LTTE Remains a Banned Organization in the UK

The UK Proscribed Organisations Appeals Commission (POAC) has upheld the proscription of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), rejecting an appeal to remove the group from the list of banned organizations under the Terrorism Act 2000.

This decision means that the LTTE will remain a proscribed organization in the UK.

The Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE), which advocates for an independent Tamil state in northeast Sri Lanka, had applied for the ban on the LTTE to be lifted. While the TGTE itself is not banned in the UK, as it pursues its goals through non-violent means, the LTTE’s international network aims to use such efforts to potentially revive the group.

The LTTE was initially added to the list of proscribed organizations on March 29, 2001, following its violent activities during the Sri Lankan civil war, which ended in 2009.

The appeal by the TGTE was based on four grounds, including the argument that the LTTE is currently incapable of being involved in terrorism and that the continued proscription violates rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and association.

However, the Commission emphasized that the legal framework under the Terrorism Act 2000 allows for proscription if an organization commits, prepares for, promotes, or encourages terrorism.

Reports from the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) indicate that individuals and groups within the LTTE network have been engaged in activities suggesting an intent to revive the group, despite its lack of a centralized command structure post-2009.

Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ali Sabry, announced on social media that the UK’s independent court, consisting of a high court judge and two retired senior diplomats, had ruled against de-proscribing the LTTE.

He highlighted that the LTTE’s international network seeks to leverage de-proscription efforts to revive the organization.

The POAC’s decision aligns with the need to support the global fight against terrorism and protect UK nationals, ensuring that the LTTE remains a banned organization in the UK.