Source : National Post

Dismisses terror claims: Toronto's Canadian Multicultural Radio to broadcast this fall

Federal Cabinet ministers have upheld a broadcast licence issued to a new multicultural radio station in Toronto despite allegations it has ties to the Tamil Tigers terrorist group.

Canadian Multicultural Radio plans to begin broadcasting this fall after Cabinet dismissed complaints of terrorist links, the Department of Canadian Heritage announced yesterday.

"I'm extremely happy. You don't know how happy I am," said S. Sivakumaran, the station's chief operating officer, who called the terrorism allegations part of a smear campaign by competitors.

The decision comes as the Liberals are being called too soft on the Tamil Tigers, also known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam or LTTE, a violent insurgent group in Sri Lanka responsible for suicide bombings and political assassinations that have killed thousands.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service has repeatedly recommended the government outlaw the Tamil Tigers under Canada's Anti-Terrorist Act, but Cabinet has refused to do so.

After the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission approved the FM radio application on April 17, members of Canada's Sri Lankan community appealed to the government to overturn the decision.

Their letters claimed the numbered company behind the station had ties to the Tigers, and said volunteers from the World Tamil Movement, the main LTTE front, went door to door in Tamil neighbourhoods seeking support for the bid.

"This is an opportunity to send a stern message to those who sympathize with terrorist groups that Canada will not reward them with the trust and sanctity of holding a radio licence," one letter said.

The company denied the accusations and said some of those making the claims were supporters of competing bids exploiting fears of terrorism to discredit the bid.

CSIS advised the government on the terrorism allegations. A Canadian Heritage statement made no mention of the concerns but said after "careful review," Cabinet had upheld the CRTC decision to grant the radio licence.

The station plans to offer programming to 16 cultural groups in 22 languages, including Tamil, Filipino, Hindi and Punjabi. It will broadcast at 101.3 FM starting in September or October.

The Tamil Tigers have an extensive support network in Canada that uses front organizations and crime to raise money for the ethnic Tamil separatist campaign in Sri Lanka.

© National Post