US will take action against TRO if laws are violated - Lunstead

by Manjula Fernando

US Ambassador Jeffrey Lunstead said they will take appropriate action against the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation if they found it to be breaching the law in the US.

In response to a question by the media at a press conference at the American Centre yesterday, he stressed: "US has extensive laws about terrorism financing. We are closely monitoring the charity organisations operating in the US soil."

"Any decisions made on any particular organisation will be fact based and based on the law," the Ambassador emphasised. "We are constantly looking into organisations to see if they abide by the law. If the organisations do not abide by the law then we will take action."

He was responding to a question whether the US plans to ban the TRO, the alleged LTTE front charity organisation which has many branches worldwide and is accused of being one of the major sources of funding for the LTTE's terrorist cause.

The UK imposed a ban on the TRO soon after the assassination of former foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar.

Following this move the EU is also contemplating to outlaw the organisation and the LTTE itself from their member states.

Commenting further the Ambassador said the TRO was a registered charity in US and any charity organisation has to abide by the law.

"If we discover evidence if they do not abide by the law then we will take action," he reiterated.