April 4, 2014
The government this week banned the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and 15 other Tamil Diaspora organizations under the UN Security Council Resolution 1373, which sets out strategies to combat terrorism and terrorist financing.Sixteen groups were designated as terrorist groups and front organizations in an order signed by the External Affairs Minister G.L.Peiris and a gazette notification is expected to be issued to that effect in the near future. Customarily, it is the President who is also the Minister of Defence who has authority to designate terrorist groups. That the external affairs minister, who is meant to handle international affairs of the government, signed the decree on domestic security may add to confusion over the overlapping powers of the Cabinet portfolios.
