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Residents of several border villages of the North Central Province, which have been tormented by frequent LTTE attacks for over 17 years, sent a petition to the British High Commission, urging the British government to ban the LTTE stating that the atrocities committed by the LTTE both locally and abroad qualify for such a proscription. Residents from Padaviya, Sripura and Weli Oya areas have faced frequent massacres by the LTTE who have slain innocent civilians including women and children. These villages are home not only to the Sinhala community but also the Tamil and Muslim communities. The Padaviya Jana Handa Organisation (The Voice of the People of Padaviya) representing the residents in the areas, stated that the LTTE has killed a large number of Sinhala and Muslim people and even Tamils, whose rights they claim to be fighting for, and urged the British government not to bow down to the subtle pressures of the LTTE. "The LTTE did not even spare places of religious worship such as Hindu kovils and mosques including the Nallur kovil and the Katthankudi mosque, "the petition stated. The petition also pointed out how the LTTE is organized to collect funds in the west on the pretext of catering to humanitarian and other welfare activities of the Tamil people. The LTTE's new ventures into extortion rackets, drug trafficking and international gun running which has gained the attention of some countries like Canada and Thailand was also highlighted in the petition. "The activities of the LTTE terrorists who had made London their base for political operations had become a thorny issue, which may sour the good relations between the two countries in the future," the petition further pointed out. The British Home Office is expected to issue this month a list of organisations proscribed for engaging in terrorism. Sri Lanka has requested the British government to ban the LTTE and stop it from raising funds in Britain for terrorist activities.
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