LTTE threat

THIS week, the … (EU) announced that it was re-listing the … (LTTE) as a terrorist organisation…. The declaration is significant because it is now over 20 months since the LTTE was defeated…. Since then, the focus of Tiger activity has been outside the shores of Sri Lanka, not within it. The Tamil 'diaspora', smarting under the LTTE's military debacle, has made several attempts to make [their] voice heard and presence felt. Their main strategy in the aftermath of their defeat was to try and target the Lankan political leadership and accuse them of war crimes. This strategy has not been wholly unsuccessful. At least the … (UN) and its partisan Secretary General Ban Ki-moon have caved in to pressure and appointed a 'panel' to inquire into alleged human rights abuses during the final phase of the war. Elsewhere the western bloc of nations, egged on by pro-LTTE lobbyists, have from time to time made rather unkind noises aimed at the political leadership in Colombo virtually accusing it of genocide and calling … 'accountability'. …The message that Sri Lanka has been given is not one of appreciation for destroying the military capability of arguably the most ruthless terrorist organisation in the world. It has been one of condemnation, largely based on biased accounts of the last stages of the Eelam war. Only a few countries — which notably include the likes of Russia, China and neighbouring India — … have been bold enough to acknowledge that it is now time to move on in Sri Lanka and indicated that it accepts Colombo's decision to eliminate the LTTE. Against such a backdrop, the re-listing of the Tigers as a terrorist organisation by the EU is indeed significant. It is an indication that the EU grudgingly admits that the LTTE — or what is left of it — does pose a threat to their own security and that the Tigers may not have changed their stripes after all. …. — (Feb 27)