NEW DELHI, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- The European Union is considering banning Sri Lanka's Tamil rebels, the bloc said in a statement.
"The European Union is actively considering the formal listing of the LTTE as a terrorist organization," said the statement.
LTTE refers to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
"The issue (banning LTTE) will remain under discussion till a decision is reached," an EU diplomat said.
The EU has not met with the LTTE since the killing in 2005 of the Sri Lankan foreign minister. Since parliamentary elections this year, there has been a spike in rebel-related violence despite a cease-fire signed with the government.
Separately Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakshe accused the rebels of abusing the restraint shown by the government.
"The government is committed to upholding the obligations of the cease-fire agreement," Rajapakshe said while reacting to a suspected attack by the LTTE on a naval vessel. The comments were reported by The Hindu newspaper.
Rajapakshe made the observations during a meeting with the ambassadors of the co-chairs countries involved in the peace process.
"The president assured the international community that Sri Lanka as a responsible government would continue to act with restraint," said statement released by the president's office after the meeting.
The assurance comes against the backdrop of the recent killing of five Tamil youths in Tamil-majority Trincomalee district. The military initially said the youths died as a grenade they were carrying exploded. But a post-mortem report identified bullet injuries as the cause of their deaths.
