OTTAWA, June 17: Canada has listed the World Tamil Movement (WTM) as a terrorist group. This was announced by Public Safety Minister at a news conference here on Monday evening.

“The government is once again taking decisive action to protect Canadians from terrorism and to safeguard our nation’s security,” said Minister Day.

“Listing the WTM as a terrorist organisation is an important step in ensuring our safety and security in the global fight against terrorism,” he said.

The government investigations revealed that various offices of the WTM in Canada transfer funds to bank accounts in Sri Lanka meant for the LTTE.

Two years ago, the Conservative government also named the Sri Lanka-based Tamil Tiger guerillas a terrorist organisation.

That led to immediate raids on the World Tamil Movement’s (WTM) Toronto and Montreal offices, with police alleging the non-profit group was a flimsy fund-raising front.

Answering a question Mr Day acknowledged that several ongoing cases against alleged Tamil Tiger supporters and Al Qaeda sympathisers are moving very slowly.

The Finance Ministry circulated a statement to Canadian banks and other financial institutions warning that any movement of money involving the WTM should be reported to Canadian government authorities.