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U.S. freezes assets of LTTE-linked charity

COLOMBO: The United States on Thursday froze the assets of the Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO), a charitable organisation, on charges that it was a front to facilitate fund-raising and procurement for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The LTTE has been designated by the U.S. as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist Organisation since 2001 and a Foreign Terrorist Organisation since 1997. A statement by the State Department released here said the TRO was designated under Executive Order 13224, which is aimed at financially isolating terrorist groups and their support networks.

The order freezes assets held by the concerned entity under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibits U.S. citizens from transacting with it.

At a news conference here, U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Robert Blake, was at pains to emphasise that that this designation “is an action against the LTTE, not against the Tamil people”. Welcoming the U.S. decision, Sri Lanka Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogallagama said the action should encourage other countries which are also investigating LTTE front organisations including the TRO — particularly Australia, Canada, Denmark, France and the U.K. to take tangible action against these organisations.

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