Dilrook Kannangara

Terrorists have hired lawyers to argue their case at the EU Court of Justice. The case has been allowed to proceed and the EU Court is currently hearing it. Lifting the LTTE ban in the EU or otherwise will be decided. Needless to say the outcome will have a critical impact on the nation. However, as usual, the government response has been next to nothing. Surely it is a matter for the EU Court to decide but the LTTE has come a very long way from its criminality over the past 6 years since its ban in 2005. For 6 years the government could not convince EU officials the need to curtail this rapid and steady recovery of LTTE fronts. Even at this late stage nothing seems to be aimed at pointing out the Lankan side of it to the EU. The verdict may not be in favour of terrorists, but they will keep trying. NationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s national security cannot be left to chance. A proactive approach is needed.

What will happen if the ban is lifted?

This is not an anti-Sri Lankan NGO or a terrorist front organisation that is trying to get its name cleared. It is the LTTE itself! It will be able to engage in the only activities it knows ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” terrorism ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” after the ban is lifted as before. In 2003 Tamil Tiger delegates visited weapons factories in Norway. Around the same year they purchased over 40,000 pieces of artillery from Croatia. According to reports, LTTE procured weapons from many other European nations. Money to purchase these weapons came from Europe itself. A massive money collection racket was in operation in France, UK, Germany, Switzerland and Norway. All these came to an abrupt halt in 2005 following the ban. Nothing can stop the restart of cross border terrorism if the ban is lifted. Tamil terrorists will not be considered terrorists by the EU then.

Immediately after the ban is lifted, all LTTE front organisations will mushroom once again. The money collection chain will be in operation in no time. In fact Tamil owned spice shops across Europe are starving without terror money of which they get a cut. Once money, weapons, logistics and legality all fall into place, it will be business as usual for Tigers.

The hardline approach followed by USA, Canada and India against Tigers means they will try to gain maximum leverage in Europe.

One counter argument is even if the ban is lifted, it will be very difficult for the terrorists to recommence operations. Those who support this argument quote Australia as an example where the terror group was never banned. There is no evidence Tamil terrorists procured weapons in Australia in the past. Tamil population in Australia is just a fraction of European numbers and therefore the money collection would not be sufficient. Due to these reasons, Australia was never in the forefront of cross border terrorism of Tamil groups. Europe on the other hand was a terror hub.

Possibility of recommencing terror activities

Ingredients needed to recommence terror operation include fighter, weapon consumables, weapon platforms, strategies and management of activities. Organisation or the management is intact today despite the annihilation of the old LTTE leadership. Just as some JVP leaders escaped prosecution, a number of LTTE leaders escaped the country. They are back in the game. Hiring lawyers to represent them indicates they are organised, financially well to do and resolute. Strategies include discrediting the nation, its democratically elected leaders and subsequent to the lifting of the ban, terrorism. LTTE leadership has over 39 years of accumulated experience of terrorism. Equipment including weapons can be procured easily once the ban is lifted as they did before. Material or weapons stocks can be amassed with the money collected from the Diaspora. Recruiting cadres, training them, positioning them, leading them and saving them will be a big challenge to the LTTE. When the terror outfit was growing, it had the protection of Tamil Nadu, India. This is not available today as it was then. Fighting cadres were the weakest link of the LTTE and it should be destroyed at the earliest opportunity.

There is more to terrorism than using violence against civilians. Violence is only the tip of the terror iceberg. Extortion is what lies beneath. No terror group want to fight long bouts. Violence is unleashed to terrorise civilians and their leaders to give in to demands. Those who make peaceful demands by making use of terror are very much part of the exercise. While these lame peaceful Tamil Elamists pretend to oppose the LTTE (and sometimes even sacrificed to convince the people that they are against the LTTE), they share the loot (if any) with the LTTE. One shakes the tree while the other collects falling fruit; then they share.

Terrorists will resume violence at the earliest opportunity and their peaceful partners will grab political solutions terrorised politicians would give. Peaceful Tamil Elamists are still around and they are doing well politically. Now they have an additional grievance ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” war crimes!

Intention to resume terror

The intention to resume terror is all too obvious. Arguing the case against the ban, the lawyer representing Tigers said it is not fair to allow the Victor a free hand unchallenged. By Victor he meant the victorious armed forces. Allowing a free hand to armed forces means the absence of any group to challenge them. After de-proscribing the terror outfit, it will be able to challenge armed forces; militarily of course.

Intention to relaunch violence makes it mandatory to keep Emergency Regulations. If the EU de-proscribes the LTTE, there is no way the Emergency could be lifted. It is much easier to avoid any change to the LTTE ban than damage control thereafter. It is a good time to bring to the attention of EU leaders the horror LTTE unleashed on the people. At the moment it is all a one sided affair.