US says TRO provided funds and 'facilitated LTTE arms procurements'

The US treasury on Thursday announced freezing of TRO funds.

"The US government has concluded that in the US the TRO has raised funds on behalf of the LTTE through a network of individual representatives," US ambassador in Sri Lanka, Robert O' Blake told journalists.

Nine people were arrested by the FBI on suspicion of supporting LTTE in August 2006 and April 2007.

Political solution

"Three of these already has plead guilty to conspiracy to provide material support and three more have plead guilty to bribery charges," the ambassador added.

The US government has concluded that in the US the TRO has raised funds on behalf of the LTTE through a network of individual representatives Ambassador Robert O' Blake

The United States proscribed the LTTE as a foreign terrorist organisation in 1997.

"Those arrests also led to the discovery of operational and financial links between the TRO and the LTTE," ambassador Blake told journalists in Colombo.

He stressed that the freezing TRO funds was an action against the LTTE and not against the Tamil community in Sri Lanka.

"The US continues to support a just negotiated political solution that meets the aspirations of all communities, including the Tamils in Sri Lanka".

TRO response

The US continues to support a just negotiated political solution that meets the aspirations of all communities, including the Tamils in Sri Lanka Ambassador Robert O' Blake

The TRO however categorically denied the accusations.

TRO's Director (planning), John Christy, told BBC Tamil service that his organisation did not help operational activities of the LTTE.

He accused the Sri Lanka government of pressurising the western authorities to weaken the LTTE and the TRO activities.