Author: Manjula Fernando
Publication: Sundayobserver.lk
Date: October 6, 2011
URL: http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2011/10/16/sec01.asp
International observers say that India's denial
of entry to Fr. S.J. Emmanuel, a leading propagandist for the LTTE, could
be viewed as a major setback for the outfit's attempt to regroup using Tamil
Nadu as a base.
Fr. Emmanuel is the President of the UK-based
Global Tamil Forum (GTF), a leading LTTE front.
A diplomatic source told the Sunday Observer
from Canada that the vociferous LTTE activist who is allegedly a de-facto
LTTE leader working through humanitarian and religious fronts collects funds
to revive the LTTE. He said Fr. Emmanuel was in Canada on a fund raising mission
last month. "He was in Canada and Europe to raise funds and mobilise
pro LTTE groups to brush up the anti- Sri Lankan propaganda in the Western
world."
Pro-LTTE websites were the first to report
the incident where Fr. Emmanuel was refused entry at the Chennai airport.
He was allegedly on his way to deliver a lecture. Due to the refusal to grant
landing permission he had to return to Dubai, his point of transit.He is alleged
to have possessed a multiple entry visa issued by the Indian High Commission
in Germany at the time of his landing in Chennai. In spite of this he was
stopped at the immigration counter and sent back.
According to pro-LTTE websites which criticised
the Indian action, Fr. Emmanuel had visited India last year to participate
in several meetings.
This time he was due to meet the Tamil Nadu
Chief Minister Jayalalithaa Jeyaram and attend other events including seminars
at the Chennai University and Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi.
The diplomatic sources said Fr. Emmanuel who
glorified suicide bombers as martyrs, is also spearheading the human rights'
campaign against Sri Lanka. The moderate diaspora sections have questioned
his role in radicalising another generation of Tamil youth by his preachings
and lectures overseas.Although he collected millions of dollars by way of
donations from church leaders, he had allegedly not spent even a cent to help
in the resettlement, rehabilitation and reintegration of former LTTE cadres.
The donors have thus begun to press him to account for these funds given for
development, the sources said.
In a recent interview with AP Fr. Emmanuel
denied that the LTTE was trying to re-group, calling the claim a ploy of the
Sri Lankan Government.
The diplomat said this was a futile attempt
by Fr. Emmanuel to whitewash the LTTE, given that many Governments including
the Netherlands were making headway in investigations and court cases against
LTTE activists, accused of criminal activities and extortion charges.