2ND LEAD (Correction)

Sri Lankan minister announces cabinet decision to proscribe TRO

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 November 2007, 04:49 GMT]
Leader of the House, and Health Minister in the ruling United People Alliance (UPFA) government of Sri Lanka, Nimal Siripala de Silva, said Thursday morning that a cabinet decision has been taken Wednesday to proscribe the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) in Sri Lanka, parliamentary sources in Colombo said. Mr. Nimal Sripala de Silva was responding to a question raised in the parliament by Wimal Weerawansa, the propaganda secretary of the JVP, on the efforts taken by the Sri Lankan government on restricting the activities of International NGOs inside Liberation Tigers controlled areas.

After the Sri Lanka parliament began sessions at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Mr Weerawanse, who is also the leader of the JVP Parliamentary Group, said INGOs including those associated with the U.N., are taking material and food into Liberation Tigers controlled areas, bypassing GoSL restrictions, and these activities are harming the war efforts.

Siripala de Silva, said the cabinet decision taken Wednesday to proscribe the TRO follows a similar action taken by the United States Government on the 15th November to freeze funds in the U.S.

He added that Sri Lanka is monitoring closely the activities of the INGOs, and will take necessary actions if the INGOs activities endanger government's anti-terrorism programs in the North east.

Sri Lanka Government froze TRO funds in Sri Lanka in September 2006 after an announcement by the U.S Government that they are investigating fund raising activities of the TRO in U.S.

The bank account in Kilinochchi had TRO deposits amounting to Rs. 20 million when the order to freeze the accounts was given.

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