European Union agrees in principle to ban LTTE

Manjula FERNANDO

COLOMBO: The European Union (EU) has agreed in principle to list Sri Lanka's Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as a "terrorist" group, EU diplomats told AFP in Brussels yesterday.

A formal decision on the listing "could come extremely quickly", perhaps as early next week, one EU diplomat said in Brussels. Another said it would come "before June".

A number of diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the "extremely sensitive" nature of the subject, told AFP the decision had been taken by EU officials late Thursday.

The decision came two days after US State Department official Donald Camp said in Sri Lanka that Washington had encouraged the 25-member EU to ban the Tigers, declare them a terrorist group and cut off their international funding.

"We think the LTTE is very deserving of that label. We think it will help cut off financial supplies and weapons procurement and the like," he said.

The US banned the LTTE in 1997, five years after India outlawed the group, holding it responsible for the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Canada labelled the Tigers a "terrorist" group last month. The EU freezes the assets of groups on its terrorist list. The designation also allows for special cooperation measures to combat them.

The EU Presidency, represented in Sri Lanka by the Dutch Embassy, said a possible listing of the LTTE as a terrorist organisation is under "active consideration" and this process will be concluded in due course by a decision of the Council of Ministers of EU Member States.

Meanwhile, the Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP) said the EU action will not in any way dilute the Government's commitment for peace.

SCOPP Deputy Secretary General Kethesh Loganathan told the Daily News that they would be continuing their efforts through the Norwegian facilitators to revive negotiations and accelerate the process leading to the Geneva second round.

Asked if they foresee a change to the role played by the EU as a Co-Chair with the latest developments, the SCOPP Deputy Chief responded in the negative.

"Despite the expected ban, we don't expect they will change their role...., they will continue to engage in the peace process and play a supportive role as Co-Chairs," Loganathan said.

He said there has been similar instances concerning peace initiatives in the Middle East where the EU continued their supportive role even after taking action to proscribe certain organisations involved in those processes.

"The message that the ban sends out to the LTTE is that terrorism is not a means to attain political objectives."

Loganathan said this action underscores the point that it is through a process of negotiations that a mutually acceptable settlement which addresses aspirations of all peoples of the country can be reached.

Asked what the Government desired to discuss if and when the peace talks resume, - only the implementation of the CFA or steer further to address more concrete issues such as a final settlement to the conflict, Loganathan said the Government's wish is to go beyond CFA talks to definite peace talks.

He said the Government however, realises that the immediate priority is to address CFA violations and the need for the de-escalation of violence to bring about normality.

"But thereafter [we should] move speedily to address issues such as humanitarian and development needs," he added.

He also stressed the need to take up the issue of devolution of power and a permanent settlement to the conflict.

Meanwhile, TULF president V. Anandasangaree welcoming the EU technical committee recommendation pointed out that he feels it will be a good gesture on the part of the Government to respond by offering a reasonable solution to the ethnic issue, desired by the peoples of the country and the international community.

Explaining further Anandasangaree said the devolution of power must entail a federal structure within a unitary state.

Sangaree said he was delighted to hear of the proclamation by the EU Parliament not to consider LTTE as the sole representative of the Sri Lankan Tamils.