The ban on 16 Tamil Diaspora organisations and 425 individuals deemed to be pro-Tamil Tiger, which was imposed by the Sri Lankan government in March under UN Security Council Resolution 1373, has begun to split these organisations and scare away individuals from them, a source close to the Lankan security establishment told Express on Tuesday.

“Colombo has been sending to various countries, dossiers on the designated organisations and individuals about their terrorism-related financial transfers, to enable action under UNSC Resolution 1373 of 2001,” the source said. He maintained that countries are duty-bound to act on the Lankan request because Resolution 1373 says that “States should afford one another the greatest measure of assistance for criminal probes or criminal proceedings relating to the financing or support of terrorist acts and prevent the movement of terrorists or their groups by effective border controls as well.”

While political leaders in the West and Tamil Nadu may criticise the ban, the security agencies there are taking the Lankan demand very seriously, the source maintained and this is taking its toll. The arrest of Nandagopan, the Norway-based LTTE leader Nediyavan’s second-in-command, in Iran in March, has weakened Nediyavan’s group.

There is a “remarkable drop” in public participation in the activities of the designated organisations, the source said. “Where earlier 300 or more Tamils used to attend a meeting,  only a few dozen turn up since designation. The main reason for this is that Tamil expats do not want to be banned from entering Lanka,” he said.