Who is a terrorist anyway?
This week two men were denied bail over allegations they had illegally raised money for the Tamil Tigers, a group fighting a separatist war with the Sri Lankan Government. However, some questions have been asked locally and abroad about the timing of the arrests of the two men and the broader implications of anti-terror legislation passed in 2005, under which the men have been charged. Jeff Sparrow, the editor of literary magazine, Overland. He notes that while both the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan Government have committed atrocities in the civil war, it is only illegal to raise funds for the Tamil Tigers – as the group is deemed to be a terrorist group, it is illegal to raise funds in support of them in this country. This report by Erica Vowles begins with comments from Jeff Sparrow, about his concerns.