• Tamil Canadian politician claims to be walking in Prabhakaran’s footsteps

By Camelia Nathaniel -The Sunday Leader

A terrorist ideologue is masquerading as a politician in Canada.  He is planning to contest the forthcoming Ontario Provincial election in the riding of Scarborough Rouge River on June 12, 2014.  Having penetrated the Provincial political system, his mission is to penetrate the Canadian political system at a federal level. He is none other than Neethan Shanmugaraja who operates under the name Neethan Shan.
A shadow leader of the LTTE in Canada, Neethan radicalized an entire generation of Tamil youth to support the LTTE, a proscribed terrorist group in Canada. Neethan Shan is the directing figure of the Tamil Youth Movement (TYO), designated as a ‘terrorist entity’ under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373 and holds the post of National Director in the National Council of Eelam Tamils (NCCT), another organization designated as a ‘terrorist entity’ under the same UN resolution. Very good at hiding himself, he came to the attention of the authorities after he was nominated as the New Democratic Party candidate to contest the elections. He was unsuccessful in the past, but this time he has mobilized the entire LTTE machinery in Canada to support him.

Neethan Shan was born in Jaffna. With his father from Nedunthivu and mother from Analaithivu, he arrived in Canada at the age of 16. Radicalized by the LTTE in Canada, he worked as a youth worker, teacher and a School Board Trustee penetrating the education system and then the political system of Canada.

Neethan started off his first job as a youth worker in this riding at two schools in Malvern – Mother Theresa Catholic Secondary School and Lester B. Pearson Collegiate. Neethan popularized and demanded that the LTTE flag was prominently displaced even in educational institutions. The legacy today is students believing that the Tiger flag is their heritage. Recently a student of Sri Lankan origin in Canada draped a flag around his body and walked to school http://www.torontosun.com/2014/05/02/student-banned-from-representing-tamils-at-multicultural-assembly.

Neethan also used Sri Lankan Tamil media to propagate his ideology. A master at propaganda, he used to produce and host TV and radio shows on Tamil Vision International and CMR, two media platforms in Canada identified by the Ministry of Defence of Sri Lanka as LTTE owned and operated.

Addressing a gathering of LTTE supporters and sympathizers in Montreal with a Tiger flag as the backdrop in early May 2009, Neethan said, “We are very happy to join hands with you in this struggle”. When it was apparent that the LTTE was in its final days, Neethan deceived the public by saying, “I like to answer a very important question.

Many people asked at what stage our freedom struggle is at now? You all know the answer to that question; our struggle is at its strongest ever right now! We are ever ready to continue our struggle; we are not prepared to stop our freedom fighters, your freedom fighters and our national symbol, the LTTE flag from flying high”.

When the LTTE supporters in Canada staged demonstrations for Canada to intervene in the Sri Lankan conflict, Neethan insisted that they carry the LTTE flag and portrait of Prabhakaran. Neethan shared his views: “The federal government is saying that our flag is outlawed. The police and the law in the province are saying that our flag is legitimate and not unlawful. That being the case how can they ask us to keep our flags at home and come? What gives them the right to do so? Is that not against democracy? These leaders have been chosen through democratic means and they are going against democracy. Hence till we get our democratic rights and our freedoms recognized, we are not willing to give up our symbols of freedom (LTTE flag).”

In addition to challenging the stand taken by the Canadian MPs on the LTTE flag, Neethan said: “We cannot sit back and watch the war like we are watching a cricket or a soccer match. We have to morph into the cadres and fight this struggle together as well. We have to fight with the LTTE and recover the lands that have been taken from us; there has not been a stronger and more united Tamil force like we have today. We have the attention of all Tamils who have seen and witnessed the LTTE fighters from a distance, now they have become part of the struggle”.

Nicknamed the “Canadian Prabhakaran,” Neethan advocated for LTTE supporters overseas to play a more aggressive role. He said, “Tamils from all over the world are now standing united. Our brothers and sisters in India (Tamil Nadu) are also with us in this struggle for freedom.

We are at a point where we can dictate politics in this country. Our votes will only go to those who utter the words “Tamil Eelam” (Crowd cheers). Our fighters are fighting diligently for our motherland and so are people of our same blood in Tamil Nadu, our support will always be with them. I can give you another example that this struggle has gained strength. Our children, who were born and raised here, have also joined in our struggle and taken the battle into their own hands as well. And I am not only referring to Canada, but I am also speaking of our children who were born in Europe, Australia and England as well”.

