In a far reaching development, Sri Lanka on Tuesday signed UNSC Resolution 1373 designating 16 LTTE front organisations abroad as ‘foreign terrorists’ and freezing all their assets and financial resources. These include the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) headed by New York lawyer Visuvanathan Ruthirakumaran; Global Tamil Forum (GTF) headed by Catholic priest Fr. SJ Emmanuel, the LTTE group led by Perinbanayagam Sivaparan alias Nediyavan, the Tiger group led by Sekarampillai Vinayagamoorthy alias Vinayagam and the British Tamil Forum (BTF).
Most of the organisations operate out of Western countries, most notably the United States, Canada Britain, Norway, Italy, Switzerland, France and Australia, and aim to create a separate Eelam state in the country’s north. The ban separately lists Tamil Diaspora activists Perinbanayagam Sivaparan, Reverend SJ Emmanuel, Visuvanathan Ruthirakumaran and Sekarampillai Vinayagamoorthy as having overall control over all suspected terrorist entities functioning on foreign soil.
This sudden move by President Mahinda Rajapaksa follows the success of these groups in conducting heavily funded campaigns to convince several foreign Governments to back a US-sponsored resolution at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva last week. The resolution, adopted by the UN Human Rights Council, was welcomed by the Tamil Diaspora groups. It called for an international probe into alleged human rights violations during the last seven years of Colombo’s war against the Tamil Tigers and thus ruled out simultaneous investigations into major crimes committed by the LTTE prior to 2002 in the 30-year long war.
Colombo reportedly informed the UNHRC that the Tamil Tigers cadre that escaped abroad after the war ended in May 2009 has returned and is regrouping in the northern part of the island nation with the help of Diaspora funds. But the UNHRC went ahead with the US-backed resolution.
The UNSC Resolution was signed by Sri Lanka External Affairs Minister GL Peiris on the advice of Defence and Urban Development Ministry Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, who is the Competent Authority regarding identification of persons, groups and entities, believed on reasonable grounds to be committing, attempting to commit, facilitating or participating, in the commission of acts of terrorism. Colombo thus effectively utilised UN Security Council Resolution 1373 which was brought about by the USA on September 28, 2001 after the attack on New York Twin Towers on September 11, 2001.
The Resolution prohibits Sri Lankan nationals from having contacts or links with members of these proscribed bodies, and bans Sri Lankan political parties and leaders from receiving funds from them for any activity in Sri Lanka. Politicians and NGOs in the island nation are also forbidden to have contact with representatives of these organisations in Sri Lanka or during trips abroad.
Following this, all funds, assets and economic resources belonging to or owned by the designated persons or entities will remain frozen until they are removed from the designated list. Moving, transferring or dealing with frozen assets without the permission of the Competent Authority is prohibited; failure to comply will result in heavy penalties. Military spokesman Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasuriya said that under the ban legal action will be taken against anyone having links with these groups.
Sri Lanka sources said that the rationale behind the ban was to appraise foreign countries and especially western nations that LTTE fronts within the Tamil Diaspora resident on their soil are financing the revival of LTTE activity in Sri Lanka. As the UN resolution 1373 expects countries to assist one another to combat terrorism, Colombo will request the host countries to investigate the activities of these organizations and key members on their soil and take appropriate action.
Colombo intends to provide extensive dossiers about the key individuals and their activities abroad to the concerned countries. Sources said that former LTTE leader Veerakathy Manivannan, alias Castro, was in charge of the LTTE international secretariat which directed and coordinated overseas LTTE activity until early 2009. When he escaped at the approach of the Sri Lankan armed forces, the entire data base with particulars of overseas LTTE activity fell into the hands of the regime. Colombo now intends to demand that the Western countries proclaim LTTE activists abroad as “offenders” listed as Wanted or to be watched through related Interpol notices.
As a result of the ban, members of these proscribed entities are liable for arrest under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) if and when apprehended while visiting Sri Lanka.
The banned organisations are, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) a.k.a Tamil Tigers, Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) , Tamil Coordinating Committee (TCC) , British Tamil Forum (BTF), World Tamil Movement (WTM) , Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC), Australian Tamil Congress (ATC), Global Tamil Forum (GTF), National Council Of Canadian Tamils (NCCT) a.k.a Makkal Avai, Tamil National Council (TNC), Tamil Youth Organization (TYO), World Tamil Coordinating Committee (WTCC), Transnational Government Of Tamil Eelam (TGTE), Tamil Eelam Peoples Assembly (TEPA) , World Tamil Relief Fund (WTRF) and Headquarters Group (HQ Group) .
Niticentral.com, 3 April 2014
http://www.niticentral.com/2014/04/03/how-sri-lanka-deals-with-anti-national-elements-207111.html