Lanka not perturbed by Tiger sympathisers’ moves

Sri Lanka is not perturbed by the fact that the EU Court has agreed to take up a petition by a group of LTTE sympathisers seeking a revision of the outfit being labelling as a terrorist group.

A senior official at the Foreign Ministry said the Sri Lankan mission in the EU was closely monitoring the developments in the EU court where attempts were being made to get the EU ban on the LTTE lifted do not fear the process will in fact end in a positive note for LTTE elements.

“Recent developments in the EU region are not in favour of the LTTE.

The EU itself has taken a proactive role in trying to curb activities of the terrorist groups within the EU. This is evident by the recent spate of arrests of key LTTE operatives in Norway, Italy and the Netherlands,” he said.

A resolution brought against Sri Lanka by the Green Party was also diluted with the support of EU Parliamentarians and EUROPOL for the first time listed the LTTE as a terrorist group posing a security threat to the region, in their 2010 March issue.

Further the UK for the first time deported some bogus asylum seekers.

These are gestures that EU is tough on the LTTE and has a will to curb LTTE fund raising, human smuggling and other activities in the region.

Inquired as to what they thought about the fact that the court has agreed to pursue the matter, the official said, the EU law is such they are bound to take up whatever appeal that comes within the context of their law.

Our mission in Brussels is in touch with the decision making level and discussing what we could do with regard to this issue, the official said adding “at this stage it is premature to tell what is being done. We have taken note of the developments”.

The team of investigating officers who arrived from the Netherlands is still in the country to question suspects in line with their investigations

“If it evolves we will have to deploy our diplomatic channels,” the official concluded. (MF)