Cancel Charity Status of International Alert: A plea to the UK Charity Commissioners

By Thilak S. Fernando

The UK Representative of Sinhaya, a patriotic Sinhala youth movement in London who are actively engaged in countering anti-Sri Lanka propaganda and fighting for Human Rights for victims of terrorism, particularly in Sri Lanka, has submitted a letter to the Charity Commissioners in the UK exposing the International Alert, a UK registered charity (Reg. No. 327553) for collaborating with terrorist and rebel groups to over throw democratically elected governments for over twenty years.

Referring to Sri Lanka, Sinhaya claims that over 50,000 innocent civilians have been killed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, a terrorist group with whom International Alert is alleged to have connections with. Their letter further focuses on the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, Lakshman Kadirgarmer, who has recently pointed an accusing finger at the International Alert and ordered an investigation into probing the links between the LTTE and the I.A.

In their letter, Sinhaya accuses International Alert of trying to help a rebel group overthrow the democratically elected government in Sierra Leon for a brief period and states that the Sierra Leon governmentıs latest attempts are to bring some of the senior representatives of the International Alert, including that of Kumar Rupasinghe, to book with possible death sentences for their alleged crimes.

Exposing International Alertıs alleged activities for using benefits of the UK registered charity out of British taxpayer money Sinhaya urges the Charity Commissioners to investigate thoroughly and strike off IAıs charity status immediately. The text of the Sinhaya letter is mentioned below. Sinhaya has its own web page and is accessible through the URL sinhaya@sinhaya.com

The letter:

24 July 1998

Chairman
Charity Commission
St. Albans House
57-60 Haymarket
Lonon SW1Y 4QY

Dear sir or Madam:

³ We are writing to complain to you in the strongest possible terms about
the way in which a UK registered charity is working with terrorist and rebel
groups to overthrow democratically elected governments in third world
countries.  Standing international forum on ethnic conflict genocide human
rights (International Alert, Registration Number 327553) recently sacked its
representative in Sri Lanka for writing an article in a Sri Lankan newspaper
about the fund raising activities of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
terrorist group in Norway. The LTTE have been waging a terrorist campaign
against successive democratically elected governments of Sri Lanka for over
twenty years, killing over 50,000 innocent civilians to-date.  A
representative of the International Alert has confirmed its Sri Lankan
representative was sacked, almost certainly breaking employment laws in Sri
Lanka, due to the article she wrote in the paper and under the advice of the
LTTE terrorist group. This and other close links between this so called
charitable organisation and the LTTE terrorist group have prompted even the
Sri Lankan foreign minister to accuse International Alert of being a
possible front organisation of the LTTE terrorist group, and initiate an
investigation.

This is not the first time International Alert has been accused of trying to
help a rebel group overthrow a democratic government. Sierra Leone
government openly accuses International Alert of helping a rebel group
overthrow this democratically elected government for a brief period. The
Sierra Leone government is currently planning to bring to justice some
senior representative of International Alert, including Mr. Kumar Rupasinghe
who faces a possible death penalty for helping the rebels.

We urge you to investigate this organisation  which we believe are engaged
in political activities with an unhealthy relationship with international
terrorist groups. They are engaging in these activities while fully
utilising the benefits of being a UK registered charity and at the expense
of British taxpayers. We further ask you to cancel their charitable status
immediately should you find they are in breach of any charity commission
regulations.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you need any further information on
this matter.

Sincerely,

Christopher Aruna
UK Representative.