Cameron Miranda
The LTTE, or Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, is a proscribed terrorist organisation under international law. The LTTE has been accused of violating Additional Protocols to the Geneva Conventions by targeting civilians and spreading terror among the civilian population. The LTTE has also been banned by the USA, Sri Lanka, and the UK, and has been subject to anti-terrorism sanctions and restrictions by the EU. Despite these measures, the LTTE remains listed as a terrorist organisation by the EU.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Suicide attacks | The LTTE's elite unit, the "Black Tigers", carried out suicide attacks. |
| War crimes | Attacks on civilians and civilian buildings, executions of combatants and prisoners, keeping civilians as hostages, and recruitment of child soldiers. |
| Terrorist tactics | Suicide bombers, suicide belts, and female-led suicide attacks. |
| Terrorist organisation | The LTTE was added to the European Union's list of banned terrorist organisations in 2006. |
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What You'll Learn
The LTTE was labelled a terrorist group by the FBI
The LTTE, or Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, was labelled a terrorist group by the FBI after they initiated terror tactics including suicide bombers, the suicide belt, and female-led suicide attacks. The LTTE was also added to the European Union's list of banned terrorist organisations in 2006. The group was inspired by Che Guevara and his guerrilla warfare tactics, and was responsible for carrying out suicide attacks through an elite unit known as the "Black Tigers".
The LTTE's alleged war crimes include attacks on civilians and civilian buildings, executions of combatants and prisoners, forced disappearances, and the systematic denial of food and medicine to civilians trapped in the war zone. The LTTE also kept civilians as hostages and recruited child soldiers, which are all violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.
In 2003, the LTTE issued a proposal to establish an Interim Self-Governing Authority (ISGA) in the eight districts of the North and East that it controlled. The ISGA was to be entrusted with powers such as the right to impose law, collect taxes, and oversee the rehabilitation process until a favourable solution was reached, after which elections would be held. The LTTE administration intended to be a secular one with a principal emphasis on the prohibition of discrimination and the protection of all communities.
Despite the LTTE's military victories, policies, call for national self-determination, and constructive Tamil nationalist platform, the group was eventually defeated militarily in 2009. In July 2017, the LTTE was removed from the terrorism blacklist of the EU's top court, which stated that there was no evidence to show of LTTE carrying out attacks after its military defeat. However, despite this ruling, the EU stated that the LTTE remains listed as a terrorist organisation.
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The LTTE was added to the EU's list of banned terrorist organisations
The LTTE, or Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, is a terrorist organisation that has been banned by the US, Sri Lanka, the UK, and the EU. The LTTE has been accused of targeting civilians and violating Additional Protocols to the Geneva Conventions that prohibit acts aimed at spreading terror among the civilian population. The LTTE has also been accused of raising funds from abroad to purchase arms and equipment to carry out attacks against sovereign states.
In 1997, the US designated the LTTE as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation. This was followed by a similar designation by Sri Lanka in 1998 after an LTTE attack on Dalada Maligawa in Kandy. In 2000, the UK designated the LTTE as a Proscribed Terrorist Group under the UK Terrorism Act of 2000.
The LTTE was also added to the EU's list of banned terrorist organisations in 2006. However, in 2014, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) annulled the anti-terrorism sanctions and restrictions placed on the LTTE, stating that the basis for proscribing the group had been based on "imputations derived from the press and the Internet" rather than on direct investigation of the group's actions, as required by law. In March 2015, the EU reimposed the sanctions and restrictions, but in July 2017, the LTTE was removed from the terrorism blacklist of the EU's top court, as there was no evidence to show of LTTE carrying out attacks after its military defeat in 2009. Despite this ruling, the EU has stated that the LTTE remains listed as a terrorist organisation.
The LTTE's activities have also been condemned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, which has called for the group to be subjected to international laws. The Ministry has criticised previous governments for not exploring all legal and international avenues to hold LTTE sponsors to account.
