France has allowed a public commemoration honouring slain Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) spokesman S.P. Thamilselvan, despite the organisation remaining a proscribed terrorist group under European Union law.
The event was held in La Courneuve, a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, where members of the French Tamil community gathered to pay their respects to the former LTTE political wing leader.
Garlands Laid at Public Bust
Participants laid garlands at a bust of Thamilselvan that stands beside a public street in the area. The gathering drew attention given the legal status of the LTTE across EU member states, raising questions about the boundaries of commemorative expression within French law.
Thamilselvan Killed in 2007 Air Strike
S.P. Thamilselvan was killed on 2 November 2007 when the Sri Lanka Air Force carried out a targeted strike against him. He had served as the head of the LTTE's political wing and was one of the most prominent public faces of the separatist organisation during the final years of the conflict.
The LTTE has been banned by the European Union as a terrorist organisation, a designation that remains in force. Sri Lanka has long urged its international partners to take firm action against pro-LTTE activities conducted on foreign soil, including fundraising, propaganda, and commemorative events that the government argues glorify terrorism.
The incident is likely to draw fresh scrutiny from Colombo regarding the extent to which European nations enforce their own proscription orders against the Tamil Tigers.
💬 Join the Discussion 2
See what readers are saying — and add your view.
France talking about terrorism but allowing this. Double standards no?
Exactly. EU banned them but France doing whatever they want.