• Proscribed in over 30 other countries worldwide, including EU

In the wake of the UK Home Secretary’s decision to maintain the proscription of the LTTE, the Foreign Ministry said Sri Lanka is appreciative of the partnership with the UK, and all governments, in the global fight against terrorism, and remain committed to working with the UK in all efforts to mitigate terrorism and violent extremism, that threaten the lives of citizens, and endanger global and regional peace and security.

 The Ministry, in a statement, said Sri Lankan government had been made aware that the UK Home Secretary had decided to maintain the proscription of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as a terrorist organisation under the UK Terrorism Act No. 7 of 2000.

“The Home Secretary’s decision, which has been taken following the judgement of the Proscribed Organisations Appeals Commission (POAC), rejects the application of an LTTE front organisation to de-proscribe the LTTE in the UK. The LTTE, therefore, remains a proscribed organisation in the UK, as in over 30 other countries worldwide, including in the EU region.

LTTE was initially proscribed in these countries due to the group’s brutality and atrocities targeting civilians and democratically elected leaders, involvement in organised crime and other criminal activities that impacted global and regional security.