Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

Tamil Tigers dismantle seized Jordanian ship

Jordan Times - 01/05/2007


(MENAFN - Jordan Times) AMMAN -65533; The chairman of the Salam International Transport and Trading Company, Saeed Suleiman, said earlier this week that it was no longer possible to recover the Jordanian ship, Farah 3, which was seized by Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers in December 2006.

In a statement to Al Rai newspaper, Suleiman said Tamil Tigers had actually dismantled the vessel and stolen its cargo of 14,000 tonnes of Indian rice bound for South Africa.

'The Salam Company will not incur any losses because the vessel was fully insured at $5 million,' he said.

Farah 3 was seized by the pirates at the end of last year when it drifted into rebel waters after developing engine trouble. The ship was scheduled to stop in the Sri Lankan port of Colombo for refuelling before continuing to South Africa.

Tamil Tiger pirates boarded the vessel firing four warning shots and forced the ship's 25 crew members to board rebel boats.

Crew members, comprising 11 Jordanians, 13 Egyptians and an Iraqi were held by the Tamil Tigers for several days but were eventually released unharmed.

The crew was brought to the Sri Lankan capital from the rebel stronghold of Kilinochchi by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

In a statement to Al Rai newspaper, Suleiman said Tamil Tigers had actually dismantled the vessel

haha SLN was asleep I take it? So much for 'Sri Lankan waters' eh, tigers have the freedom to dismantel a large ship while the SLN can do nothing about it LOL.

Tsunami relief funds 'diverted to Tamil Tigers'
The Victorian Police Commissioner says terrorism charges against two men in Melbourne relate to alleged misuse of funds raised under the guise of tsunami relief.

Two men were arrested after raids in Sydney and Melbourne by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Victoria Police this morning.

In Melbourne, a 32-year-old Mount Waverley man has been charged with three offences related to being a member of a terrorist organisation and knowingly making funds available to a terrorist organisation.

A 36-year-old man from Vermont South is expected to be charged later this afternoon.

Victorian Police Commissioner Christine Nixon says the charges are the result of a joint investigation by the AFP and the Victorian and New South Wales police.

'The money that was being raised was raised under the banner of raising money for the tsunami, for relief by the community,' she said.

'But in fact we believe that the evidence is that monies was towards the organisation called the Tamil Tigers.'

AFP Assistant Commissioner, Frank Prendergast, says the activities are allegedly connected to the Sri Lankan terrorist organisation, known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), or the Tamil Tigers.

'I want to make it clear that these men weren't involved in any possible attacks on Australian soil,' he said.

'The offences they have been charged with are activities which occurred in Australia supporting the LTTE in Sri Lanka.'

Mr Prendergast says the Federal Government's new laws on terrorism gave the police the power to make the arrests.

'They related specifically to membership of a terrorist organisation, support to a terrorist organisation and receiving funds for a terrorism organisation,' he said.

'Under the previous terrorism laws, the charges wouldn't have been available to us.'

Community support

Ms Nixon says community support helped lead to the men's arrest.

'That's been an important part of our success,' she said.

'In this case, I can't say much more about the matters but it does relate to fund-raising that has occurred to support a terrorist organisation, and that is the Tamil Tigers.

'There are three matters in regard to these people and they'll be heard shortly before the courts.'