Sri Lanka's External Affairs Ministry Monitoring MP Sajin Vaas Gunawardene condemned the General Court of European Union's ruling on Thursday to annul the measures taken against the LTTE, warning that it would aid the Tamil diaspora.
"The EU decision to lift the ban on the LTTE was a shot in the arm for the LTTE and the diaspora," Gunawardene told journalists at a press conference in the SLFP headquarters, the Daily Mirror reports.
"With this decision all EU members would regard the LTTE as a legitimate organisation," he added.
The ruling was also condemned by the Buddhist monk group, Bodu Bala Sena (BBS). The BBS called on the Sri Lankan government to "take steps to curb separatist elements that were still active in [Sri Lanka]", the Daily Mirror reported.
“The extremists groups who create problems to divide the country are still active and this decision by the EU is a great opportunity for LTTE supporters to create violence inside the country once again. Therefore the government should take action against those who still support the LLTE within the country,” the BBS General Secretary Galagodathe Gnanasara was quoted as saying.
Stating that the LTTE was divided into three fronts: military, political and international, Gnanasara said that only the military front was defeated in 2009.
“The war ended the military front within the country but political and international fronts are still active in some places around the world and even inside the country,” he said.
Condemning the ruling, the Sri Lankan government, in an official statement, warned of pressure by 'pro-LTTE activists' in European countries.
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