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About time, a ban on LTTE

In the 30 years of its existence, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam brazenly used Europe as an extended backyard for its war against the Sri Lankan state. It grew roots within the large Sri Lankan Tamil communities that had settled in those countries after fleeing the conflict back home, and it exploited them to build itself financially and politically. Europe, with its liberal attitude towards militant `freedom' struggles in other parts of the world, was permissive and the LTTE flourished. The post-9/11 atmosphere accounts in part for the change in western attitudes. Even so, the European Union was willing to give the LTTE slack. But such has been the murderous group's record in the past five years that it was only a matter of time before Europe had to start taking stock of what the Tigers were doing back in Sri Lanka, and on its soil, and connecting the two. On May 29, the Council of the European Union decided to place the LTTE on the EU list for "the application of specific measures to combat terrorism." These include the freezing of "funds and other financial assets or economic resources" of the LTTE and specified persons associated with it; a ban on the provision of funds, financial assets, and economic resources, and of financial or other related services that directly or indirectly "benefit" the LTTE or specified persons associated with it; and "police and judicial cooperation" between EU member states to implement these anti-terrorist measures. This is a resounding victory for the Sri Lankan democratic process, for the international diplomacy initiated by Lakshman Kadirgamar, the far-sighted Foreign Minister assassinated by the Tigers.

In response, the LTTE has warned that it may take a "hard-line individualist path." But when did this Pol Potist organisation not tread that path? From the start of the February 2002 ceasefire, its game plan was to consolidate as much as possible during this period of no war - towards the goal of Eelam. In his "heroes' day" speech last year, Velupillai Prabakaran made as much clear. No hope therefore should be attached to the Tigers' agreement to go to Norway on June 8 to discuss the ceasefire. India, out of bitter and indeed calamitous experience, knows that the LTTE is not a viable partner in the effort to find a negotiated federal solution to the conflict within a united Sri Lanka. It is clear that the world is now convinced that an important element in the resolution of this problem is to show the LTTE where it stands and marginalise it — because it will not come into the democratic process. The other equally vital element is for the Sri Lankan state to demonstrate the political will and initiative to resolve the longstanding Tamil question. President Mahinda Rajapakse must now show through bold leadership that he has a vision for a plural, multi-ethnic, and just Sri Lanka that treats its Tamil citizens and those of other minority groups on a par with the Sinhalese.

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