British Tamils Forum's Statement:
"We reject the baseless allegations and propaganda of the Sri Lankan state branding all Tamil Diaspora organisations as terror groups or terror fronts. In the United Kingdom, British Tamils Forum, representing British Tamils have a long history of civic activism and political advocacy. Our organisation is democratic, transparent, accountable and legitimate. We operate in conformity with British and International laws adhering to democratic values.
The proscription of Tamil Diaspora organisations is an attempt by the Sri Lankan state to extend its repressive regime beyond its borders. Having the Tamil people within the island under the jackboot of its military, the Sri Lankan regime is attempting to control and intimidate the Tamil people of the Diaspora who work tirelessly on behalf of their oppressed brethren on the island. It is an attempt to create fear and to stop all civil activism and human right work around the globe. This is done in the wake of the UN Human Rights council resolution on Sri Lanka with the view of intimidating witnesses and victims in Sri Lanka and the Diaspora to stop them giving evidence.
We call upon the international community to condemn in strongest terms the cross boarder human rights violations of Sri Lanka, and its attempt to criminalise the Tamils around the world."
Thanks
BTF Media Team
இந்த மின்-அஞ்சல் முகவரி spambots இடமிருந்து பாதுகாக்கப்படுகிறது. இதைப் பார்ப்பதற்குத் தாங்கள் JavaScript-ஐ இயலுமைப்படுத்த வேண்டும்.
TheHindu.Com: Sri Lanka bans 15 Tamil diaspora organisations
- Meera Srinivasan -
As part of its strategy “to combat terrorism and to control terrorist financing” Sri Lanka on Tuesday banned as many as 15 Tamil diaspora organisations across the world as part of its strategy “to combat terrorism and to control terrorist financing.”
Military spokesman Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasuriya said the Sri Lankan government proscribed 15 organisations besides the LTTE — including the Global Tamil Forum (GTF), the British Tamil Forum (BTF) and the Trans-national Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) — under a United Nations resolution adopted in 2001, soon after the September 11 attacks in the United States.
The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373 was internationally binding and its implications are applicable globally, he told The Hindu.
Asked if the decision was related to the U.S.-backed resolution adopted at the Human Rights Council – many Tamil Diaspora organisations lobbied extensively for this – Brigadier Wanigasuriya said the process had begun much earlier and that the procedures took time.
The announcement comes soon after the Sri Lankan Army recently stepped up security in the Northern Province — the former war zone where the armed forces defeated the rebel Tigers after a three-decades war — citing possible regrouping of the LTTE as a reason.
“Charges baseless”
Responding to the development, S.A.N. Rajkumar of Strategic Initiatives - Human Rights, and spokesperson, British Tamils Forum, said in an e-mail interview: “We reject the baseless allegations and propaganda of the Sri Lankan state branding all Tamil Diaspora organisations terror groups or terror fronts.”
Observing that in the United Kingdom, the Forum, representing British Tamils, had a long history of civic activism and political advocacy, he said the organisation was “democratic, transparent, accountable and legitimate.
