The Sri Lankan Government has raised concerns with the UK Home Office in regards to the display of LTTE emblems during a demonstration organised by the Tamil Diaspora activists recently.
On September 8, ahead of the third day of the Sri Lanka-England third Test match, a protest took place outside the main entrance of the Oval Stadium in London.
The protestors called on the International Cricket Council (ICC) to ban Sri Lankan cricket, citing human rights violations committed by the Sri Lankan state. They were seen displaying the tiger emblem of the LTTE, a terrorist symbol banned globally.
Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in London, Rohitha Bogollagama, told Daily Mirror that he raised it with the UK Home Office.
This year, the UK Proscribed Organisations Appeals Commission declined an appeal by the TGTE (Transitional Government of Tamil Eelam) to revoke the LTTE’s prohibition as a terrorist entity in Britain.
On March 29, 2001, the UK Secretary of State added the LTTE to the list of proscribed organisations in Schedule 2 of the Terrorism Act 2000 (Proscribed Organisations) (Amendment) Order 2001. Pro-LTTE diaspora activists have made attempts previously to overturn the ban.
Source: Inputs from Agencies
