Two Tamils face trial in UK for 'supporting' LTTE

TamilNet, 29 June 2007
[see also BBC Report, 28 June 2007]

Two Tamils in Britain were charged Wednesday under the Terrorism Act 2000 with providing support to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) which is proscribed in UK. Arunachalam Chrishanthakumar, (also known as 'AC Shanthan'), 50, and Goldan Lambert, 29 appeared at City of Westminster Magistrates Court Thursday.

According to details released by Police Mr. Chrishanthakumar is charged with five counts. Two of the charges are linked to his alleged role in organising a mass rally last July to mark the 1983 anti-Tamil pogrom in Sri Lanka. The single charge against Mr. Lambert is that he was also involved in organising the event.

The rally on July 25, 2006 was attended by 15,000 Tamils in UK.

The charges against Mr. Chrishanthakumar are:

“1. For that you between the 1st day of June 2006 and the 26th day of July 2006 within the Greater London area assisted in the arrangement of a meeting which you knew was to support a proscribed organisation namely the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Contrary to Section 12(2)a and (6) of the Terrorism Act 2000

“2. For that you on the 25th day of July 2006 in a public place, namely Hyde Park London, addressed a meeting and the purpose of the address was to encourage support for a proscribed organisation, namely the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Contrary to Section 12(3) and (6) of the Terrorism Act 2000

“3. For that you on or about the 24th day of January 2005 within the Greater London Area received ?1500 intending that it be used or having reasonable cause to suspect that it may be used for the purposes of terrorism Contrary to Section 15(2) and Section 22 of the Terrorism Act 2000

“4. For that you between the 17th day of January 2006 and the 22nd June 2007 within the Greater London Area received a quantity of literature and manuals including Underwater Warfare Systems, Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Naval Weapons Systems, six trenching spades, thirty nine compasses and a piece of ballistic body armour intending that they be used or having reasonable cause to suspect that they may be used for the purposes of terrorism Contrary to Section 15(2) and Section 22 of the Terrorism Act 2000

“5. For that you between the 23rd day of January 2005 and the 22nd day of June 2007 within the Greater London Area belonged or professed to belong to a proscribed organisation, namely the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Contrary to Section 11(1) and (3) of the Terrorism Act 2000”

The charge against Mr. Lambert is: “you on the 25th day of July 2006 at Hyde Park London assisted in managing a meeting which you knew was to support a proscribed organisation, namely the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Contrary to Section 12(2)a and (6) of the Terrorism Act 2000.”
 

BBC Report, 28 June 2007

Two men accused of supporting the banned Sri Lanken rebel group the Tamil Tigers have appeared in court. Arunachalam Chrishanthakumar and Goldan Lambert are accused of arranging and attending meetings for the banned organisation.

The pair are due to appear again at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 9 August when their pleas against the charges will be entered. If found guilty they could face trial in Sri Lanka.

Chrishanthakumar, also known as AC Shanthan, 50, of Norbury, is charged with five counts, including arranging meetings for the organisation in London last year under the Terrorism Act 2000.

He is accused of addressing a meeting in London's Hyde Park on 25 July last year to encourage support of the group and receiving ?1,500 for terrorism purposes.

Chrishanthakumar also faces charges of receiving literature connected to terrorism and belonging to the group. He was remanded in custody.

Lambert, 29, of south Croydon faces one charge of managing a meeting to support the Tamil Tigers. He was released on bail.

The Tamil Tigers have been fighting the authorities in Sri Lanka since the 1970s in an attempt to force a Tamil state in the north and east of the country.