Dubious Asian Tribune website and its editor

by Mizanur Rahman
February 28, 2010

http://www.weeklyblitz.net/554/dubious-asian-tribune-website-and-its-editor

Asian Tribune, a website pretending to be a newspaper, claims to have started in Thailand [House No: 8/6, Muban Amoronpan Nakorn, Sukapibal Road 2, Suan Siam, Bangok 10230, Thailand], nine years back. This website is owned by a Sri Lankan Tamil politician, K T Rajasingham, who claims in that website to have been forced to leave his country after LTTE raised its head and systematically targeted him. Later K T Rajasinghham went to Sweden [Karl Wahrens Vag 22 B, 73 34 Hallstavik, Sweden] and continuing to run this web site under the banner of World Institute for Asian Studies [WIAS]. Mr. Rajasinghham a former journalist turned politician and according to Sri Lankan press, he was on permanent payroll of Sri Lankan intelligence agency.

In another website of World Institute for Asian Studies, it is written: "The World Institute for Asian Studies is a non-profit, non-governmental international organization aimed at bringing academics, scholars, holders of public office, researchers, analysts and media personnel of the First World and the Asian Region to an ongoing dialogue that would inform each other of the developing issues that are likely to impact globally and regionally.

"The Association will target misunderstandings and misperceptions that would confuse or misdirect non-Asians about the cultural, political, economic and social complexities of the Asian Region.

"The Association intends to bring together, promote and protect the diverse, cultural, religious, social and political forces in the Asian region within democratic frameworks that respect the rule of law, human rights, transparency, accountability and good governance.

"The Association strongly believes that democratization and modernization of the Asian nations, big and small, rich and poor, within parameters of acceptable tradition, are vital for universal peace, stability and prosperity.

"The Association will be rooted in the Asian traditions that respect human values, humanitarian laws and pluralism leading to peaceful co-existence of diverse communities in the region."

This website is nothing but a one-man-show of K T Rajasinghham. If someone will press the 'Research Activities', 'Upcoming events and news', 'Resources', 'Publications', 'Mission Report', 'Conferences', 'E-Updates' etc keys in the site, it will show that there is no information available on any of such items. It shows that, this so-called institute is nothing but a fraudulent venture of K T Rajasinghham, who also exclusively owns another website named Asian Tribune.

Sachi Sri Kantha, a senior political analyst and scholar in Sri Lanka, who's maternal grandmother and Mr.Rajasingham's mother are siblings commenting on K T Rajasinghham said, "His talents [both genuine and shameful varieties] are known in our families and are open secrets in Point Pedro. Though he is estranged from me now, I would provide the readers with a little information which is on public record and which would throw some insights on the personality of Mr. Rajasingham.

The 1977 General election result for the Point Pedro constituency was eagerly waited at our then household in Colombo on July 21st of that year. The results announced were as follows: K. Thurairatnam [TULF] – 12,989 votes; N. Nadarajah [Independent] – 6,419 votes; M. P. Veeravagu [Independent] – 3,065 votes and K. T. Rajasingham [Independent] – 614 votes. The winner of that election was Federal Party stalwart K. Thurairatnam. K T Rajasingham lost that election pretty badly and quite a number of our relatives in Point Pedro did not support his candidacy. What was worse is the fact that Rajasingham, for the previous seven years or so [from 1970-1977; during the Alfred Duraiappah period] was functioning openly as the SLFP organizer for Point Pedro. Even though he was functioning as the SLFP organizer for years, at the 1977 general election he contested as an Independent!

"K T Rajasingham in brief, is a failed Tamil politician. In the 1970s, he chased his political rainbow with the SLFP and fell flat."

It is reported in various sites that K T Rajasingham applied for financial support from Sri Lankan government. According to 'Zoomin', "Rajasingham is however far more keen to have his funding proposals for The Asian Tribune implemented. To this end he sends his lengthy proposals which contains glaring falsehoods to Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and the President having discussed it in Geneva."

"According to this proposal the World Institute of Asian Studies which publishes the Asian Tribune is applying for a loan on the basis that it is an online daily that has established its reputation for objective reports and analysis also as the alternate voice of humanity and as the guarantor of freedom and freedom of expression of the people of Asia.

