Belgium to remain vigilant on LTTE

17 June 2012 10:22 am Views - 3745

The Belgium government has said that it would continue to remain vigilant against any activities by the LTTE on its soil.

Secretary General of the Belgian Foreign Ministry Dirk Achten in Brussels made this observation, when the outgoing Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the EU, Ravinatha Aryasinha paid a farewell call on him, the Sri Lankan embassy in Brussels said.

Quoting Mr. Achten, the statement also said, “Belgium was encouraged by the efforts being taken by Sri Lanka following the prolonged conflict, was keen to support economic development in the country and was glad to see the positive results. He added that the travel advisory on Sri Lanka was recently further revised, to encourage Belgians to also visit the Eastern Province. Mr. Achten further observed that Belgium welcomed the LLRC report, encouraged its implementation and was keen to remain engaged with Sri Lanka as the country continued its process of reconciliation and development.”

During the metting, Mr. Aryasinha expressed Sri Lanka’s appreciation to the Belgian Government for the continued vigilance maintained to prevent LTTE rump elements from using Belgian soil. He welcomed the recent conviction by the Criminal Court of Antwerp of a Belgian national of Sri Lankan Tamil origin, who was accused of being a member of the LTTE, on charges including human smuggling, money laundering and providing forged documents.

The Ambassador said the increasing number of convictions handed down by   Courts in the UK, France, The Netherlands and the latest Belgium, and the ongoing prosecutions against suspected LTTE activists in Germany, underlined the continuing concern shown by the law enforcement and criminal justice authorities in Europe regards such activities, despite the LTTE being militarily defeated in Sri Lanka. He said the increasing anti-Sri Lanka propaganda being generated by elements abroad sympathetic to the LTTE, was a means of deflecting attention from their continuing acts of criminality in Western countries using the network, funds and personnel of the LTTE and action being taken by Western governments against them.