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Letter to PM John Howard

by Tamils in Mount Waverly, Australia, June 3, 2006

The Honorable John Howard
Prime Minister of Australia

Dear Prime Minister,

The Australian governments have been upholding the lofty values and traditions of democracy for over a century, unlike the undemocratic and authoritative governments of Sri Lanka of the past 50 years. As a consequence, the Tamil Australians living in this country enjoy, with pride and gratitude, the fruits of a vibrant democracy with equal rights. However, the continuing violence, murder and human rights violations perpetrated by the Sri Lankan government on the Tamil people in the island is causing grief, disconcert and exasperation to the thousands of Tamil Australians.

The peace talks of the last four years, aided and acclaimed by the world, did not reap any tangible benefits for the Tamils from the Sri Lankan government. Encouraged by partial actions taken by certain countries, the Sri Lankan government is once again preparing to thrust a war on the Tamil people. Not only has the government failed to disarm the Tamil paramilitary forces – as agreed in the recent Geneva Talks, but it continues to engage in state terrorism against the Tamil people and violates the Ceasefire Agreement.

We therefore humbly request you, as Prime Minister of Australia, to: 

• Take appropriate steps to impress upon the Sri Lankan government that the Tamil people’s national and existential problems be resolved in an honest and concerted manner through peace talks
• Apply diplomatic influence to bring about peace and justice to the Tamils in Sri Lanka and thereby end the perpetual distress the Tamil Australians are experiencing in their lives here in Australia.

In this regard, the Tamil Australians gathered in Essex Heights Primary School, Mount Waverley, Victoria, on Saturday, 3 June 06 and passed the following resolutions unanimously. We ask you and your government to please accept these resolutions and take meaningful diplomatic steps in accordance with the lofty democratic principles that we cherish in Australia.

Resolutions to bring about justice for Tamils in Sri Lanka 

• The Australian Government should exert appropriate political pressure on the Sri Lankan Government to immediately halt the state-sponsored violence, murder and human rights violations perpetrated on the Tamil people.
• The Australian Government should exert pressure on the Sri Lankan Government to disarm the Tamil paramilitaries as agreed in Geneva, thus removing the primary hurdle for productive negotiations.
• The Australian Government should impress upon the Sri Lankan Government the need for observing and fully implementing the confidence building measures in the Ceasefire Agreement of February 2002 facilitated by the Norwegian Government.
• The Australian Government should, based on ground realities, stress the importance of acknowledging the LTTE as de facto leaders of the Tamil people and treat them as equal partners for achieving peace and prosperity in Sri Lanka.
• The Australian Government should recognize the Tamil Nation in Sri Lanka and accept their inalienable right to self-determination.

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