When the terrorist group Tamil Tigers played havoc and created mayhem and bloodshed in Sri Lanka for thirty years, their members and supporters overseas hardly did any paid job in the countries they were settled in. They survived by the monies collected from innocent and unsuspecting Tamils living abroad through extortion, harassment and the promise of a separate state in Sri Lanka. If those innocent Tamils did not give money to these groups, they were threatened of bodily harm. Many who defied the terror groups were attacked. They also threatened to harass their relatives in Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s North and the East if money/ransom was not given to their ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”causeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢. The Tamil Tigers had Collectors everywhere. Many Sri Lankan Tamils were forced to pretend to be Indians, Jamaicans and Trinidadians.

Life became difficult for these overseas Tamil Tiger groups after the Sri Lankan Security Forces in 2009 defeated the Tamil Tigers under the leadership of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Their collection dropped drastically. Innocent Sri Lankan Tamils living overseas who suffered immensely under the threats of these groups begun to oppose them openly. It became difficult for many of them to continue to lead their luxurious lives. Lives they led by using the monies of Sri Lankan Tamils living overseas. There was no doubt that money was sent to the Tamil Tigers to buy weapons and to create destruction in the island nation.

Massive propaganda war

However, the Tamil Tigers wanted to keep their cause alive overseas even after their defeat in Sri Lanka. They continued to collect money claiming that thousands of civilians were killed during the final stages of the Sri Lankan war. They had another mission to undertake, a massive propaganda war. These groups were backed by their sympathisers in IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Tamil Nadu. The leaders of the Tamil Tiger groups also had money collected earlier though the overseas Tamil Tigers split into different groups. The overseas LTTE groups who were earlier grateful, beholden and very fearful of the leader of the Tamil Tigers now had no one to account to because of the splits. They had no proper leader. However, they had one common objective to continue with their campaign to discredit and destabilise Sri Lanka at any cost. They wanted to take revenge from the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, his brother Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Generals, Admirals, Air Chief Marshalls and the Sri Lankan Security Forces, be it an officer or any ordinary soldier and some senior officials of the Sri Lankan establishment.

This is the story on their new campaign to discredit the tiny island nation Sri Lanka.

Erik Solheim	Callum Macrae

Callum Macrae grew up both in Nigeria and Scotland. He describes himself as a journalist, film maker and a writer though he did not have a very successful career or made a name for himself as one. Life was getting very difficult for Macrae in the UK. He was well-known among his friends and the media persons he worked with, as someone who was always greedy for money and as a person who was prepared to undertake any project as long as he got his share of publicity and fame. Supporters of the Tamil Tigers, lobby groups and members of the Tamil Tigers living in London who had zeroed on him saw that quality in Macrae as very healthy for them.

International network

The group in London wanted someone to work with for a long period of time and even join in their campaign against Sri Lanka. It was going to be their next war. His English background was a plus to the Tamil Tigers in London. As for Macrae, he had monitored the activities of the Tamil Tigers for a considerable period of time. A close associate of Macrae who does not want to be identified says that Callum had tremendous respect for Prabhakaran the leader of the Tamil Tigers, his fighting capabilities and his use of suicide cadres and his international network and how he operated it. Macrae was also aware that the overseas network of the Tamil Tiger group had billions of dollars with them.

Callum Macrae was not getting any younger and he thought it was best to work with the Tamil Tigers. It was for his long term interest. He was there for the long haul, long battle. Supported by well-known Adel Balasingham member of the LTTE womenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s wing and wife of the late Tamil Tiger theoretician Anton Balasingham now living in London, Tamil Tiger groups in London met Callum Macrae several times in the UK with Adel joining most of the meetings. Adel is an Australian.

Before they went ahead with the meeting the group also received the blessings of the Tamil Tiger groups in Canada, Australia, Norway and some groups in Tamil Nadu. Both groups in Oslo and mainly Toronto said it was a very wise decision for the Tamil Tiger groups in London to hire a white film maker to show the credibility and the neutrality of the films to be produced.

An email sent by one of the Tamil Tiger top rung described it as a master stroke by the London group. Same email said if Adel Akka (meaning elder sister Adel) is sure of it please go ahead and not to worry about the funding.

