VERITAS EXPOSED (99 May 26)
It is reported that the VOT (Voice of Tigers) radio has tied up with the worldwide Catholic broadcasting station Radio Veritas. "The Hindustani Times" quoting the "Tamil Net" states that "the VOT has established on Sunday the 23rd a 'coordinating office' for this purpose at St. Sabastian’s church in Mallavi in the Wanni". We reproduce below experts from the "Hindustani Times" report.
"The rationale behind the tie-up is that it will give VOT access to the vast audience of Radio Veritas. Nearly 850,000 Sri Lankan Tamils living as refugees or migrants across the globe tune in to Radio Veritas, because it gives sensational "Eelam Tamil" news, often ahead of the BBC Tamil service "Tamil Osai".
Its Tamil broadcast timings are more suitable and the number of bulletins is more. Many ardent LTTE supporters also find BBC’s Tamil Osai a bit too restrained. It is said that the BBC did not take note of LTTE supremo Prabhakaran’s speech on Maveerar’s or martyrs’ day in November last, thus deeply disappointing the Tamil diaspora. It is significant that Radio Veritas is a Catholic outfit run by the Asian Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
The Tamil section of the Catholic church in Sri Lanka (which is quite considerable) has been an ardent votary of the Tamil cause and a tacit supporter of the LTTE. However, interestingly, the Tamil service of Radio Veritas is in the hands of Tamil Catholics from Tamil Nadu. This adds another dimension to the support structure of the Eelam Tamils and the LTTE.
Studies have revealed that in the Tamil Eastern coast, the church’s humanitarian work has led to conversions. Many Hindu Tamils resent this, and yet, they would not do anything to stop it because the church is supporting the larger Tamil cause. The church is an important link with the outside world. Many of the NGOs doing relief work among the Tamils in the war zone and outside, are linked to and funded by one church or the other outside the island."
The above should open the eyes of the Sinhala Catholics. The Catholic church is not only dominated by the Tamils but even some of the Sinhala clergy are using the Tamil racist movement to undermine the Sinhala Buddhist culture in the country.
The Veritas has been always been pro Tamil and has broadcast anti Sinhala propaganda on many occasions. It is interesting to note that the Veritas has beaten the BBC in its pro Tamil racist and anti Sinhala propaganda. Incidentally the report says that there are 850,000 Tamil "refugees" around the world. If that is the case then the Tamil population in Sri Lanka must have come down by that figure.