Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka have been illegally using a satellite of US giant Intelsat to beam their radio and television broadcasts overseas, the company said Wednesday. "We have been actively pursuing avenues to terminate the illegal usage of our satellite," Nick Mitsis, the spokesman for Intelsat, the world's largest provider of fixed satellite services, told AFP.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), fighting for independence in Sri Lanka's northern and eastern regions, has been blacklisted as a terrorist organization by the United States since 1997.
Intelsat officials and technical experts met with Sri Lanka's Ambassador to the United States Bernard Goonetilleke on Tuesday to discuss steps Intelsat was taking "to address the unauthorized use of one of its satellites by the LTTE," an Intelsat statement said.
During the meeting, Intelsat's executive vice-president and general counsel Phillip Spector said "Intelsat does not tolerate terrorists or others operating illegally on its satellites," the statement said.
"Since we first learned of the LTTE's signal piracy, we have been actively pursuing a number of technical alternatives to halt the transmissions," it said.
"We are clear in our resolve to ending this terrorist organization's unauthorized use of our satellite," it added.
Intelsat pointed out that the illegal transmissions were a violation of laws of both the United States and Sri Lanka.
Goonetilleke said: "I am satisfied that Intelsat is taking these unauthorized transmissions very seriously."
The issue was also taken up by Sri Lanka at a meeting of the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization in Paris last month, Sri Lankan officials said.
Source: Agence France-Presse
Intelsat Works With Sri Lankan Authorities To Halt Unauthorized Use Of Its Satellite
Pembroke, Bermuda (SPX) Apr 13 – Intelsat, the leading provider of global satellite communications, today issued a statement with regard to the unauthorized use of one of its satellites by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a Sri Lanka-based terrorist group. The U.S. State Department lists the LTTE as a foreign terrorist organization.
Intelsat officials, including its technical experts, met with Sri Lanka's Ambassador to the United States, Bernard Goonetilleke, on 10 April to discuss the steps Intelsat is taking to address the unauthorized use of one of its satellites by the LTTE. During the meeting, Intelsat's General Counsel, Phillip Spector, said, "Intelsat does not tolerate terrorists or others operating illegally on its satellites. Since we first learned of the LTTE's signal piracy, we have been actively pursuing a number of technical alternatives to halt the transmissions. We are clear in our resolve to ending this terrorist organization's unauthorized use of our satellite."
The Sri Lanka Embassy and Intelsat agree that these illegal transmissions by the LTTE are a violation of Sri Lankan and U.S. laws.
Following the discussion, Ambassador Goonetilleke said, "I am satisfied that Intelsat is taking these unauthorized transmissions very seriously, and believe it would do all that it can to stop the terrorist transmissions. I am confident that Intelsat will continue to cooperate with Sri Lankan authorities in this matter."
