SLUNA Reply

To: Hon. Lloyd Axworthy
Cc: Hon. Maria Minna, ; Hon. Raymond Chan
Date: Monday, May 08, 2000 11:09 PM
Subject: Ministers Paul Martin and Maria Minna Dine with Terrorist Front Organization

Honourable Ministers,

We are writing to express our deep disappointment at the total ignorance and insentivity shown by Minister Martin and Minister Maria Minna in attending a function organized by the Federation of Associations of Canadian Tamils (FACT) in Toronto on May 6, 2000. We would expect these ministers to be aware of the efforts being made through the United Nations to suppress international terrorism and Canada's role in signing the U.N. Convention in this regard, and the leading role played by Canada to win international support. One of the key elements of the U.N. Convention is to prevent terrorist front organizations from raising funds within each member state's jurisdiction, but to our shock and dismay, two leading cabinet members of the Canadian government participate in a fundraising event for the Tamil Tiger Terrorists separatist war in Sri Lanka.

Not only has the U.S.Government listed FACT as a front organization of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which is recognized as a terrorist movement , office bearers of FACT have been quoted in the Canadian media on a number of occasions to be transferring funds to the LTTE. Even Canada's Security Intelligence Services have reported that FACT is a front organization for the Tamil Tiger Terrorists.

We are forwarding in attachment a copy of a letter addressed to the Editor of the National Post for your information and record.

Yours truly,
Mahinda Gunasekera
Hony. President
Sri Lanka United National Association of Canada

The Editor
National Post
Toronto, Ontario

Dear Editor,

Stewart Bell's Report titled "Martin to dine with terrorist front"

We refer to the above report published in your Saturday edition of May 6, 2000.

We are baffled by the lack of background information available to cabinet ministers of the Canadian government relating to the U.S. cited terrorist front organization called the Federation of Association of Canadian Tamils (FACT). It is indeed astounding, especially after the much publicized deportation case initiated by the Canadian authorities against Suresh Manickavasagam, former FACT and WTM Coordinator, who was the official representative of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE), which latter group has been proscribed by the U.S., Indian, Sri Lankan and Malaysian governments as a terrorist movement.

The Finance Ministry official's comment stating that the minister was only attending a Tamil New Year function on the 6th of May too is an odd one, and appears to have been an afterthought on the part of FACT to induce the minister to attend. The timing of the supposed Tamil New Year is also way off the mark, as both the Tamils and the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka celebrate their New Year on the 14th of April each year and never in the month of May.

Is Mr. Martin jockeying himself into position for the next Liberal Party Leadership Race by trying to grab the ethnic vote in the Toronto region from Toronto's Alan Rock? Or is he cutting a deal with the 'terrorist front' called FACT for the block of Tamil votes they could deliver through intimidation, by agreeing to soft pedal the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Suppression of International Terrorism which Canada signed, when he becomes the Prime Minister? More questions come to mind. Or is he willing to permit some of the fundraising units within FACT to continue to function as Charities exempt from all taxes in contravention of the U.N. Convention, so that they could freely collect government grants and extort funds from Canadian Tamils for their terrorist warfare to establish a separate state called 'Eelam' by dismembering the tiny island nation of Sri Lanka?

It is a disgrace to have senior politicians of his caliber having to fraternize with groups designated as terrorist front organizations to gain points in the leadership race, when he is capable of formulating policies that would win the support of all Canadians.

Yours truly,

Mahinda Gunasekera
Hony. President