years the AIVD, in cooperation with intelligence services from other countries, investigated the overseas activities of the LTTE representatives. Criminal investigations into Tamil Tiger activists are also ongoing in countries such as Canada, Australia, the UK, France and Italy. The AIVD reported on extortion practices by Tamils in the Netherlands to the Dutch judiciary in October 2008.
The Dutch public prosecution office suspects that LTTE has organised fundraising activities in the country since 1984. The LTTE held the Tamil community in the Netherlands, numbering some 10,000 people, in its iron grip, according to the Dutch authorities. Detailed records were seized from the suspects, listing all the Tamil families in the Netherlands, complete with specific codes identifying each of them. The Tigers knew how much these people earned, and in turn they had to donate money to the Tigers according to their income.
Donations are raised during sporting events, fairs, lotteries and demonstrations. The Tigers also make house calls to Dutch Tamils. Since 2005, the Tamil Tigers in many countries started organising large fundraising activities for their ‘ultimate war’ which would lead to a free Tamil state. In the Netherlands, the Tigers demanded a donation of EUR2,000 from each Tamil family. People who have given their donation would get a specific number which can then be shown to guards on the borders of Tamil territory, and this would be used as an entrance code. Those who refuse to pay, Dutch authorities say, would be threatened: not paying the so-called war tax would have consequences for family members in Sri Lanka.
According to Dutch investigation, the LTTE in the Netherlands is divided into seven districts. Each district head is responsible for fundraising for the organisation’s war funds. It is believed that the Tigers have set up a number of dummy organisations which hand over money to the LTTE. These organisations include the Tamil Coordinating Committee (TCC), the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO), the Tamil Youth Organisation (TYO), the Tamil women’s organisation TVO, and the Tamil Dutch art and cultural organisation TKCO.
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Hats off to Dutch Police & Dutch Intelligence AIVD!
Terrorists are terrorists without borders. All civilized societies have a collective responsibility to combat terrorism jointly. Among us, rats-like politicians might try to make ratholes in law books. For example, Dutch MEP Victor Koppe tried at EU to remove LTTE ban (perhaps a LTTE lobbist). They ruin the good name of civilized societies:
Koppe says (interview):
" It was after two decades of non-violent Tamil resistance to anti-Tamil oppression by the Sri Lankan state that the LTTE emerged in 1976 with the aim to fight for Tamil justice and national self-determination through armed struggle. After its military defeat in 2009, the LTTE’s political wing pursues the same aim through peaceful, non-violent, political means. The 2006 EU proscription was contrary to international law in part because the LTTE was a party to an internationally-mediated peace process with the Sri Lankan state, seeking a negotiated settlement to the ethnic conflict."
(source: http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2011/06/12/petition-to-remove-ltte-from-eu... )
According to him a Al Quaeda terrorists also can take peaceful process. Why doesnt he remove ban of Alqaueda, its leader Osama Bin Laden is dead and most of AQ terrorists are dead(?).
"As they cannot be considered a terrorist group. Victor Koppe, the lawyer for the LTTE activists in Europe, states that group cannot be banned. The petition further states that the actions carried out by the LTTE do not amount to offences under national criminal law. It concludes by explaining that as the LTTE was militarily defeated in 2009 and are no longer active in Sri Lanka a review under article 1(6) of the Council Common Position 2001/931/CFSP would have removed the group from the list."
(source: http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2011/06/12/petition-to-remove-ltte-from-eu...)
YOu bloody Singalese fools...you do not know the meaning for terrorism. That is killing innocent kids, rapping then killing little girls & all age women, cutting women body parts & hanging them in their camps. Killing opponents by cheating & betraying People elders. These all traits are inherent to evil singalese culture & People. So without knowing meaning of terrorism..do not jump into conclusion as Tamil Tigers are against peace process.
Singalese Forest Gumps never gave any basic rights to Tamil society in Lanka past 50 years history. For example: Tamils cannot get jobs in Police, Military services; Tamil student has to secure 80% mark in exam to get a seat for higher studies where in singalese gumps will get seats with 30% marks. Moreover brainless singalese dogs can loot any Tamil shops & homes as well rape Tamil women but biased police not registering any case against not even one Singalese Dog.
The above state of life style is called as Peaceful & Democratic way of system for Tamil people which is proposed by evil Singalese Government.
So we dont want to live with these cruel Singalese evils and need free nation of Tamil Eelam. As well need revenge for exterminating these Singalese killers. There wont be any Singalese nation in next 10 year in this world. Lets wait for the lethal curse of Buddha & 20 million Tamils souls (killed by these Singala Cowards) on this corrupted Singalese group.
