EU re-proscribes LTTE

The Council of the European Union had decided to place the LTTE under the list of proscribed entities within the European Union, on a decision taken on March 26, under specific measures to combat terrorism.

The Council, which represents the executive governments of the EU member states, placed the LTTE among 33 other persons, groups and entities that will remain proscribed within the EU.

In October last year, the General Court of the European Union decided to lift the ban on LTTE on procedural grounds, saying that the European Council had not followed the proper procedure in continuing the ban on its soil. The decision follows a case filed by the LTTE in 2011 which was taken for hearing in February 2014.

The EU, UK and the Netherlands appealed against the decision and the appeal that may take nearly one year to process, is still in progress.

The Court, however, ruled that LTTE assets will remain frozen during the appeal.

An official source told the Sunday Observer that the council’s the decision was a positive move since a number of cases against the LTTE was pending in European Courts would have recessed undue advantage if had LTTE succeeded in de-listing itself as a terrorist entity in the EU.

Peace activist and National Peace Council Director Dr. Jehan Perera said the EU’s affirmation of the ban showed that the international community would not tolerate ‘extremism’ of any kind.

“It is a challenge to us within the country to avoid extremism on all sides that mainstream politics could take us towards a final settlement of the ethnic conflict,” Dr.Perera said.

MF