Members of Canada's Tamil community say they are being aggressively pursued and extorted by Tamil Tiger agents raising money for attacks in their homeland, according to a new report.
Human Rights Watch says intimidating bagmen are pressuring Canada's Tamil population of about 250,000 to lend money, re-mortgage their homes or even skip meals to help fund the fight for a separate Sri Lankan state.
One man told OMNI Television he was asked to get a second mortgage on his house.
He said he knows some families have given $2,000, while others have given $5,000.
The man, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said some Tamils found they couldn't refuse the request "because their relatives still live in Sri Lanka."
Those who can't pay a requested sum are being warned they will be "taught a lesson," says the 45-page report released Wednesday.
"One individual who was unemployed when approached by the Tigers was told that he should cut one meal per day to enable him to give to the LTTE
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