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The LTTE was accused of war crimes, including attacks on civilians
The LTTE, or Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, was accused of war crimes, including attacks on civilians and civilian buildings, executions of combatants and prisoners, keeping civilians as hostages, and recruitment of child soldiers. The LTTE was also accused of using terror tactics, including suicide bombers, the suicide belt, and female-led suicide attacks. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) labelled the LTTE a terrorist group, and in 2006, the European Union added the LTTE to its list of banned terrorist organisations.
In 2014, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) annulled the anti-terrorism sanctions and other restrictions placed on the LTTE, stating that the basis for proscribing the group had been based on "imputations derived from the press and the Internet" rather than on direct investigation of the group's actions, as required by law. However, in 2015, the EU reimposed the sanctions and restrictions, and the LTTE remains listed as a terrorist organisation by the EU.
A panel of experts appointed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon found "credible allegations" which, if proven, indicated that war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed by the LTTE. These allegations included attacks on civilians, executions of combatants and prisoners, forced disappearances, denial of food and medicine to civilians, and recruitment of child soldiers.
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The LTTE was accused of keeping civilians as hostages
The LTTE, or Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, has been accused of keeping civilians as hostages. The LTTE was added to the European Union's list of banned terrorist organisations in 2006. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) also labelled the LTTE a terrorist group after they initiated terror tactics including suicide bombers, the suicide belt, and female-led suicide attacks.
The LTTE's use of suicide bombers and other terror tactics has been well-documented. The group's elite unit, the "Black Tigers," was responsible for carrying out suicide attacks. If faced with unavoidable capture by Sri Lankan authorities, operatives purportedly committed suicide by swallowing cyanide capsules that they wore around their necks.
The LTTE's proposal to establish an Interim Self-Governing Authority (ISGA) in the eight districts of the North and East that it controlled was seen as a secular administration with a principal emphasis on the prohibition of discrimination and the protection of all communities. However, despite the LTTE's military victories and policies, its tactics and actions have led to its designation as a terrorist organisation by the EU and other entities.
The LTTE's use of terror tactics, including keeping civilians as hostages, has been a significant factor in its designation as a terrorist organisation and its inclusion on banned lists by the EU and other countries. The group's actions have been condemned by the international community, and efforts have been made to hold them accountable for any alleged violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.
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The LTTE was accused of recruiting child soldiers
The LTTE, or Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, has been accused of recruiting child soldiers. The LTTE was added to the European Union's list of banned terrorist organisations in 2006, and despite the EU's top court removing the LTTE from its terrorism blacklist in 2017, the group remains listed as a terrorist organisation by the EU.
The LTTE's use of child soldiers was one of several alleged war crimes committed by the group during the Sri Lankan Civil War. Other alleged war crimes include attacks on civilians and civilian buildings, executions of combatants and prisoners, and keeping civilians as hostages. A panel of experts appointed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon found "credible allegations" of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the LTTE.
The LTTE was an uncompromising group inspired by Che Guevara and his guerrilla warfare tactics. The group utilised suicide bombers, suicide belts, and female-led suicide attacks. An elite unit within the LTTE, known as the "Black Tigers," was responsible for carrying out these suicide attacks. If faced with unavoidable capture by Sri Lankan authorities, operatives were instructed to commit suicide by swallowing cyanide capsules that they wore around their necks.
The LTTE's recruitment of child soldiers is a serious violation of international law and human rights. The use of child soldiers is prohibited by the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, which has been ratified by a majority of countries worldwide. The protocol sets a minimum age of 18 for participation in armed conflict and requires states to take measures to prevent the recruitment and use of child soldiers.
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Frequently asked questions
The LTTE, or Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, is a proscribed terrorist organisation under international law.
The LTTE has been banned by the governments of the USA, Sri Lanka, the UK, and the EU.
The LTTE targeted civilians, violating Additional Protocols to the Geneva Conventions that prohibit acts aimed at spreading terror among the civilian population.
The LTTE was militarily defeated in 2009.
In 2014, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) annulled the anti-terrorism sanctions and restrictions placed on the LTTE in 2006, stating that the basis for proscribing the group had been based on "imputations derived from the press and the Internet" rather than on a direct investigation of their actions. However, in 2015, the EU reimposed the sanctions and restrictions, and the LTTE remains listed as a terrorist organisation by the EU.
