Xinhua
Sri Lanka police have obtained 40 Interpol “red notices” flagging foreign operatives of the Tamil Tigers as the government continues to crack down on attempts to revive the organization locally, an official said here on Thursday. Sri Lanka’s government ended a 27 year war with the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam (LTTE) in 2009 but has come under fire from the international community for disregarding allegations of war crimes and undermining human rights.
In recent weeks the army and police have been engaged in a controversial crackdown of suspected LTTE operatives in the northern region of Sri Lanka who the government insists is attempting to revive the organization.
Early morning clashes between Sri Lanka’s army and suspected Tamil Tiger operatives in the northern part of the country on Friday killed three terrorist suspects including a local leader.
Police and army officials have also stepped up attempts to clampdown on known supporters of the LTTE living in Europe and suspected of funding the recent revival, Police spokesman Ajith Rohana said during a media briefing.
“In addition to the 40 Red Notices by Interpol another 56 non- LTTE operatives have also been flagged. Six suspected LTTE members were arrested by the Indian police in Chennai while attempting to give three Sri Lankan youth weapons training. The government is working on extraditing these people to face trial in Sri Lanka,” he told reporters.
These Red Notices include two LTTE operatives identified as ” Vinayagam” and “Nediyawan” by Police who are suspected of financing and re-organizing the LTTE. They are believed to be living in Norway and France.
In the case of Red Notices, the persons concerned are wanted by national jurisdictions for prosecution or to serve a sentence based on an arrest warrant or court decision.
Interpol’s role is to assist the national police forces in identifying and locating these persons with a view to their arrest and extradition or similar lawful action.
A total of 65 people were also arrested with suspected terror links but only 44 of these now remain in custody, Rohana added.
Last month the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) passed a resolution allowing an investigation through the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the last seven years of the conflict.
Allegations of war crimes committed during this time has dodged the Sri Lankan government consistently with widespread condemnation from the international community led by Britain, US and Canada.
The UN probe has been vehemently rejected by the Sri Lankan government.
In response the government also banned 16 Tamil organizations that it says is pro-LTTE, drawing even more fire from rights groups such as New York-based Human Rights Watch that has condemned the move as an attempt to limit legitimate political concerns of the Tamil people.
Red Nortices Sri Lanka http://www.interpol.int/notice/search/wanted