. “The Sri Lankan government has used the fear of the possible re-emergence of the LTTE to maintain a strong military presence and role in the post-conflict areas”, says the Country Report on Terrorism 2011′, released by the State Department in Washington on July 31. It points out that the military’s continued heavy presence in the north feeds Tamil resentment.
In its ‘Overview’, the US report recalls that the Government of Sri Lanka militarily defeated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), in 2009. “The Sri Lankan government’s comprehensive and aggressive stance of countering terrorism is a direct result of its experience in the 30-year long conflict”.
There were no incidents of terrorism in Sri Lanka. Counterterrorism cooperation and training with the United States was minimal due, in part, ‘to statutory and policy restrictions based on concerns about alleged past human rights abuses committed by Sri Lankan security forces’ particularly in the final phase of the Eelam War .
The State Department assessment is that there is no possibility of resurgence of domestic militant Tamil groups. “It is not an immediate concern’, but efforts are underway to address possible growing Tamil radicalism in the north and east. Colombo remained concerned that the LTTE’s international network of financial support still functions; most counterterrorism activities undertaken by the government therefore targetted possible LTTE finances.
The government’s contention is that although the LTTE has been militarily defeated, the sympathizers and organizational remnants have continued to fund-raise in many countries. The LTTE had used a number of non-profit organizations for terrorist financing purposes, including the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization. The Sri Lankan government actively searched for other financial links to the LTTE and remained suspicious of non-governmental organizations, fearing they would be used by the LTTE.
The report has very little new to say on Lanka’s counter terrorism laws. It however finds fault that the Sri Lankan government continued to implement the Prevention of Terrorism Act, which was made a permanent law in 1982. The Prevention and Prohibition of Terrorism and Specified Terrorist Activities Regulations No. 7 of 2006, which is the most recent version of Emergency Regulations, were allowed to lapse in September.
But on August 29, the day before the Emergency Regulations lapsed, the President issued new regulations under the PTA incorporating into it aspects of the Emergency Regulations that the PTA did not already include. Such regulations included proscribing the LTTE as a terrorist organization and keeping surrendered persons under rehabilitation.
