“By disseminating propaganda and raising funds, these LTTE activists in the Diaspora seek to revive terror by politicising, radicalising and militarising the Sri Lankan Tamils and prevent their return to normalcy. Sri Lanka must take steps to dismantle the LTTE overseas,” Gunaratna said.

He claimed that reports indicate a dozen LTTE activists operating in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia travelled to Sri Lanka on holiday and the government must take immediate measures to pass a law that makes it an offence to take part in LTTE activities overseas.

“After waving terrorist flags in world capitals and extorting funds from hardworking Tamils overseas, without any guilt or shame, some are planning even to visit Sri Lanka this December too. Those who engage in terrorist propaganda and fund raising should be charged, tried, prosecuted, fined and imprisoned. This law must act as a future deterrent and a model to be emulated by other countries with Diaspora supported terrorist campaigns,” Gunaratna said.

He also said that Sri Lanka should request for the extradition of LTTE activists in the coming months before V. Rudrakumaran accomplished his task to get the LTTE internationally accepted and legalised. “Unless this is done in the coming months, the opportunity may be lost as some countries are being lobbied by the LTTE to remove the proscription.

Current LTTE international strategy led by Rudrakumaran is to get the LTTE internationally accepted and legalised, create a government in exile and spark the violence in Sri Lanka,” he said.
The counter terrorism division of the Foreign Ministry should also be beefed up as soon as possible and the foreign ministry should strive to play a more active role in the fight against the LTTE internationally, he recommended. “Unfortunately, the Counter Terrorism Division of the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry has only one staff officer. Although Sri Lanka won the fight against the world’s most ruthless terrorist group at home, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs failed miserably to counter and neutralise the vicious LTTE propaganda. It is not too late to rebuild this much needed capability of the Ministry to fight in the next battlefield, the international arena or suffer LTTE initiated sanctions,” he said.

Also, opportunities should be given to Tamils living overseas to invest in projects in the northeast he opined. “Government should provide them immunity from prosecution for past support for terrorism and welcome them with respect,” he added. “Visionary leaders such as Milinda Moragoda, the Justice Minister, had even agreed to a donation by Raj Rajaratnam, the US billionaire, when the FBI arrested him for insider trading. Even if V. Rudrakumaran, the de facto head of the LTTE, wants to work with the government to improve the lives of the Tamils in the northeast, he should be invited and treated with respect,” he added.