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Sri Lankan rebels demand lifting of EU travel ban on Tigers

COLOMBO: Supporters at a rally held in eastern Sri Lanka on Saturday urged the European Union to be ‘realistic’ and lift a travel ban clamped on Tamil Tiger rebels, a pro-rebel web site reported.

The EU announced earlier this month that representatives of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam will be refused entry into member states until the bloc considers whether to add the guerrillas to its list of terrorist organisations.

“We therefore urge the European Union to be realistic ... and consider lifting their stand that LTTE delegations will not be welcomed to their member countries,” pro-rebel TamilNet web site reported, quoting a declaration made at a rally in Trincomalee, about 230 kilometres northeast of Colombo.

“Tamil-speaking people desire to show their opposition to the action arbitrarily taken against the LTTE by the European Union without indictment, trial or judgment - the essential elements of the rule of law ... ,” the declaration said.

Tamil rebels have been accused of killing scores of political opponents - including Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar in August - and recruiting child soldiers despite a Norwegian-brokered cease-fire signed in 2002. The rebels deny killing Kadirgamar on Aug 12 and claim that the EU has sided with the government. ap

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