Saturday, 24 June 2006

http://www.spur.asn.au/SPUR_20060624_Petition_to_Ruddock.htm

SPUR Urges LTTE ban under Australia’s Criminal Code Act 1995

 Petition with 2328 signatures submitted to the Australian Attorney General’s office

Photo : SPUR Executive Committee members handing over the petition to Ms Hann at the Australian Federal Parliament on 19 June 2006

The Society for Peace Unity and Human Rights for Sri Lanka (SPUR), Victoria, an 11-year-old Melbourne based organisation working tirelessly to protect human rights and promote democracy in Sri Lanka, handed over a petition with over 2300 signatures urging the Australian Attorney General, Hon Phillip Ruddock to list the LTTE as a terrorist organisation under the Criminal Code Act 1995.

Dr Jayasuriya, the President of SPUR explained to Ms Gemma Hann, the Senior Advisor to the Attorney General, the reasons behind SPUR’s request. “It is common knowledge that the Tamil Tiger terrorists continue to subvert democracy and violate basic human rights in Sri Lanka. They indiscriminately kill civilians and execute opponents as evidenced by the recent bombing of the Kebithigollawa bus. 68 innocent civilians including women and children died in the blast. A breast-feeding child was ripped from the mother’s arms and stabbed to death recently in Serunuwara. These LTTE barbarians need to be internationally isolated. The Australian Tamil Diaspora is either forced to collude or threatened by LTTE goons to donate money to dubious “humanitarian funds”. Some of these unregulated funds purchase weapons that are used by the LTTE to kill innocent children and unarmed civilians. The Australian Government is obligated to act decisively to put an end to this and imprison the culprits. They need to extricate the affected Tamil Diaspora from LTTE’s squirrel grip”.

Dr Jayasuriya further went on to explain the links between the Tamil Tiger terrorists and other terrorist organisations operating around the world. “It is important to treat terrorist acts equitably across the world as there is plenty of evidence to prove that these groups work in unison to subvert democracy and spread vile, racial hatred”. SPUR also pointed to a statement made by Mr. J Cofer Black, US State Department Coordinator for Counter-terrorism, who said that the LTTE has trained other terrorist groups in the world and is in the exalted company of the Al-Qaeda. "I am disturbed at the LTTE's history as a terrorist organisation. It has been a purveyor of training, knowledge and equipment to a spectrum of terrorist groups, and we currently see many of these groups being mutually supporting," said Mr Black to a select media round table in Colombo in September last year.

Dr Jayasuriya summarised the benefits of Australia banning the LTTE under the Criminal Code Act 1995 as:

(1) Minimize the possibility of the LTTE clandestinely colluding and sharing technology with other terrorist organizations banned in Australia under the Criminal Code Act 1995

(2) Reducing LTTE related fund raising activities in Australia

(3) Providing relief to the Tamil Diaspora and religious institutions from LTTE extortionists

(4) Reducing the threat to Tamil, Sinhalese and Muslim Australian lives from indiscriminant bombings when visiting Sri Lanka

(5) Strengthening the hand of the law enforcement agencies when monitoring LTTE activities in Australia

(6) Discouraging Australian Tamils from promoting the vile deeds of LTTE carried out in the guise of liberation

“More than anything else, we want to help liberate the Tamil Diaspora living in Australia from the brutal control of the LTTE terrorist and their sympathisers. They are scared to raise this pressing issue with Government officials or the Federal Police in Australia in fear of reprisals, not only here in Australia but also in Sri Lanka where their vulnerable relatives live” Dr Jayasuriya said.

Concluding the media conference, SPUR urged the Prime Minister Hon John Howard, opposition leader Hon Kim Beazley, the Attorney General Hon Phillip Ruddock and the Foreign Minister Hon Alexander Downer to unite in purpose and move to ban the Tamil Tiger Terrorists under the Criminal Code Act 1995 to prevent the Tamil Diaspora funds from Australia sustaining Tiger terrorism in Sri Lanka.

Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights in Sri Lanka (SPUR)

Reg No. A 003 07777 M

PO Box 4066

Mulgrave    VIC 3170

Australia

The URL of this Media Release is http://www.spur.asn.au/SPUR_20060624_Petition_to_Ruddock.htm