CLASSIFIED | POLITICS | TERRORISM | OPINION | VIEWS

Urgent - Task force needed to counter LTTE disinformation and propaganda warfare

Ben Silva

LTTE is known to be the second richest terror group in the world. They are using their wealth to propagate disinformation about Sri Lanka in the world. Barbara Crossette has made the comment “The fact remains that as a reporter, unless I knew a Sri Lankan diplomat personally, I found the (Sri Lankan) High Commissions and Embassies very unhelpful and ill-prepared to put a professional effort into media activity abroad”. This may have been the case in the past and may still be true in some cases. Her valuable comment and the display of lack of knowledge of UK MPs about the situation in Sri Lanka, clearly show that there is a massive amount of work is to be done.

Certainly our embassy in UK need to review their strategy, tactics and get the message across to people that matter. Remarks made by the UK PM and some MPs clearly indicate that the Sri Lanka Government message has not been passed on to them and the MPs are unaware of the true situation in Sri Lanka.

LTTE is on a mission to carve out a part of Sri Lanka to establish a mono ethnic racist states, in the lines of Chola South Indian invaders of the past. The victims of the whole mess, allowed to develop by UK, by turning a blind eye to fund raising by bogus refugees, are the Sri Lankans. The truth is that the Sinhalese are a minority in Global terms and are fighting for survival.

We have to defeat the LTTE disinformation otherwise we may loose the gains so far and it has to be given top priority by our missions abroad.

Some useful ideas are given below

Have a mission and develop strategies, plans and tactics
Keep messages clear
Match the style, content, level, delivery to the needs of the audience
target UK audience such as MPs and reporters rather than Sri Lankans
keep only about 3 ideas in a message, otherwise the reader will get confused
keep it short and simple
use exhibitions
use Powerpoint presentations
use images
use informal gatherings with good food and drinks
develop a network
Lobby MPs and develop friendships and contacts
develop contacts with reporters etc, please follow the advice of Barbara Crossette.
Thank Babara and get feedback from her.
maintain a database of LTTE atrocities.
appoint a coordinator and make use of existing articles and images
invite guest writers
Put professional effort into media activity

If the Sri Lankans are to have any future, then there is a need to ‘get on the bike’ and act now, to counter LTTE disinformation.

Acknowledgement to Barbara Crossette, a jewel of a human being.

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