How Convincing is CTC’s Defamation Lawsuit Against Rohan Gunaratna?

Convicted LTTE operative is former CTC director

July 12 – (UPDATE: SL-USA) - Will the Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC), which has

filed a defamation lawsuit against terrorism expert Dr. Rohan Gunaratna for

alleging that it is an LTTE front, be able to present a convincing case given

that one a convicted LTTE operative currently serving a prison term in the US

was its director of communications in 2005?

Sahilal ‘Sahil’ Sabaratnam is serving a  25- year  prison term in the US in

connection with a plan to purchase almost $1 million worth of high-powered

weaponry for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a designated foreign

terrorist organization.

Sabaratnam, described by authorities as the financial mastermind of the

operation, is named as the Director, Communications (Canadian Tamil Congress,

Toronto, Tel: (416) 662-6372 e-mail:ctc.toronto@gmail.com) on the August 29,

2005 press release which was issued to condemn the murder of  journalist Sivaram

Dharmaratnam (alias ‘Taraki).

David Poopalapillai, spokesman for the group, told media at the time that he did

not know Sabaratnam.

However, Sabaratnam’s 2005 press release bears striking resemblance to the CTC’s

other releases, including the July 12 release announcing the lawsuit.  In

addition to having the same graphics, the two releases share identical taglines

at the bottom: ‘Courtesy: CTC.”  (See images below.)

The CTC filed the defamation lawsuit against Gunaratna on Wednesday for alleged

defamatory statements he made in an interview to a Sri Lankan newspaper a few

months ago.

In that interview newspaper, Gunaratna had alleged that the LTTE is "operating

in Canada under the name of the Canadian Tamil Congress, which is the main LTTE

front organization in Canada." The lawsuit also claims that Gunaratna had

falsely said that the Canadian government is investigating that the "LTTE is

operating under the name of Canadian Tamil Congress.”

According to the lawsuit, Gunaratna's statements are defamatory and falsely

portray the Canadian Tamil Congress as an entity through which the LTTE has

conducted operations in Canada.

In a press release, David Poopalapillai, the national spokesperson for the

Canadian Tamil Congress, said, "While the CTC's mission is to work with various

levels of government in Canada to address issues of significance to Tamil

Canadians, it does not, and never has, functioned as the front in Canada for the

LTTE movement.

"The Canadian Tamil Congress brought this lawsuit to combat the harm done to its

reputation and ability to address issues of importance to Tamil Canadians as a

result of Gunaratna's statements."

Poopalapillai and Umasuthan Suntharamoorthy, who is a director of the Canadian

Tamil Congress, are plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

Sahilal Sabaratnam was one of four Canadians  arrested on Long Island in August

2006 after engaging in negotiations with an undercover FBI agent to purchase and

export ten SA-18 heat-seeking anti-aircraft missiles and launchers, 500 AK-47s,

and other military equipment for the LTTE.   The FBI said he and the other

defendants were acting at the direction of senior LTTE leadership in Sri Lanka,

including Pottu Amman, the LTTE’s chief of intelligence and procurement and the

right-hand man to LTTE leader Velupillai Prabakharan. The weapons were to be

used by the LTTE to shoot down Kfir aircraft used by the Sri Lankan military.

CTC's Aug. 29. 2005 press release shows convicted LTTE operative as

Communications Director