Terrorist list is policy with a dash of politics:

Analysts
Federal government adds IRFAN, but rejects Sri Lankas listing of two Canadian grous!
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&amil rotesters in Aril '(() demand t%e Canadian government ressure Sri Lanka to end
militar# action at t%e time!
$eter *a+ereeuw,$ublis%ed- .ednesda#, (/0(10'(23
Canadas terrorist list is grounded in an 4intensive5 bureaucratic
rocess, but one t%at is olitical nonet%eless, securit# anal#sts sa#!
Canadas listing of t%e International Relief Fund for t%e Afflicted and Need#, and rejection of
Sri Lankas listing of two Canadian &amil organi+ations as terrorist grous in t%e ast few
weeks, created a stir of controvers# in Canada and a mini dilomatic sat!
6ecisions on w%et%er to list an organi+ation in Canada are made b# Cabinet, on
recommendation of t%e ublic safet# minister! &%e organi+ations eligible to be listed are
assembled b# $ublic Safet# Canada and based on information rovided b# a Canadian s#
agenc#, t%e Canadian Securit# Intelligence Service, and in some cases Canadas allies, said
.esle# .ark, a securit# and terrorism researc%er at t%e 7niversit# of 8ttawa, in a %one
interview!
4A minister cant, on %is own, invent a case,5 %e said! 4&%ere is a rocess t%at %as to go
t%roug%!5
9owever, *r! .ark and ot%er securit# and terrorism anal#sts said international and domestic
olitics could la# a role in w%et%er Canadas cabinet c%ooses to list an organi+ation, remove it
from t%e list or recogni+e anot%er countr#s list!
Listings sark war of words
&%e federal government added IRFAN to its terrorist list Aril '): t%e same da#, t%e RC*$
accused it of financing 9amas, and a da# earlier it raided t%e organi+ations offices in
*ississauga and *ontreal!
&%e listing %aened da#s before IRFAN was to argue to t%e Federal Court for t%e restoration
of its c%aritable status, ;avar 9ameed, an 8ttawa law#er seaking for t%e grou, told t%e C<C!
*r! 9ameed %as aealed t%e listing, also t%roug% t%e Federal Court, t%e National $ost
reorted!
*r! 9ameed and IRFAN officials could not be reac%ed for comment b# deadline &uesda#!
*eanw%ile, t%e Canadian government resonded to Sri Lankas release of a list of 2=
organi+ations and more t%an 3(( individuals it labeled terrorists at t%e beginning of last mont%!
&amil diasora organi+ations in Australia, t%e 7nited >ingdom and Canada were among t%em!
&%e Canadian government rejected t%e listing of t%e Canadian &amil Congress and National
Council of Canadian &amils in an Aril ?( ress release!
46iasora communities la# an imortant role in Sri Lankas ost,conflict reconciliation
rocess! &%is action b# t%e Sri Lankan government could furt%er %inder rogress on
reconciliation,5 t%e 6eartment of Foreign Affairs, &rade and 6eveloment ress release said!
4.%ile we ma# s%are concerns about some of t%ose listed, we remind t%e government
of Sri Lanka t%at it must ensure an# measure taken to combat terrorism comlies wit% its
obligations under international law, in articular international %uman rig%ts law,5 t%e release
said!
&%e government is 4concerned about t%e motives5 of t%e Sri Lankan government in assembling
its list, Foreign Affairs sokeserson @ean,<runo Ailleneuve said in an emailed statement!
Lional $remasiri, Sri Lankas acting %ig% commissioner in Canada, said in a %one interview
%is government %as 4ver# clear and substantial information5 t%at t%e listed organi+ations %ave
funded 4terrorist activities5 connected to a movement to revitali+e t%e Liberation &igers of
&amil "elam, w%ic% is itself listed as a terrorist organi+ation in Canada and elsew%ere!
9owever, Sri Lanka %as not discussed t%e matter wit% t%e Canadian government, %e said!
Sri Lanka did not contact Canada to obtain information on t%e Canadian &amil Congress or
National Council of Canadian &amils before listing t%em, %e said! Canada also did not contact
t%e Sri Lankan embass# for evidence t%at t%ose organi+ations funded terrorism before rejecting
t%e listing, %e added!
*r! .ark and ot%er international securit# and law anal#sts said co,oeration between allies is
commonlace w%en considering w%et%er to list an organi+ation! 9owever, t%e governments of
Canada and Sri Lanka currentl# %ave a frost# relations%i!
&%is is mainl# to rotect our countr#
Canada cut its funding last mont% for t%e Commonwealt% Secretariat in art due to alleged
%uman rig%ts abuses b# t%e Sri Lankan government, w%ic% currentl# c%airs t%e secretariat,
drawing an accusation from t%e Sri Lankan government t%at it was la#ing olitics, t%e
Associated $ress reorted!
Canada also suorted a *arc% 7N 9uman Rig%ts Council inBuir# into alleged war crimes
during t%e Sri Lankan civil war!
Sri Lankas own listing s#stem is %ig%l# olitical, and tied to international relations, said
Amarnat% Amarasingam, w%o researc%es diasora olitics and terrorism at 6al%ousie
7niversit#s Resilience Researc% Centre, in a %one interview!
4I dont t%ink t%e# see t%ese ClistedD organi+ations as dangerous,5 %e said!
&%e Sri Lankan government 4lumed toget%er5 ro,&amil organi+ations around t%e world w%ile
constructing its list, argued 6avid $ooalaillai, t%e Canadian &amil Congresss national
sokeserson, in a %one interview!
*r! $remasiri rejected t%at assertion, and said t%e listing rocess was not influenced b#
olitics!
4&%is is mainl# to rotect our countr#, because we %ave suffered enoug%,5 %e said!
Canadas list currentl# includes t%e L&&" and .orld &amil *ovement! *r! Amarasingam said
t%e rior Liberal government faced criticism for not listing t%e L&&" w%ile it was in ower!
Aeronica >itc%en, associate rofessor of olitical science at t%e 7niversit# of .aterloos
<alsillie Sc%ool of International Affairs, said in a %one interview t%at Canadas listing rocess
is no more or less olitical t%an an# ot%er government rocess!
5An#t%ing related to olitics and bureaucrac# is inevitabl# olitical! &%at doesnt mean its
wrong necessaril#,5 s%e said!
4$art of t%e reason it gets so comlicated, and w%# we get disagreements between sa#, a
Canadian diasora grou and Sri Lanka, or Iran and Canada, or IRFAN Canada and Canada, is
t%at t%ese grous are doing more t%an one t%ing! Its %ard to know w%ere an# articular dollar is
going,5 s%e said!
&%e federal government caused a stir in late '(2' w%en it droed from its list t%e *uja%edin,
e,>%alB, a leftist Iranian grou wit% t%e goal of undermining t%e Iranian regime and a violent
ast!
&%e delisting came s%ortl# after Canada susended dilomatic relations wit% Iran! &%e
"uroean 7nion %ad delisted t%e *"> in '(() following a rolonged legal battle wit% t%e
organi+ation over t%e listing, and t%e 7nited States %ad delisted t%e grou in '(2' following a
lobb#ing camaign!
4Its %ard to interret delisting Iranian oosition grous, at t%e time Canada did it, as an#t%ing
ot%er t%an a dilomatic signal, but t%at again doesnt also mean t%at t%e# s%ouldnt %ave been
delisted,5 said *s! >itc%en!
eterEembass#news!ca