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EU considers action against LTTE
From Neville de Silva in London
An officials committee of the European Union meets in Brussels mid-week to consider whether the LTTE should be added to the list of terrorist organizations named by the EU nearly four years ago, informed sources in the EU capital said.

The meeting follows an appeal by Sri Lanka to the international community for strong action against the LTTE, which has been accused by the government of responsibility for the assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar last month.

Analysts believe that the LTTE has violated provisions of Article 3 of the resolution approved by the European Union in December 2001.
They include Art 3 (111) an “attacks on a person’s life which may cause death”, ( c) “kidnapping or hostage taking,” and (f) manufacturing, possession, acquisition, transport, supply or use of weapons, explosives…….”

Colombo has apprised Britain, which is the current president of the EU, of the available evidence and a detailed background of the activities of the LTTE which the government believes qualifies the Tigers to be added to the names of terrorist groups listed in the Annex to the Common Position adopted by the EU Council on December 27, 2001.

The Common Position deals with the application of specific measures to combat terrorism. Britain, as EU president, is understood to have circulated a note to member states, regarding the concerns expressed by Sri Lanka and its call for collective action against the Tamil Tigers.

The Specialist Group that meets in Brussels could make only preliminary observations as the issue has to be further considered by the committee of ambassadors of the member-states before eventually going up to the EU ministers.

Britain, which many observers believe, has been soft on the LTTE though the Tigers are banned in the UK, is expected to come under diplomatic pressure from outside Europe too to act firmly both as a member state bound by its international commitments to fight terrorism, and as president of the EU.
It is believed that India will raise the subject of the LTTE at the EU summit with New Delhi also this week.

President Chandrika Kumaratunga is understood to have appealed to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to exert some pressure on key western nations to take effective measures to combat the LTTE’s terrorism and violation of international laws such as the abduction of children and use of child soldiers.
President Kumaratunga’s concern regarding the LTTE are said to have been conveyed to the Indian prime minister during Anura Bandaranaike’s visit to New Delhi as foreign minister.

Prime Minister Singh is likely to convey both President Kumaratunga’s concerns as well as his own on the activities of the LTTE when he meets British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the EU summit on Wednesday. While it is known in diplomatic circles that Norway, with the support of Sweden, Denmark and The Netherlands, was opposed to the LTTE being added to EU list when it first came up after 9/11, it is again expected to play the “Nordic nursemaid” this week too, diplomats believe.

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