Tiger rebels barred from visiting EU states

COLOMBO: The European Union on Tuesday barred Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tiger rebels from visiting its member states and said it was considering listing the group as a terrorist organisation. In a harshly worded statement, the European Union deplored the assassination of Sri Lanka’s foreign minister in August - a murder the government blames on the Tigers - and called on the rebels to uphold a truce that halted two decades of civil war. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have strongly denied involvement in the slaying of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, but analysts have questioned the disclaimer. “The European Union is actively considering the formal listing of the LTTE as a terrorist organisation,” the EU said in a statement issued by Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office. “In the meantime, the European Union has agreed that with immediate effect, delegations from the LTTE will no longer be received in any of the EU member states until further notice.” The Tigers, already listed as a banned terror group by a clutch of countries including the United States and Britain, were not immediately available for comment. The EU ban comes amid escalating violence in Sri Lanka’s restive east. “The European Union hereby declares its condemnation of the continuing use of violence and terrorism by the LTTE,” the statement added, calling on the Tigers to “demonstrate their commitment to the peace process and their willingness to change”. A looming November presidential election is overshadowing efforts to jumpstart the island’s stalled peace process and analysts say it will likely be months at best before the foes resume formal peace talks. Observers expect the ceasefire to hold, saying any return to a full-scale war that killed more than 64,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands from their homes is unlikely. reuters

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