Private event may be linked to terror group

Organization rented school

By: Bill Greenwood
   Members of a group designated by the federal Department of State as a foreign terrorist organization may have participated in a cultural event at Crossroads North Middle School organized by a group unaffiliated with the South Brunswick School District.
   The district confirms renting the space out to a private group for an event on Dec. 2 and said it is looking into the matter.
   "We will do our homework, and if necessary, the local authorities will be notified and the proper action will be taken," Anthony Tonzini, school business administrator, said in an e-mail on Wednesday.
   Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran, legal adviser to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, spoke at the Dec. 2 Heroes Day celebration, an event that also included cultural programs, according to TamilNet.com, a Web site that reports on "Tamil affairs."
   The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam have been fighting a civil war with the Sri Lankan government since 1983. According to the State Department’s "Country Reports on Terrorism 2005," issued in April 2006, the organization conducted "targeted assassinations," car-bombing and other terrorist activities in 2005. The group "finances itself by contributions from the Tamil diaspora around the world, including North America, Europe and Australia," the report says.
   Mr. Tonzini said the South Asian Community Association rented Crossroads North Middle School on Dec. 2. He said the district rents school space to organizations on a regular basis and that it has guidelines covering rentals.
   Mr. Tonzini said outside organizations that request to use the district’s facilities must fill out a form providing the group’s name, the purpose of the event, the space to be used and the number of people who will be attending. Groups also must provide an insurance certificate, and for-profit groups are required to pay a fee and fund custodial cleanup.
   Mr. Tonzini said the district had no way of knowing whether the South Asian Community Association had ties to other groups and was still reviewing the matter.
   More than 500 Tamil Americans from around the tristate region attended the Dec. 2 event, according to TamilNet.com.