"Mind you even as Rajasingham calls himself the voice of humanity there is already a complaint in the Parliament police post that he gave instructions to assassinate another human being or have him illegally incarcerated."

Sri Lanka's prominent English newspaper The Sunday Leader and its Consultant Editor Sonali Samarasinghe on November 12 sent Letters of Demand through her lawyers in Sri Lanka to K.T. Rajasingham, admittedly a close associate of terrorist Pillayan for defamatory statements made against her by Rajasingham as editor of the Asian Tribune.

It is also reported in websites that editor or Asian Tribune tried to blackmail another newspaper in Sril Lanka named 'The Guardian'. The news titled 'Asian Tribune Editor K.T.Rajasingham attempts to blackmail Sri Lanka Guardian' said: "The acerbic Asian Tribune Editor K. T. Rajasingham reeling under several defamation law suits to be filed against him for over 500 million Dollars and widely regarded as a hate monger dealing in sewer reportage sent a letter to a contributing journalist for this website blackmailing both the journalist and editor of The Sri Lanka Guardian by threatening to sue if an article titled "Government Pandangkarayas playing hell in foreign missions." posted on March 19 is not immediately removed."

"….Rajasingham at 10.30 am on March 19 [2008] and before sending the above email telephoned the said journalist and threatened him by using many names including many top government officials. He also uttered several falsehoods about the website and the said journalist. The Sri Lankan Guardian is now in the process of making a complaint to the proper law enforcement authorities regarding the threatening telephone call and the attempt by Rajasingham to use the names of government officials and politicians in the course of the said call in connection with the attempt to intimidate a journalist into submission.

"Rajasingham told journalist Nilantha Ilangamuwa it was only he who could influence and manipulate the government and the Ambassadors and not to play around with him. Shouting at the journalist for over half an hour Rajasingham demanded to know the name and telephone number of the Editor of the Sri Lanka Guardian. This is despite the fact all details are permanently posted on the website and easily available.

"This is just another example of the culture of impunity and the suppression of the media prevailing in this country with a new report calling Sri Lanka the third most dangerous country for journalists after war torn Iraq and violence wracked Pakistan. It is better that the government distance itself from a man of such low caliber like K. T. Rajasingham."

The same K T Rajasingham contacted Weekly Blitz editor back in 2006 pretending to be contacted from Thailand, though by that time he already shifted to Sweden and sought financial support for maintaining the website of Asian Tribune. In various emails, Rajasingham told Weekly Blitz editor that, the Asian Tribune website was supposed to be paid its annual fee, otherwise, as the Asian Tribune editor said, the site was to be discontinued by the server.

Later he came up with the story of selling shares for a internet based radio station ventured by the one-man-show - World Institute for Asian Studies. When the Weekly Blitz editor declined to pay any money for so-called continuation of the Asian Tribune website or buying shares of the dubious internet radio station, the owner of the website named Asian Tribune started campaign against the editor of Weekly Blitz, terming him as a Zionist spy and agent of Israel through numerous articles written by unknown people in the world. It is assumed that, those unknown writers are abetters of K T Rajasingham's blackmailing racket.

It is well established that K T Rajasingham uses his website named Asian Tribune as the tool of blackmailing and extracting money from various individuals and institutions for years. Now, he is operating such notoriety by sitting in Sweden, where he managed to get political asylum by using false excuse of being haunted by LTTE terrorists.

It is also learnt that, Asian Tribune website is regularly engaged in spreading notorious propaganda against United States and Israel as well the Western world. It is even trying to justify the activities of heinous Islamist militancy group like Harkatul Jihad [Huji] as organization earlier patronized by United States.

K T Rajasingham continues to spread hate speech against Jews and Christians also through his Asian Tribune website. It was reported in the media that, K T Rajasingham took personal interest in getting several articles from various individuals to glorify the image of Islam on various occasions.

It is apprehended that, since Sri Lankan authorities might already have lost interest in this man and his website, because of their recent success in almost eliminating the LTTE issue and stopped funding his ventures, this dubious individual might have linked to Islamist militancy group, and receiving funding from such elements in spreading the message of Jihad as well publishing articles and commentaries against Jews, Christians, Israel, United States and the West. And, all such illegal activities are continuing right from Sweden, where K T Rajasingham is presently residing.

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