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LTTE
Sri Lanka on Wednesday slammed the British government's "unilateral action" to sanction its three former military commanders, who led the campaign that crushed the LTTE in 2009, saying the move will complicate the national reconciliation process. A UK foreign office statement Monday said Sri Lanka's three military commanders - former Army Commanders Gen Shavendra Silva, Jagath Jayasuriya and former Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda - were among those sanctioned and subjected to UK travel bans and asset freezes. The UK government also sanctioned Vinyagamurthy Muralidaran, the deputy leader of the LTTE, who later turned a rebel of the group and became a deputy minister in the national parliament. In a statement on Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that "such unilateral actions by countries do not assist but serve to complicate the national reconciliation process underway in Sri Lanka". "The government is in the process of strengthening domestic mechanisms on ...
The UK has sanctioned four individuals, including military commanders, who had led the Sri Lankan government's successful campaign against the LTTE in 2009, for human rights abuses and violations. A UK foreign office statement on Monday said General Shavendra Silva, former Head of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces, Wasantha Karannagoda, former Navy Commander, and Jagath Jayasuriya, former Commander of the Sri Lankan Army, and Vinyagamurthy Muralidaran, the deputy leader of the LTTE who later turned a rebel of the group and became a deputy minister in the national parliament, were sanctioned and subjected to UK travel bans and asset freezes. The UK government has imposed sanctions on 4 individuals responsible for serious human rights abuses and violations during the Sri Lanka civil war, including extrajudicial killings, torture and/or perpetration of sexual violence," the statement said. The UK government's sanctions on General Silva follow a similar action against him by the US State ...
Sri Lankan authorities have announced an investigation into "false media propaganda" aimed at discrediting the government for permitting commemorative events in the Northern Province for those who lost their lives during the decades-long separatist conflict with the LTTE. The week-long events commemorating 'Maaveerar Naal' or Great Heroes Day are observed from November 27 by some Tamil political groups and the relatives of those killed in the conflict. We were not opposed to the relatives celebrating their dead," Ananda Wijepala, the public security minister told reporters. However there is no room for celebrating the LTTE who remains a banned terrorist organisation," Wijepala stressed. He said the LTTE remains a banned organisation as per the government gazette of 29 August 2011. Wijepala said an investigation would start on false media propaganda carried out to discredit the government for allowing LTTE celebrations in the north and east. Slain LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabakara
A Sri Lankan Cabinet sub-committee will soon review the privileges accorded to former presidents of the country and future actions on the matter will be taken based on its recommendations, the Presidential Secretariat has said. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's office on Friday also refuted reports that the security of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa has been reduced. The statement by the Presidential Secretariat came after concerns raised by ex-presidents that the new Sri Lankan government under President Dissanayake would slash their privileges. In the run-up to the September 21 election, Dissanayake had vowed to stop all privileges of ex-presidents claiming they were a burden on the taxpayer. In recent days the government has faced criticism over the reported move to slash the personal security provided to former president Rajapaksa. "The Presidential Secretariat has noted recent media reports claiming that the security of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has been reduc
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday paid tributes to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary. India's Prime Minister between 1984 and 1989, Gandhi was assassinated by LTTE cadres at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu in 1991 during an election campaign. "On his death anniversary, my tributes to our former PM Shri Rajiv Gandhi Ji," Modi said in a post on X.
The Centre on Tuesday extended the ban imposed on the LTTE for five more years as it continues to foster a separatist tendency amongst the masses and enhance the support base for it in India, particularly in Tamil Nadu. The Union Home Ministry imposed the ban invoking the sub-sections (1) and (3) of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. In a notification, the home ministry said the central government is of the opinion that the LTTE is still indulging in activities which are prejudicial to the integrity and security of the country. It said that even after its military defeat in May, 2009 in Sri Lanka, the LTTE has not abandoned the concept of 'Eelam' (an independent country for Tamils) and has been clandestinely working towards the 'Eelam' cause by undertaking fund raising and propaganda activities and the remnant LTTE leaders or cadres have also initiated efforts to regroup the scattered activists and resurrect the outfit locally and internationally. "The ...
The NIA has filed a charge sheet in a special court in Tamil Nadu against one more accused -- a production executive in the local film industry -- in a case related to the revival of the LTTE in Sri Lanka and India. Lingam A alias Adilingam is the 14th accused to be charge-sheeted in the case registered in 2022 in which 16 people have been arraigned as accused so far, the anti-terror federal agency said. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) said Adilingam has been charged with conspiring and acting to revive the proscribed terror organisation through illegal trade in narcotic drugs and arms. Adilingam had also acted as an agent for collection of hawala money obtained from the sale of narcotic drugs that were being further distributed to promote Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) activities, it said. In the supplementary charge sheet filed before the Special Court for NIA Cases at Poonamallee in Chennai, the NIA has elaborated on the role of Adilingam in the entire ...