Stung by criticism by expatriate Tamils of its report last week claiming the Diaspora was gripped by ‘a culture of fear’ regarding LTTE extortion, Human Rights Watch this weekend issued a statement that stepped back from its earlier sensational claims.
Acknowledging that accusations of extortion were only being made about “a small number of individuals” who were “claiming to represent the LTTE or groups linked to the LTTE,” HRW said: “we do not suggest that significant numbers of Tamils are engaging in extortion or other unlawful activity. We also note that many Tamils actively and willingly support the LTTE.”
Last week a HRW report titled ‘Funding the ‘Final War’: LTTE Intimidation and Extortion in the Tamil Diaspora,’ the New York based organization urged government authorities in Canada and the UK “to take stronger steps to protect members of the Tamil diaspora from violence, intimidation and extortion.”
“The Tamil Tigers are exporting the terrors of war to Tamils in the West,” the report’s author, Jo Becker, said. “The culture of fear is so strong that even Tamils who don’t support them still feel they have no choice but to give money.”
HRW said its 45-page report “details how representatives of the LTTE and pro-LTTE groups use unlawful pressure among Tamil communities in the West to secure financial pledges.”
However, the report triggered a storm of protest and outrage amongst expatriate Tamils.
The Toronto Star reported that at a press conference Wednesday organized by the Canadian Tamil Congress, the message was that anonymous allegations made to HRW don’t equal proof of a crime.
“At the event, attended by some of Toronto’s most prominent Tamils, the group told reporters the LTTE was the victim of a smear campaign,” the Star reported.
Pointing out there has not been a single prosecution for extortion in Canada amongst the Tamil community, the CTC questioned the basis on which such sweeping allegations could be made about a community.
HRW responded this weekend with a statement on its website.
The human rights group said it had spoken to dozens of members of the Tamil community in Canada and UK.
However, in its clarification, it said there were “credible and consistent reports … of a widespread and systematic campaign by the LTTE obtain funds from Tamils in the West.”
This, Tamil expatriates point out, is quite different from a widespread campaign of extortion or intimidation. Indeed, HRW’s clarification admits: “While a large number of Tamils are subjected to demands for money, we do not suggest that significant numbers of Tamils are engaging in extortion or other unlawful activity. We also note that many Tamils actively and willingly support the LTTE.”
“The extortion activities described in our report are being carried out by a small number of individuals claiming to represent the LTTE or groups linked to the LTTE,” the
However, HRW said the fact there have been no prosecutions did not mean it did not take place, but that people were too scared to complain to Police.
The organization denied it had been instigated by the Sri Lankan government to file the report to smear the LTTE and defended its author, Ms. Becker, as a researcher with 8 years experience.
Expatriate Tamils protested, however, that the accusations, leveled anonymously, were impractical to disprove.
“Unless you interview all 300,000 [Tamils], you’re not going to be able to counter these allegations,” Dushy Gnanapragasam, a spokesman for Toronto’s Tamil community told the Toronto Star.
The Star quoted Tamils suggesting that HRW had probably been fed bogus information by anti-LTTE Tamil groups.
Within a day of HRW’s report coming out, expatriate Tamils in Canada condemned it and called a press conference to rebut the accusations in it.
The report had characterized their entire community as one moribund by fear and questioned its integration into Canadian society, they argued.
Pointing out there has not been a single prosecution for extortion in Canada amongst the Tamil community, they said anecdotal evidence and assumptions, not sound social science research, formed the basis for HRW’s allegations.
“The report makes disparaging conclusions about our community’s ability to report extortion and casts doubts about our integrity as law abiding citizens of Canada,” said David Poopalapillai, spokesperson for the CWC.
“This report makes me sick because it is saying that we are covering something up and our community is living in fear. In Toronto alone, there are 30 independent Tamil newspapers, three 24 hour radio stations, and three 24 hour Televisions stations. There is no veil of silence – Ms. Becker simply has her facts wrong,” he said.
“Not only are the report’s findings completely false– they seem to be based on anecdotal evidence and misguided assumptions,” said Ashwin Balamohan, incoming Vice President University Affairs for the Students’ Administrative Council at University of Toronto.
HRW also suggest that Canadian police set up a task force to investigate extortion. But a spokesman for the Toronto Police told the Globe and Mail that the force has not received complaints.
Ms. Becker, who some Tamil organizations said had conducted telephone interviews in an aggressive and inquisitorial manner, alleges in her report that Tamils are silent about what she claims is widespread extortion, because of fear of reprisals against them or relatives in Sri Lanka.
Nehru Gunaratnam, a spokesman for the Tamil community in Toronto, also told local reporters the report creates a skewed and offensive image of the Tamil people.
Neither he nor other prominent community leaders were interviewed by Ms. Becker, the Canadian Press news agency quoted him as saying.
The HRW report, which appeals to Canadian and British authorities to take action on behalf of the Tamil Diaspora, was condescending towards long-settled community, the CWC said.
More seriously, by tarring the entire community as somehow distinct from Canadian society, the HRW report “potentially place Tamil Canadians at great risk of racial discrimination and harassment,” CWC protested.
