Letter to the UK Ambassador to the UN

by Dr. Easwaran, September 18, 2007

HE Sir John Sawers, KCMG  
UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations                         

18th Sept 07.      

Your Excellency:        

I am a British Tamil came to the UK from Ceylon just before the constitutional changes took place to rename CEYLON as Srilanka. I am ashamed to call my self a "Srilankan" because there is no inclusive nationalistic feeling created by the majoritarian Sinhala community.

My community has been marginalised, discriminated against and subjugated since 1956. I have Witnessed the communal riots instigated by the state through their political thugs in 1956, 1958, and 1961. National unity was dashed by Sinhala politicians from the very outset. I am sure the world has not failed to follow all the events that took place in Srilanka since independence in 1948 from the British Colonial masters.      

The present urgency is to stop the genocide of Tamil community in the name of fighting the war on terror. This "war on terror" is a damn lie to cover the majority's unwillingness to accept and respect the Tamils as their equal citizens of this Island.      

The Sinhala majoritarian Nationalists have re-framed the Tamil National question as a "Terrorist problem" and have displaced it from the historical and political domain to which it belongs. From 1949 to 1978 Tamils tried the Non-Violent means to acquire their legitimate rights as equal citizens of this Island within and outside parliament. All non-violent means were crushed by state terrorism with periodic pogroms and a genocidal agenda by the successive Sinhala governments unleashed on the Tamil civilians.

The Birth of Tamil Youth militancy is the consequence of State irresponsibility to solve the Tamil National issue. What we have seen in the last thirty years is a set of "sham peace initiatives" by the srilankan governments to show the international community that they were committed to peace. At no time they had any intention of solving the Tamil question. The Present government since December, 2005 has had only one agenda: that is to Displace the Tamils from their homeland, make it inhabitable in the name of fighting the LTTE. The Tamil homeland are being turned into Military high security zones, denying the Tamils their homes & livelihood. This is Ethnic Cleansing and a Genocide of the Tamil race.    

The Present Srilankan government has called for a military solution on the pretext of safeguarding the "sovereignty and territorial integrity" of the unitary, majoritarian state, and has conveniently linked its military agenda to the so-called global "War on Terror" to justify their action to the International community and make it official that the main problem as "Terrorism," which has to be defeated before any "political solution" is found. One could interpret this agenda of the srilankan government as the "military solution" to be the "political solution".      

The horrendous violation of human right abuse by the state security forces and the conniving paramilitary forces are a genocidal activity like what happened in Kosovo, is happening in Darfur. It is very sad to see the impotence of the international community and the UN to act. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Asian human rights groups, Church groups, srilanka anti- war & peace groups, the ICRC, and the SLMM all have clearly presented to the UN Human Rights Council on the Srilankan government's inability and unwillingness to stop these violations of Human rights abuse by its security forces and conniving paramilitaries.       

We from the Tamil Diaspora wish to raise our concern to the Civilised Western Governments & NGOs that there is an urgent and ongoing need for a sustained and effective protection of Tamil civilians form these abuses and aerial Bombing. If the UN fails to do justice, where can we go! 

The Srilankan Government 's Rhetoric should not put off the International community from upholding the egalitarian principles. Minority communities around the globe also wish to live with justice and dignity.        

May I thank you on behalf of my community in anticipation that you could do something to prevent further indignity to my people.      

Thanking you,   

Yours sincerely,