(12 April 2007 2:25 pm)

MUMBAI: Global satellite communications provider Intelsat issued a statement with regard to the unauthorized use of one of its satellites by Sri Lanka-based terrorist outfit Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The Sri Lankan embassy in Washington and Intelsat are in agreement that these illegal transmissions by the LTTE are a violation of Sri Lankan and US laws.

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, "Since we first learned of the LTTE's signal piracy, we have been actively pursuing a number of technical alternatives to halt the transmissions."

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."