Neethan’s chequered career in Canadian politics began in 2002. As a school trustee he ran for Markham ward 7 & 8 and lost. He contested again and won in 2006. Even before completing his term, he sought Liberal Party candidacy for Scarborough Southwest at a federal level in 2007.  Due to allegations submitted to the Liberal Party’s green light committee, he was forced to withdraw his nomination. Neethan switched parties and down graded himself by joining provincial NDP, also in 2007. He contested in the riding of Scarborough-Guildwood in 2007 and lost. In 2010, Neethan moved to Scarborough Rouge River riding and ran for Toronto City Councillor Ward 42 and lost. The media alleged that there was serious voter fraud.

(http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/03/13/voter-fraud-scarborough-rouge-river-rathika-sitsabaiesan_n_1343423.html) Over 3000 voters registered just before the elections leading to the election reform act by the Canadian government. Neethan did not give up.

(http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/03/14/ajax-vote-fraud-election-muttukumaru-chandrakumaran_n_1346437.html).

In 2011, he contested as the NDP provincial candidate for the Scarborough Rouge River riding but once again lost. Although he faces tough opposition this time, he is running for Scarborough Rouge River riding as a NDP candidate next month.
As the leader of the LTTE’s youth, the TYO, Neethan directed, guided and supported several dozen LTTE events. At the annual heroes’ day, where LTTE supporters commemorate the terrorists killed, he mesmerized his audience by delivering emotional speeches.

On uprising day (Pongu Tamil), he challenged the Canadian government for banning the World Tamil Movement (WTM), the LTTE front by both words and actions. Displaying the dreaded red flag with a leaping Tiger circled by 33 bullets, he protested against the proscription. He shouted at the Canadian government, comparing the pro-LTTE audience to an army when said: “Intha padai pottuma, innum koncham vanenduma?” (Is this strength of fighters enough or do you want more).

The audience applauded. At 615 a.m. November 27, 2008, when the Canadian law enforcement entered a LTTE heroes day event, Neethan Shan and Pon Vivahananthan were on the stage conducting the event. However, when they saw the authorities they ran out of the hall through back door and were not seen again.

After the LTTE was dismantled in May 2009, the LTTE leader Perimpanayagam Sivaparan alias Nediyawan appointed a team of LTTE leaders to revive the organization in Canada. The LTTE created the National Council of Canadian Tamils (NCCT) in 2010 and Neethan Shan was appointed Vice Chair of the NCCT.  Addressing an NCCT event, Neethan said: “We must salute the NCCT cadres who promoted the word ‘genocide’ among the (Canadian) politicians. Without NCCT we could not promote this word. We heard a lot of opinions to delete this word. Now we won that. We are not worried about absentees. So far we got (Canadian) politicians”.

Neethan projects that he loves Canada to woo his Canadian support base. The Sunday Leader investigations revealed that the political opposition to Neethan Shan is planning to expose his LTTE links in the coming days. The money collected by LTTE fund collectors amounting to millions of dollars is currently under review. Was any money diverted to fund Neethan’s election campaign? Should the hard earned money of Canadian Sri Lankans be directed to help the deserving Tamils who suffered in Sri Lanka’s conflict rather than be wasted on Canadian politics? Historically, the LTTE lobbied and funded Canadian political parties so that its leaders could penetrate Canada’s political system.

If Neethan succeeds, he will have no love for Canada; rather he will promote the racist ideology which the LTTE successfully indoctrinated him with. In a TV interview, likely to become public in the coming days, Neethan Shan made racist remarks about Sikhs. He said there are more Sikh MPs compared to their population. He added that the doors are closed for them and there will be no more additional Sikhs.

At one point, he even shocked other LTTE fanatics, when he placed Prabhakaran on an equal footing as Nelson Mandela. Furthermore, Neethan urged Canada to give honorary citizenship to Prabhakaran! If granted, Al Qaida supporters in Canada would have demanded the same status for Osama bin Laden! Referring to Prabhakaran in early May 2009, Neethan said, “He was labelled as a terrorist and a rebel, but Nelson Mandela was honoured for his freedom struggles here in Canada. We must rally for the same honour to be bestowed upon our Leader (Prabhakaran)”. Although Neethan projects himself as a man committed to harmony, peace and coexistence, he is not.

Once he explained to an audience of LTTE supporters, “Why are the Tamil people supporting the LTTE? The have superior military strength and capabilities, but they are also fighting for our cause; they have sacrificed their own lives and freedoms for us. We will support them not only militarily but also morally, till every last cadre stands”.

Neethan radicalized and militarized the Canadian youth to fight, the same way the LTTE recruit youth and children to conduct acts of terror. Publicly stating that he is walking in the footsteps of the LTTE leader, having joined Canadian politics, Neethan will now have to live up to his promise – be the Canadian Prabhakaran!

Appointed as President of Ontario’s New Democratic Party in 2012, Neethan Shan is determined to win the forthcoming election. Neethan exploited Canada’s lack of vigilance by coming so far.  It is for Canadians who truly love Canada and Canadian values to act now.