Gammanpila wants TNA banned

Chamikara Weerasinghe

Monday, April 7, 2014

Reacting to the call by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to lift the government’s ban on some 15 Tamil Diaspora organisations, Western Provincial Council Minister and Jathika Hela Urumaya legal adviser Udaya Gammanpila yesterday said the political philosophy of the LTTE and its resurgence should be countered far more aggressively by the government.

The government has so far done only a fraction of what the other countries have done to minimise the risk of terrorism, after defeating the LTTE, he said and added that if the TNA demands that the government lifts the ban on Tamil Diaspora organisations that have been supporting the LTTE, the TNA too must be subjected to the ban.

“Sri Lanka has done only a fraction of what other countries had done to immobilise the political will and functions of terrorist organisations who have been defeated, ” Gammanpila said.

“After the defeat of Adolf Hitler, his political philosophy was outlawed. Not only was the Nazi party banned internationally, steps were also taken to purge the Nazi influence from every aspect of German life,” he pointed out.

“After the defeat of dictator Saddam Hussein, his Baath party political philosophy was banned together with every link. After the defeat of Colonel Gaddafi, his political party was banned. A new law banning Gaddafi-era officials from public office was introduced by the Libyan Parliament,” he said.

“The TNA’s call on the government to lift the ban on the proscribed Tamil Diaspora organisations show to what extent they are dependent on these organisations to finance their political operations. They want the ban lifted because of its impact on their economic welfare,” Gammanpila said.

Meanwhile, TNA Northern Provincial Councillor M.K. Sivalingam had told the media that the banned Diaspora organisations have not aided terrorist organisations in Sri Lanka or elsewhere and that they were based outside the country.

National Language and Social Integration Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara said the government proscribed these Tamil Diaspora organisations not only because they are suspected to have connections with the LTTE but also because it has evidence that some of these organisations have been trying to revive LTTE terrorism.

“Even though they are based in foreign lands their activities are directed into Sri Lanka. The government decided to proscribe these Tamil Diaspora organisations after much deliberation. Most of these organisations supported the LTTE with funds and other means and are apparently supporting the political project of the LTTE,” Nanayakkara said. 

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