A minister for the Western Provincial Council has called on the Sri Lankan government to ban the Tamil National Alliance, reported the Daily News.

Udaya Gammanpila, who is also a legal advisor to the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), said that the political philosophy of the LTTE should be countered more aggressively by the government, adding that the TNA should also be banned if it called on the government to lift the ban on diaspora organisations.

“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. 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.

National Language and Social Integration Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara said the government 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.