“Extortion is already a criminal code offence in Canada – why has no one been charged?” the CWC asked. “If no one has been charged, how can it be determined that they belong to a particular group?”
Acknowledging that accusations of extortion were only being made about “a small number of individuals” who were “claiming to represent the LTTE or groups linked to the LTTE,” HRW said: “we do not suggest that significant numbers of Tamils are engaging in extortion or other unlawful activity. We also note that many Tamils actively and willingly support the LTTE.”
Last week a HRW report titled ‘Funding the ‘Final War’: LTTE Intimidation and Extortion in the Tamil Diaspora,’ the New York based organization urged government authorities in Canada and the UK “to take stronger steps to protect members of the Tamil diaspora from violence, intimidation and extortion.”
“The Tamil Tigers are exporting the terrors of war to Tamils in the West,” the report’s author, Jo Becker, said. “The culture of fear is so strong that even Tamils who don’t support them still feel they have no choice but to give money.”
HRW said its 45-page report “details how representatives of the LTTE and pro-LTTE groups use unlawful pressure among Tamil communities in the West to secure financial pledges.”
However, the report triggered a storm of protest and outrage amongst expatriate Tamils.
The Toronto Star reported that at a press conference Wednesday organized by the Canadian Tamil Congress, the message was that anonymous allegations made to HRW don’t equal proof of a crime.
“At the event, attended by some of Toronto’s most prominent Tamils, the group told reporters the LTTE was the victim of a smear campaign,” the Star reported.
Pointing out there has not been a single prosecution for extortion in Canada amongst the Tamil community, the CTC questioned the basis on which such sweeping allegations could be made about a community.
HRW responded this weekend with a statement on its website.
The human rights group said it had spoken to dozens of members of the Tamil community in Canada and UK.
However, in its clarification, it said there were “credible and consistent reports … of a widespread and systematic campaign by the LTTE obtain funds from Tamils in the West.”
This, Tamil expatriates point out, is quite different from a widespread campaign of extortion or intimidation. Indeed, HRW’s clarification admits: “While a large number of Tamils are subjected to demands for money, we do not suggest that significant numbers of Tamils are engaging in extortion or other unlawful activity. We also note that many Tamils actively and willingly support the LTTE.”
“The extortion activities described in our report are being carried out by a small number of individuals claiming to represent the LTTE or groups linked to the LTTE,” the
However, HRW said the fact there have been no prosecutions did not mean it did not take place, but that people were too scared to complain to Police.
The organization denied it had been instigated by the Sri Lankan government to file the report to smear the LTTE and defended its author, Ms. Becker, as a researcher with 8 years experience.
Expatriate Tamils protested, however, that the accusations, leveled anonymously, were impractical to disprove.
“Unless you interview all 300,000 [Tamils], you’re not going to be able to counter these allegations,” Dushy Gnanapragasam, a spokesman for Toronto’s Tamil community told the Toronto Star.
The Star quoted Tamils suggesting that HRW had probably been fed bogus information by anti-LTTE Tamil groups.
Within a day of HRW’s report coming out, expatriate Tamils in Canada condemned it and called a press conference to rebut the accusations in it.
The report had characterized their entire community as one moribund by fear and questioned its integration into Canadian society, they argued.
Pointing out there has not been a single prosecution for extortion in Canada amongst the Tamil community, they said anecdotal evidence and assumptions, not sound social science research, formed the basis for HRW’s allegations.
“The report makes disparaging conclusions about our community’s ability to report extortion and casts doubts about our integrity as law abiding citizens of Canada,” said David Poopalapillai, spokesperson for the CWC.
“This report makes me sick because it is saying that we are covering something up and our community is living in fear. In Toronto alone, there are 30 independent Tamil newspapers, three 24 hour radio stations, and three 24 hour Televisions stations. There is no veil of silence – Ms. Becker simply has her facts wrong,” he said.
“Not only are the report’s findings completely false– they seem to be based on anecdotal evidence and misguided assumptions,” said Ashwin Balamohan, incoming Vice President University Affairs for the Students’ Administrative Council at University of Toronto.
HRW also suggest that Canadian police set up a task force to investigate extortion. But a spokesman for the Toronto Police told the Globe and Mail that the force has not received complaints.
Ms. Becker, who some Tamil organizations said had conducted telephone interviews in an aggressive and inquisitorial manner, alleges in her report that Tamils are silent about what she claims is widespread extortion, because of fear of reprisals against them or relatives in Sri Lanka.
Nehru Gunaratnam, a spokesman for the Tamil community in Toronto, also told local reporters the report creates a skewed and offensive image of the Tamil people.
Neither he nor other prominent community leaders were interviewed by Ms. Becker, the Canadian Press news agency quoted him as saying.
The HRW report, which appeals to Canadian and British authorities to take action on behalf of the Tamil Diaspora, was condescending towards long-settled community, the CWC said.
More seriously, by tarring the entire community as somehow distinct from Canadian society, the HRW report “potentially place Tamil Canadians at great risk of racial discrimination and harassment,” CWC protested.
“Extortion is already a criminal code offence in Canada – why has no one been charged?” the CWC asked. “If no one has been charged, how can it be determined that they belong to a particular group?”
