2ND LEAD (Correction)

WTM to fight Ottawa's decision

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 June 2008, 03:24 GMT]
Following Ottawa's decision to designate the World Tamil Movement (WTM), a non-profit organization run by Canadian Tamils, as a terrorist organization, the Counsel for WTM, in a press briefing Friday said they will "apply for a stay of regulation," and if Minister of Public Safety, Mr Stockwell Day, is not inclined to reconsider his recommendation, WTM will make an application to the Federal Court for "judicial review" of the decision.

Marlys Edwardh from the law firm of Ruby & Edwardh who has been retained by the WTM to act as its legal counsel, and her colleague Adriel Weaver, said they intend to also "challenge the constitutionality of the listing provisions."

"The WTM was incorporated in Ontario in 1986 as a non-profit corporation, and over the past 22 years has provided much needed settlement, counselling, and cultural services to tens of thousands of Tamil Canadians," Sittampalam said, adding, "this act is the first step on a slippery slope, where all of our fundamental rights and freedoms can be eroded. We see the listing as a political move intended to silence a voice within the Tamil diaspora. The entire community feels tarnished and threatened by this announcement."

Mr Stockwell Day, earlier Tuesday, announcing the proscription, said, "WTM meets the threshold set out in the Criminal Code which requires the existence of reasonable grounds to believe that the entity has knowingly participated in or facilitated a terrorist activity or is knowingly acting on behalf of, at the direction, or in association with such an entity."

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was added to Canada's list of terrorist organizations in 2006.

Chronology: