Ilankai Tamil Sangam
Association of Tamils of Sri Lanka in the USA
Published by Sangam.org
by SJV Chelvanayagam, September 1974, transcribed by N. Ethirveerasingam
Thirty-four [34] years ago the case was made for self-determination, even before the Vaddukkoddai Resolution in 1976. |
Full text of memorandum here.
Violations of the Human Rights of the Tamils and the role
of the International Community.
" A MEMORANDUM FROM THE TAMILS OF CEYLON TO ALL DELEGATES
ATTENDING THE 20th COMMONWEALTH CONFERENCE IN SRI LANKA,
FIRST SEPTEMBER 1974. BY S.J.V. CHELVANAYAGAM."
"The Tamils have been subjected to violence in
1956,1957,1961 and 1974."
"We conclude by merely listing the other means whereby the
Tamils are put to grave hardships:
"Sri Lanka is today a State with two nations and the Tamil nation there in seeks its right of self-determination. The Tamil problem is not an internal affair. The late Shri Rajagopalachchari, the First Governor General of India has stated: 'Most private wrongs are done within family walls, and most public wrongs within the borders of States. If world opinion is to consider state frontiers sacrosanct then there will be no chance for world progress as a whole; tyranny would have received a world charter.'
Any attempt therefore, to regard the Tamil question as
internal affair of the State of Sri Lanka, would amount to
an evasion of recognizing the political and social
realities in the country. There is little doubt that the
situation, fraught with many dangers, is gradually getting
out of hand and is one for which there are unfortunately
many parallels. From all accounts, the Tamils of Ceylon
are beginning to despair of obtaining their right , through
discussion, compromise, and peaceful means; tensions and
frustrations are beginning to crystalise around issues
which sooner or later are likely to lead to a point of no
return.
Therefore, it is our hope that the problems of the Tamils
of Ceylon will receive sympathetic consideration of the
delegates assembled at this conference and that they will
use their good offices to help in the solution of this
problem."
(Signed)
S.J.V. Chelvanayagam
NOTE by N. Ethirveerasingam in 2001.
Mr. Chelvanayagam's appeal to the Commonwealth Conference
was not tabled at the conference. After twenty 27 years we
are in a worse position as predicted. A solution at that
time would not have resulted in the deaths, rapes,
detentions and embargo resulting in sufferings and death
that has taken place since 1974 and continuing in ever
increasing extent and intensity.
Without international mediation, the atrocities committed
on the Tamils of Ceylon by the Government and the armed
forces of Sri Lanka will increase. Twenty five years from
now, we will wonder why, like the 1974 Commonwealth
Conference, the international community, the current
Commonwealth and the United Nations sat and watched the
majority community decimate the minorities.
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