(adds details on Tamil hunger striker, paragraph 8) LONDON, April 17 (Reuters) - A jury convicted a leading figure in Britain's Tamil community of terrorism on Friday, finding him guilty of supplying bomb-making equipment to the Lankan Tamil Tigers guerrilla group. Prosecutors had accused Arunachalam Chrishanthakumar, 52, of supplying materials, including electrical components with an "obvious terrorist purpose", to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, who have fought the Sri Lankan government for decades. Despite warnings from police to stop aiding the group, Chrishanthakumar, also known as Shanthan, continued to provide material support in his role as head of the United Tamil Organisation, prosecutors said. The jury at Kingston Crown Court in southwest London also found Chrishanthakumar guilty on a second charge of receiving documents for the purpose of terrorism, a court clerk said. However, the jury failed to reach a verdict on three other charges against him and on one charge against his co-defendant. A third defendant was found not guilty on all charges. Chrishanthakumar's conviction comes at a time of heightened tension within Britain's 100,000-strong Tamil community. Angry Tamil protesters have held nearly two weeks of demonstrations outside Britain's parliament calling for London's help in securing a ceasefire between Sri Lankan forces and Tamil Tiger separatists on the Indian Ocean island. A 28-year-old Sri Lankan student has been on hunger strike at the site of the demonstration since April 6th. A doctor who has treated him said on Friday he was in a very weak state and appeared determined to starve himself to death. The Sri Lankan government has driven the Tamil Tigers out of strongholds in the far north and northeast of the island but has been accused of indiscriminate killing and excessive force. The Tamil Tigers have used suicide bombers and other techniques to attack Sri Lankan government forces and civilians throughout the country, including the capital Colombo. A sentencing date for Chrishanthakumar has not yet been set. (Reporting by Luke Baker; Editing by Dominic Evans and Angus MacSwan)
Kashmiri protesters taunt Indian policemen during an anti-election protest in Srinagar April 17, 2009. Voting for India's general elections is scheduled to be held in three phases in the troubled Kashmir ...
