Summary on Quality of SBS Reporting for Oct 4 Dateline Program

1.Credibility of Dayan Jayatilleke is questionable in view of statements he made on 23^rd May 2000 such as "There is no valid reason to take the Sri Lankan problem to the UN. There is no mass scale refugee crisis in the North and civilians in the peninsula are being provided with essentials regularly"(http://timesofindia.com/230500/23worl8.htm).

To get the views of such an extremist who put forward unsubstantiated illogical comments, SBS need not have gone all the way to Sri Lanka. There are enough of such people in Australia.

2.Credibility of Dr Rohan Gunaratna is questionable :-

a) As pointed out by Prof Maragret Trawick on 3^rd March 2000, Dr Rohan Gunaratna has been known to make outrageous statements in the past which lack proper reasoning or logic (http://www.frontlineonline.com/fl1704/17041180.htm);

b) “every working Sri Lankan Tamil is taxed 300 British sterling pounds per year to support the LTTE” - statement made was not in any way verified by the SBS reporter. Freehand to remark maliciously that Tamil citizens are being forced by LTTE to contribute.

c) “Dr Eliezer is a very well-known supporter of the LTTE organization. He has politically supported the LTTE, and he continues to do that. He has addressed a number of LTTE meetings where funds have been raised for the LTTE organizations” … statement by Dr Rohan Gunaratna - freehand to slander Dr Eliezer.

3.Dr Rohan Gunaratna & SBS reporter – negligence or intentional misrepresentation :-

a) ”So here is this Australian doctor who’s received honours from the leader of the Tamil Tigers also accumulating an Order of Australia”. Dr Elizier actually received the Order of Australia first in 1996 for his service to the community. The following year he received the “Maamanithar” award in acknowledgement of his community leadership, service to humanity, courageous campaign for justice and for having made outstanding contribution to the advancement of Tamils at home and abroad.( http://www.tamileelam.net/maamanithar.html)

4.Credibility of John Thompson, Director of Mackenzie Institute

a) On Feb 13, 2000 the following appeared in the Toronto Sun : “Thompson was quoted as saying Canadian Tamils have forced Sri Lankan women into prostitution to fund insurgency.”

The article sparked outrage among Canada's Tamils. Thompson later issued a denial of the prostitution allegation.

b) It has also come to our attention that John Thompson and his Mackenzie Institute are nothing but a John Laws “cash for comments” type unit.

5.Reporter’s use of reference to Canadian Secret Intelligence Service

a) Published documents on the CSIS website do not even in the least mention the TRO as a front organization.( http://www.csis-scrs.gc.ca/eng/new/whatnewe.html)

b) A training document which is believed to have been used as the basis for the entire program makes some apparently contradictory statements :

“The majority of relief work in Sri Lanka is conducted by the TRO and other LTTE front organizations.”

“As TRO is a known front organization for the LTTE, it is ARGUABLE that a portion of these funds are funnelled to the LTTE in support of its terrorist activities.”