Sri Lanka Sovereignty Forum

26 September 2025

To:
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Switzerland
Office of the United Nations at Geneva
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

Excellencies,

Subject: Accountability of Switzerland as UN Host State Regarding LTTE Terrorist Symbols

We write to express our deep concern regarding the repeated public display of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) flags, portraits, and insignia outside the United Nations premises in Geneva during Human Rights Council sessions.

Unlike in previous years, the LTTE diaspora has grown increasingly brazen, openly displaying placards declaring LTTE is our savior” and rejecting calls to lay down arms. Such slogans are not mere expression; they are open endorsements of continued terrorism. Moreover, portraits of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and LTTE cadre Thileepan, who died after a death fast in 1987, were prominently displayed. It is inconceivable that UN and Swiss security services are unaware of the insignia of internationally designated terrorist organisations; their tolerance of such displays raises serious concerns.

The LTTE is a proscribed terrorist organisation in more than thirty countries, including the European Union, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and India. It is responsible for the assassinations of heads of state, suicide bombings, ethnic cleansing, and the forced recruitment of child soldiers. It does not represent civilians but remains one of the most ruthless terrorist groups in recent history.

Switzerland, as the host state of the United Nations in Geneva, bears binding obligations under international law to ensure that its territory is not used for the promotion or glorification of terrorism. By permitting LTTE insignia to be raised in public demonstrations adjacent to the UN and the symbolic Broken Chair,” Switzerland:

·      Compromises its neutrality and risks its reputation as a state committed to peace and the rule of law.

·      Undermines the credibility of the United Nations, which cannot condemn terrorism globally while tolerating its glorification at its own doorstep.

·      Ignores the rights of victims of terrorism, whose memory is dishonoured each time LTTE symbols are publicly displayed.

·      Sets a dangerous precedent that could embolden other proscribed groups, including Hamas, ISIS, or Al-Qaeda, to demand similar visibility in Geneva.

If such impunity continues unchecked, from 2026 onwards the UN Human Rights Council sessions could risk becoming platforms where terrorist groups openly glorify their activities — setting a precedent that the international community cannot afford to ignore.

We therefore respectfully urge the Swiss authorities and the United Nations to take immediate corrective measures:

1.    Annul the accreditation of NGOs and entities proven to have engaged in or supported the public display of LTTE symbols.

2.    Circulate photographs and identities of such individuals and groups to international immigration and border authorities for surveillance. Many of these individuals reside in Western capitals and can be mobilised for other destabilising campaigns against host nation.

3.    Ensure consistent monitoring of future public demonstrations in Geneva and in other Western capitals to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.

4.    Publicly reaffirm Switzerland’s commitment to international counter-terrorism conventions and its duty as host to preserve the neutrality and dignity of the United Nations.

Silence and inaction on this matter cannot be mistaken for neutrality; it risks being seen as complicity. The credibility of the United Nations — and of Switzerland as its host — depends on upholding universal standards without exception.

We trust this urgent matter will receive your immediate attention.

Respectfully,
Sri Lanka Sovereignty Forum