Bruce Fein Episode developing into a major scandal


“If in fact, Thamils for Justice has been formed and even claimed to have replaced Justice for Tamils, such an attempt is pathetic to say the least and no Tamil should recognize such a mean and shoddy attempt to demean a cause. Those who have pretended to be LTTE supporters setting up organizations and collecting funds for what was claimed as for the “Final War” have a poor track record especially in Canada and the US too to some extent, even accounting to a major fraud on the community.”
___________________

by Renuka Sharma in Colombo and Jacinta Cruz in Los Angeles

(July 19, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The Tamils for Justice (T4J) in a leading article in their website have stated that “Attorney Bruce Fein who has been retained by Tamils for Justice (T4J) visited Toronto from Tuesday 17th to Sunday 22nd June 2008 to brief the Canadian Tamil public and non-Tamil Canadians about his work under the directions and instructions of Tamils for Justice” and added that they could publicly announce some of them.

Among others, this charter to Attorney Bruce Fein included:

Exploring modalities for organizing and conducting a referendum and facilitate and hold a congressional hearing on human rights violations in Sri Lanka, October 1, 2008, prior to Congressional and presidential elections closure.

On the question of “Tamil statehood in the Island of Sri Lanka” he was to make efforts to work towards ascertaining directly and democratically from the affected Tamil people, what the majority of them want, with a view to facilitating a just and lasting peace.

Based on the objectives of T4J outlined in their website since December 2007, Mr Fein was to help to bring to justice the Rajapakse brothers and General Sarath Fonseka for crimes against the Tamils and Human Rights violations.

In consequence of this Attorney Fein was sent to Toronto by the T4J to have meetings with Tamils and non-Tamils and even live radio and TV appearances with phone-in facilities were arranged for him. He held three public meetings, two of them at Canada Kandasamy Kovil totally controlled by the LTTE. The other was held in a banquet hall.

The website stated: Bruce Fein “also discussed the future work he intends doing under the directions of Tamils for Justice, and his forthcoming trip to India and Sri Lanka.”

Further below T4J emphasized:

“Tamils for Justice is not associated with any other Tamil groups in Toronto and works independently of every one in close cooperation with our attorney Bruce Fein. Many Tamil groups, including banned charities and associations in North America have approached Fein in the past one month with large sums of money, to help them, in gross violation of attorney Client relationship and confidentiality. This has caused a lot of disruption and affected the current work of Tamils for Justice with Washington, Media, NGO, and Congress.”

The T4J statement went on to state: “He (Bruce Fein) opened a Canadian bank account on this trip to make it convenient for Tamils to perform local bank transfers, deposit local checks, and accept direct deposits. We encourage Tamils to contribute with checks or credit card to enable us to have good accounting records, and required transparency for the authorities. We not only discouraged cash contributions, and have decided not to accept cash from anyone, after the difficulties experienced in Toronto, and Bethesda recently.”

Further down was a paragraph that has caused considerable concern to Tamils in North America. While thanking the Canadian Tamils who contributed large amounts of funds which were reported by Bruce Fein and the T4J representative in Canada Bavan Sriskanda Rajah as 95% in cash for which receipts have not been issued yet by T4J.

They said: “We at Tamils for Justice are still waiting for accurate accounting details to enable us to publish such details in the interest of transparency in Canada, and also thank those individually by sending them receipts.”

Furthermore contrary to the proud assertion of T4J that they are the only organization that is action oriented, there appears to have arisen a very serious conflict in relationships.

Firstly, T4J is unable to make contacts with their attorney, Mr Bruce Fein. They have been placed in a situation to wonder about his whereabouts and even suspected he had gone away to Africa.

However, reports are being received that Bruce Fein and some of his Tamil contacts in Canada and the USA have founded Justice for Thamils and have even reported as this having replaced T4J. The founder of T4J has, on the other hand denied this in several emails that are being sent around the world and has demanded that Mr Fein reports to him immediately.

Our inquiries have led us to believe that while Bruce Fein was visiting Canada, a kind of conspiracy was hatched against T4J especially to be free of its founder Jayantha Gnanakone.

Additionally, the integrity of LTTE activists in Canada has always been suspect and with the LTTE and WTM banned there, some of them must have wanted the cover of an organization under which they could operate and Attorney Bruce Fein must have obliged to their request.

Since this unfortunate Bruce Fein episode is developing into a major scandal that will damage the interests of the Tamils, the Tamils for Justice is under obligation to reveal publicly how it came to choosing this attorney in the first place, his retainer and whatever fees, perks and privileges offered to him or demanded by him to carry out his mission.

In addition, where was the Justice for Thamils founded, in the US or Canada, and who are behind such a move? This may very well be an attempt to cheat the Tamil community in North America under the pretext of fighting a cause which, may never ever succeed. Human rights violations in Sri Lanka is a widespread nightmare not confined to the government alone.

If in fact, Thamils for Justice has been formed and even claimed to have replaced Justice for Tamils, such an attempt is pathetic to say the least and no Tamil should recognize such a mean and shoddy attempt to demean a cause. Those who have pretended to be LTTE supporters setting up organizations and collecting funds for what was claimed as for the “Final War” have a poor track record especially in Canada and the US too to some extent, even accounting to a major fraud on the community.

We hope Tamils for Justice will take up this matter seriously and have Mr Bruce Fein reported to the American Bar Association without any delay. Since this involves large scale collection of funds this may very well be a matter for the FBI to investigate.
- Sri Lanka Guardian
T.Douglas said...

The Sri Lankan state sponsored war crimes, rights abuses and terrorism with impunities against its own citizens were widely reported by many world reputable organizations such as HRW, AI, AHRC, UNHRC, ICRC, ACF, IIGEP and many more world leaders and human rights activists said Sri Lanka is a dangerous place for any aid workers, journalists, religious leaders, women and children.

The journalists in Sri Lanka increasingly under siege as Sri Lanka's labeled journalists and media personals as "cowboy defense analysts" and "enemies of the state,” which sparking renewed alarm among media rights activists about freedom of the press in Sri Lanka. Since August 2005, 12 media workers have been killed in Sri Lanka.

With press effectively gagged by the state, independent international monitors shown the door and calls for transparency and accountability in military spending and a negotiated settlement to the ethnic issue being ignored, the Sri Lankan state is free to pursue its military solution, squander scarce resources and violate human rights, commit war crimes and terrorism against Tamil civilians including journalists, aid workers, religious leaders and intellectuals.

The prevailing state of lawlessness in Sri Lanka and impunity serves to perpetuate more violence and brutal crimes against humanity. The Sri Lankan government, which claims to be a democratically elected administration, has failed to fulfill the most fundamental obligation of any government “that is to safeguard and protect the security of its people, regardless of race, religion, and ethnicity.”

Unknown said...

Sri Lanka has become a Terrorist State.Tamils and others are arrestd and incarceratd for long periods without trial.Abductions, disapparancs, extortions, assaults & killings are common and are carrid out by personnel in "white vans" which escape easily through check points - not even one has been stopped & investigated.

Malin said...

When babies cant get what they want they only know to cry...

Lankan said...

The dogs are fighting for the last few crumbs left. The is really comical.