Tamil Tigers and Callum Macrae met at several locations. Even at CallumƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s residence and offices of Channel 4. It was easy to get the support of Channel 4 due to the links of Sri Lankan born Shirani Sabaratnam originally from Jaffna and Vaddukoddai who had strong links with the Tamil Tigers. Shirani is married to Channel 4 TVƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Director of Diversity, British journalist Stuart Cosgrove. Both were later thrown out of Sri Lanka after having entered the country illegally.

Channel 4

Callum Macrae was pleased with the arrangements and he considered Channel 4ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s support as a strong point to move forward with the project. Tamil Tiger groups assured continuous funding not only to Callum but to executives and journalists of Channel 4. The Tamil Tiger groups even detailed to the British group that funding will continue and even some non-governmental organizations both in Sri Lanka and overseas would allocate funds for the movie and its related work.

They said that Tamil National Alliance of Sri Lanka, the political party which represented the Tamil Tigers in the Sri Lankan Parliament will also be briefed at all times after having got their blessings for the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Project discredit Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢. This writer cannot yet confirm if the TNA provided any funds towards the project initiated by the Tamil Tigers in London.

Adel Balasingham had repeatedly told the groups that when it is the white man it would be believed by the world and it could be made to make believe. She also had stressed on the need for a worldwide campaign.

Having promised to extend all her support, with the contacts her late husband made during several rounds of peace talks in different countries, Tamil Tigers had with successive Sri Lankan governments, Adel however said she would maintain a low profile.

This writer can confirm that she made several calls to her friends, friends of her late husband who included Erik Solheim, a former peace broker and a Norwegian Minister, Tamil Tiger groups in her native Australia, some EU countries and Canada. She also had developed a very close rapport with several non-governmental organizations both in Sri Lanka and other countries.

In Sri Lanka her main contact groups were led by an anti Sri Lankan academic with links to the major opposition United National Party, and the National Peace Council led by Dr Jehan Perera.

War crimes

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Project Discredit Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ kicked off with a worldwide campaign with the support of several human rights group, cash strapped non-governmental organizations. Border line naƒÆ’†’ƒ”š‚¯ve Members of Parliament in several countries which included UK, Australia, Canada and the European Union were pulled into it. They were promised funds for their campaigns.

The campaign started with the Original airing of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Killing Fields. On the war crimes in the final stages of the Sri Lankan war in 2009ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ on Channel 4 on June 14, 2011. It was followed an year after by the screening of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Killing Fields: War Crimes Unpunished ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” Follow up to Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Killing FieldsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ with the Original airing on Channel 4 on March 14, 2012. Then a year after Macrae came out with ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”No Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka in 2013.

Security Forces

The agreement Macrae and the group came was to, produce one film every year. The whole propaganda exercise of the Tamil Tigers and related groups were to be around the films Macrae produced for them. They also wanted Macrae to travel the world with his films as a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”movie makerƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ and paid lavish sums for his effort which included First/business class air travel and 5 star accommodations. Parties and events were organized for Macrae in the countries he travelled to.

Non-governmental organizations worldwide mainly funded and supported by the Tamil Tigers provided them the annual programme of the United Nations and other related conferences. It included the Human Rights Conference in Geneva, Commonwealth Heads of State Meeting in Perth and events at the European Union. Later a media blitz and a campaign to include India and countries such as Malaysia was also included.

An email sent by a Tamil Tiger leader in London seen by this writer reads ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Dear Mac, Finally, we have a well-orchestrated, well-oiled campaign thanks to you. You are wonderful film maker Mac.

I never know anyone could make films like you do. Bloody Sri Lankan government will not be able to wake up again because you will make a film every year until RajapaksaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s and the Sri Lanka Army pays for taking our Sorryans (Tamil Tiger leader Prabhakaran who was killed by the Sri Lankan Security Forces were known as the Sun God) life. Mac, you should be given an Oscar for this. Only if Velu Anna lived to meet you. Oh Man Mac, you must have been one of us last birth. Bless you Mac. Bless you.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

Northern civilians who were held as human shields by the LTTE coming to safeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ areas. File photo