Sri Lanka imposes ban on three new entities and 55 individuals

While de-listing six Tamil international organizations including the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) and 317 individuals, the government has added 55 new individuals and three more organizations to the banned list as part of this year’s review, informed sources said.

According to the gazette notification issued on July 28 this year signed by Defence Ministry Secretary General

(Rtd) Kamal Gunaratne ban on Global Tamil Forum (GTF), Australian Tamil Congress (ATC), World Tamil Coordinating Committee (WTCC),TAMIL Eelam Peoples Assembly (TEPA), British Tamil Forum (BTF) and Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC), have been lifted.there were 18 entities that were listed as banned organizations in Sri Lanka.

At the same time a ban on 317 individuals out of 577 individuals, has been lifted. GTF Spokesman Suren Surendiranan is also among those de-listed.

The ban was retained on fifteen entities including the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE),TAMIL Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE), National Thowheed Jama’ath (NTJ) and Save the Pearl.

According to UN resolution 1373 (adopted in 2001), UN member states should appoint a Competent Authority and it should recommend to the Minister of the respective country, regarding the removal of the names of any person, group or entity designated from the List every year after reviewing each and every entity and individual.

Speaking to Daily Mirror, a senior military official said that the listing or de-listing process should be carried out following a thorough investigation into those entities and individuals and it should be reviewed every year.

“It is totally dependant on law enforcement authorities and nothing to do with the politicians, as each country should clearly produce evidence about those entities/individuals whether they financed terrorism or not during each year,” the official confirmed.

In response to the reason for de-listing the influential Tamil diaspora organization Global Tamil Forum, the official confirmed that during last year there had been no evidence that the above organization financed terrorism-related matters. (Sunil Jayasiri)