Hi LTTE;
Why not collect all the money you want, any way you want and use it to separate the beautiful Tamil Nadu the True Homeland of the Tamil people from India and have a beautiful life for all Tamils all over the world ?
When Srilanka Singala Army killed 150,000 tamils within one year 2008-2009, where did the Dutch intelligence and security bureau AIVD went? did they hide inside the makinda rajapkase's lungi? These services still helping Srilankan singala terrorist government and denying all basic needs to tamils by arrasting tamils voices in Netharland.
The SL govt is now accused of killing 150,000 'innocent' Tamils in one year? This is Inflation Genocide! Why not 200,000 or 1.4 million?
let all the thamils live in freedom in srilanka and use all the money to rebuild the north end the east. good luck boys.
Dutch citizens (staatsburger) may wish to know how the money collected by LTTE activists in Holland was spent in Sri Lanka, bringing death and dismemberment to all segments of Sri Lankan society. From Tamils to Sinhalese & Muslims, from rich to poor, from infants to old people, the LTTE was an 'equal opportunity' destroyer of lives.
http://wp.me/pVJuU-5W
If you don't like terrorists destroying your lives, don't support these terrorists from destroying lives in Sri Lanka.
This very tolerant people I know who governs the country did what they ought to do at the end, any other developed nation would do the same. No country would give away land or split for 15% of the population.The nature had solved the problem.
The Dutch, when they 'ruled' Ceylon, were very good in maintaining three administrative districts - one for the Tamils. So did the Portugese. However, UK made Ceylon into a single country, while in UK they had a federal system. If UK had also made Ceylon into a federal system - the present crisis would not have happened.
Freedom fighting movements all over had this unfortunate means of reaching their ideology - is this not true?
The corrupt racial politics and state sponsored terrorism is much worse than what LTTE did. If you look back at the state sponsored terrorism that the Tamils faced for over fifty years, your will then appreciate why LTTE and other freedom fighting groups were formed, after all the political and peaceful means never took the Tamils anywhere.
The Dutch, when they 'ruled' Ceylon, were very good in maintaining three administrative districts - one for the Tamils. So did the Portugese. However, UK made Ceylon into a single country, while in UK they had a federal system. If UK had also made Ceylon into a federal system - the present crisis would not have happened.
Freedom fighting movements all over had this unfortunate means of reaching their ideology - is this not true?
The corrupt racial politics and state sponsored terrorism is much worse than what LTTE did. If you look back at the state sponsored terrorism that the Tamils faced for over fifty years, your will then appreciate why LTTE and other freedom fighting groups were formed, after all the political and peaceful means never took the Tamils anywhere.
These are all Sri Lankan goverments paid coolies writing comments. Most of are SL slaves paid by the state..... Sri Lankans should Thank to British for educate them otherwise still be living in jungle...
These are all Sri Lankan goverments paid coolies writing comments. Most of are SL slaves paid by the state..... Sri Lankans should Thank to British for educate them otherwise still be living in jungle...
These are all Sri Lankan goverments paid coolies writing comments. Most of are SL slaves paid by the state..... Sri Lankans should Thank to British for educate them otherwise still be living in jungle...
The next place to look for Tiger terrorists is the UK, where they operate with almost complete impunity with the active complicity of the major political parties who just love their votes.
The subversion of British democracy in the cause of foreign terrorist group has been going on for a long, long time.
The LTTE even co-opted an ex-Labour Party MP who lost her seat at the last election to be their 'white European' front woman :)
http://tinyurl.com/4v5joot
The ex-London mayor is also a strong supporter of these bus bombers - as long as they don't bomb London.
http://tinyurl.com/42fzqnu
If the Dutch people don't like Islamic terrorist murdering their civilians (e.g. Theo Van Gogh), they shouldn't allow Tamil terrorist to fund mass murder of civilians in Sri Lanka. Let this be a warning to Holland of what happens when you allow terrorist supporters to operate unhindered in your country. You can't pick 'good terrorists' and 'bad terrorists'.
One thing common to all Tamize people anywhere in the world is, that they do not care about the country they live. Rather than integrating with local communities, they trend to think of them as citizens of another country. Tamils in Tamilnadu hates Indian government. Tamils in Sri Lanka fights Sri Lankan government. Tamils in Canada made their own ghettos squeezing other communities out from there. Tamils in UK lobby politicians to punish Sri Lanka rather than concentrating on local issues.
We are a people who can not merge with others. Let us understand that and try to change instead of listening to hate mongers who make money from us.
Why is the witch hunt now?. It is like torturing a people who wants to live in peace with dignity and freedom, but failed badly. Have they done any harm to Netherland or its people?. No. Do they want to impose their religion, language or culture on any one?. No. Is it a crime to support a freedom strugle?. Just think of what all of you have gone through during the Second World War, and what did you all do to fight against the aggresor.
