The President’s Media Division (PMD), in a press statement regarding the recently issued Gazette on updating the list of proscribed persons and organizations under the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1373, yesterday said it was done after a thorough research since March. The PMD clarified that Defence Ministry Secretary General (Retired) Kamal Gunaratne, who is the Competent Authority to implement the United Nations Regulations No. 1 of 2012, de-listed 316 individuals and six organizations from the list by Gazette No. 2291/2 dated August 1 after a formal and in-depth information study based on evidence. Also, another 316 individuals and 15 organizations, including 55 newly identified individuals and three organizations, have been listed by the above Gazette.
“The preliminary investigations related to Gazette 2291/02 published on August 1 was initiated in March and accordingly, the terrorist or extremist organizations in the country or outside the country and those connected to it and their related finances, assets, terrorist activities were investigated and the listing or de-listing of these individuals or organizations were done based on whether or not they had direct or indirect links to extremist activities,” the PMD stated.
The delisted organizations are the Global Tamil Forum (GTF), Australian Tamil Congress (ATC), Word Tamil Coordinating Committee (WTCC), Tamil Eelam Peoples Association (TEPA), British Tamil Forum (BTF) and the Canadian Tamil Congress(CTC). The listed organizations through the Gazette are Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), Tamil Coordinating Committee (TCC), World Tamil Movement (WTM), Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE), World Tamil Relief Fund (WTRF), Headquarters Group (HQ Group), National Council of Canadian Tamils (NCCT), Tamil Youth Organization (TYO), National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), Jamathe Millathe Ibrahim (JMI), Willayath As Seylani (WAS), Darul Adhar (DA), Sri Lanka Islamic Student Movement (SLISM) and Save the Pearl.
“If an organization or a person listed in this manner wants to file any objection in this regard, it is possible to submit an application to the competent authority and make a written request to be removed from the list along with the reasons. The relevant departments will then report the request to the competent authority after an extensive study of information. The Competent Authority is then responsible for making recommendations to the External Affairs Minister as to whether the person or organization should be removed from the list. The Minister’s decision is final and aggrieved parties have the ability to challenge the decision by filing a complaint with the High Court. Further, any person or entity affected by freezing of existing money or funds, asset freezing order or other financial assets or economic resources or other related services has the scope to complain to the High Court,” the PMD statement said.
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