Proscription of LTTE

A proclamation by His Excellency the President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

WHEREAS an organisation known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam has been continuously engaged in acts of terrorism and other acts of violence with the primary objective of unlawfully establishing a separate sovereign State in the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka; And whereas, such acts of terrorism have included engaging in an illegal internal armed conflict with members of the Armed Forces and the Police Force of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka;

AND WHEREAS, acts of terrorism and other acts of violence perpetrated by the aforementioned organisation known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam have been involved in the assassination and attempted assassination of persons holding high political office, members of the Security Forces and the Police Force, public servants and civilians and of causing damage to property belonging to the State and to private property;

AND WHEREAS, the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka has been threatened by these continuous acts of terrorism and other acts of violence perpetrated by the said organisation known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, and such acts have engendered the interests of public security, the preservation of public order, and the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the life of the community.

AND WHEREAS notwithstanding the promulgation of the Emergency (Prevention and Prohibition of Terrorism and Specified Terrorist Activities) Regulations No. 7 of 2006 the organisation known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam has continued to engage in terrorism and other acts of violence; AND WHEREAS, repeated requests made to the aforesaid organisation known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to eschew terrorism and other acts of violence and to lay down arms, surrender and participate in the democratic process for the purpose of resolving disputes and developing and adopting lawful and democratic processes and solutions for the resolution of the problems faced by the citizens of the Sri Lanka, have been disregarded:

AND WHEREAS, repeated requests made by the Government of Sri Lanka and by segments of the international community to the said organisation known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to refrain from holding, keeping or confining civilians living within the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka, by force or other means, or thereafter to use such civilians as human shields and consequently place the life and liberty of such civilians in danger and also to prevent or obstruct the supply of emergency treatment and assistance and humanitarian relief to such civilians.

AND WHEREAS, repeated requests made by the Government of Sri Lanka to the organisation known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to permit civilians trapped or confined in areas unlawfully controlled by the said Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to leave such areas and move into areas under the control of the Security Forces, have been disregarded:

AND WHEREAS, the said organisation known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam continues, to unlawfully conscript civilians, including women and children, as fighting cadres of the said organisation and thereby endangers the life and liberty of such civilians:

AND WHEREAS, acts of terrorism and other acts of violence perpetrated by the organisation known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and its conduct orchestrated for the purpose of collecting funds to perpetrate acts of terrorism, and its activities relating to the procurement and smuggling of arms, ammunition and explosives, has the potential of adversely affecting international and regional peace and security and the security and law and order of other sovereign nations; AND WHEREAS, in order to eliminate the scourge of terrorism from the world, it is necessary for all sovereign States to criminalise terrorism and proscribe without exception organisations engaged in the perpetration of terrorism;

NOW THEREFORE it has become necessary to proscribe the said organisation known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, and to provide for the proscribing of other organisations that are connected with or which are representing or acting on behalf of the organisation known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and which have therefore become prejudicial to the interests of public security, the preservation of public order and the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the life of the community, His Excellency the President intends promulgating regulations in terms of the Public Security Ordinance (Chapter 40).

Given at Colombo, on this 7th day of January Two Thousand and Nine.

By His Excellency's command,

Lalith Weeratunga,

Secretary to

the President