Comments to the writer: Would you have supported Idi Amin, Saddam Husain and their governments since they were the head of legitimate governments?. The current president of Sri Lanka and its government are the worst inhumane criminal government in the world. Their cunningness and cruelty to humanity is limitless. Sri Lankan government plants and pays educated racists to write comments to articles like yours. You can find examples of them for your article. You read their propaganda materials and condemn the Tamils with out doing any journalistic investigation. Ask the question why those young people in their prime of their life were prepared to die rather than living as a second class citizen. Put yourself in their place. Why did you all fight against Hitler's army?. You could have surrendered, and lived as second class citizens?. Answer: Any living being, particularly, all human beings including the Tamils, naturally want to live free. Please don't continue with your witch hunt. Look through the lies and propaganda. Support the right. Support humanity.
Oh ! Poor you ! So sympathitic about the innocent LTTE pussy cats! Good try, but the civilised world will never fogive those LTTE terrorists who killed tiny babies by smashing them on the floor, who killed innocent mothers who were breast feeding their babies, who killed innocent school children by planting bombs in buses etc etc. LTTE murderers were not heros, they simply were cowards and most of the time they killed innocent civilians and hid behind their own tamil civilians for cover.
The bggest coward of all times, that prabakaran the goat, tried to save his life by escaping, sacrificing other people's children by giving them cyanide capsules.
Don't try to talk bull shit by talking about Hitler and Idi Amin, because there is no Hitler and Idi Amin in Sri lanka. You are lying from your ass which is typical for all racist tamils, which is a shame for all tamils in the world.
Sri Lankan govt terror is thousand fold more severe than any terror in the world. Even Ghadfi Saadam Mugabe can stand near them. Only one who can match is Pol Pot. Just look at the innocent civilians journalist activist aid works who were slaughtered by this regime you know who the terrorist are. The world belived them now they have come to know who tehy are even the UN
Tamil Tigers are the deadliest terrorist in the world. Prabakaran is dead and there is Peace in Sri Lanka now. However, these same Tiger Terrorist are regrouping in the west and creating havoc. Please stop them now.
It is true that Tigers were involved in fund raising and ,illegal activities in the foreign soil.The Tamil diaspora funded the tigers and propagated violence.We cannot blame the tigers squarely for the plight of the Tamils,.When the tigers were recruiting children forcefully Tamil diaspora threw their support to the tigers.The children who were forcefully recruited and got killed were the sons and daughters from the poor parents of north and east.When the tigers were involved in killing even their own brothers and sisters,Tamil diaspora continued their support to the tigers.The ones who sowed the seeds of violence among the tamils are the leaders of the TULF.TNA continued supporting LTTE violence activities.When political leaders were killed,the so called tamil leaders never condemned the killing.Instead they supported it covertly.
Why is this reporter critisizing the Tamil Tigers. Armed resistance start when people are oppressed. Its sad that Netherlands is spending millions of taxpayer money to investigate a defeating dead organization but won't do anything to support the United Nations report which says the Sri Lankan government committed war crimes and crimes against humanity and that a war crimes investigation is required to arrest the Sri Lankan government officials.
Why you are trying to imaginary thing called Tamil Oppression. What rights does SL have taken back from Tamils. Visit Colombo, major traders are Tamils..,
Why is this reporter critisizing the Tamil Tigers. Armed resistance start when people are oppressed. Its sad that Netherlands is spending millions of taxpayer money to investigate a defeating dead organization but won't do anything to support the United Nations report which says the Sri Lankan government committed war crimes and crimes against humanity and that a war crimes investigation is required to arrest the Sri Lankan government officials.
Why is this reporter critisizing the Tamil Tigers. Armed resistance start when people are oppressed. Its sad that Netherlands is spending millions of taxpayer money to investigate a defeating dead organization but won't do anything to support the United Nations report which says the Sri Lankan government committed war crimes and crimes against humanity and that a war crimes investigation is required to arrest the Sri Lankan government officials.
rats!
what do you mean sinhalees or the tamils
tiger terrorists and supporters go to hell with( punde) praba
tiger terrorists & supportersgo to hell with punde praba.
Velmuruga, Please stop using this name when you talk filth. You are a disgrace to the name of our diety god Katharagama, Sarwana, Karthike who bestows the victory to the just Sinhalams. So stop using that name. find something like ponna yesudasan.
Dear Friends, It is too late.You know very well about this Tamil Tiger terrorists but you have indirectly supported this criminal,mafia and a fascist for your own pourpose.
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