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LTTE is using satellite illegally, says Intelsat |
WASHINGTON: 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 late on Wednesday.
"We have been actively pursuing avenues to terminate the illegal usage of our satellite," said Nick Mitsis, the spokesman for Intelsat, the world's largest provider of fixed satellite services.
Intelsat officials and technical experts met with Sri Lanka's ambassador to the US Bernard Goonetilleke on Tuesday to discuss steps Intelsat was taking "to address the unauthorised 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 organisation's unauthorised use of our satellite," it added.
Intelsat pointed out that the illegal transmissions were a violation of laws of both the US and Sri Lanka.
Goonetilleke said: "I am satisfied that Intelsat is taking these unauthorised transmissions very seriously."
The issue was also taken up by Sri Lanka at a meeting of the International Telecommunications Satellite Organisation in Paris last month, Sri Lankan officials said. – AFP
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