An Open Letter to the Co-Chairs of the Tokyo Donors Conference

by P. Sivasubramaniam

You have miserably failed the Tamil People in the island of Sri Lanka, in their will and desire to progress diligently and peacefully on the commitments and agreements reached between the GOSL and the Liberation Tigers of Thamil Eelam.

The Statement

Done it Again! The Co-Chairs have given their proven record of partisan diplomacy an added significance by completely ignoring the continuing Human Rights abuses and Humanitarian violations, now being inflicted upon the Tamil people, particularly in the Northern homeland of Jaffna, in the Eastern homeland of Vaharai and also in the Capital Colombo.

The Co-Chairs have extended their privy and shown more interest in addressing and welcoming the nefarious promises and trivial exercises of the Government of Sri Lanka in its efforts to hoodwink the entire international community, on their present vengeful approach to the Tamil National Issue.

Background to the Co-Chairs

After certain early stages of the entry of Norway as the Peace Facilitator, it was considered to be important to have some major wealthy countries to give strong backing for their Peace initiative, and to give strength to their efforts in seeing the implementation of any agreements between the two Parties to the Conflict.

As time progressed towards the requirement of very important and tough periods of diplomacy and incentives, the Tokyo Donors Conference took shape in the form of three countries, namely the United States, Japan and Norway together with the European Union, assuming the mantle of Co-Chairs of the Tokyo Donor Conference.

Now, we all know how, during the build-up to formulating the functions and agenda of this elite grouping, the Liberation Tigers of Thamil Eelam was sidelined and isolated by non other than the Host country of the latest meeting, in deference to the encouragement total involvement of the Government of Sri Lanka.

Now and again, at regular intervals, this Host country has actively indulged in wooing the Government of Sri Lanka through offering various methods of facilitating training and support to its armed forces and providing Aid through its less obvious channels set up for such purposes. It has consistently turned a blind eye to the reality of the sufferings of the Tamil people at the hands of these armed forces, the perpetrators of violence.

It is glaringly obvious where this host country stands, when the person who presided over this latest meeting of the Co-Chairs, Mr. Nicholas Burns himself had proclaimed on 21 October 2006 that the United States was signalling their strong support for the Government of Sri Lanka. He further reiterated, as if that was not enough endorsement, that they do not recognise or support the Liberation Tigers of Thamil Eelam. It was ironical that this was expressed on the eve of the Geneva talks.

Where, then, is the integrity and diplomatic credibility of a nation that calls itself the defender of Freedom, Justice and Liberty of people around the world, who are suppressed and marginalized under repressive regimes ?

Is it not also then very clear that there is little difference between this country's stand and that of the paramilitary groups, the extremist JVP, the Buddhist Hela Urumaya and the marauding Sri Lanka Military ?

The United States and the European Union stand guilty of practising double standards on the Tamil National Issue, and do not possess the true credentials to participate in a fair and just manner as Co-Chairs when addressing the Parties to the Conflict.

This is an eye-opener for the Tamil people, in that here we see the drama of a very partisan exercise being enacted by the very same countries that are purported to bring the Parties to the Conflict to the negotiating table in an equal and equitable manner.

You Have Failed

The joint statement released by yourselves following your deliberations over two days as Co-Chairs on 21 November 2006 in Washington, would have been read with Contempt by the entire Tamil population of Thamil Eelam.

You have miserably failed, to either address or comment on the prevailing volatile military activities along the borders of the Tamil homeland, on the continuing aerial bombardment of the Tamil homeland, on the near starvation and open-prison conditions of the Tamil people in the northern Jaffna peninsula .

You have miserably failed, to address or comment on the killing of Tamil Parliamentarians, Tamil Journalists and Tamil Public figures carried out by the government of Sri Lanka through, or in collusion with, their paramilitary collaborators

You have miserably failed, to address or comment on the ongoing abductions and murders committed on a daily basis by the Armed forces of Sri Lanka and their paramilitary colleagues, in the Tamil homeland areas under their jurisdiction . In the year leading up to the anniversary of the presidency of Mahinda Rajapakse, more than One Thousand and two Hundred (1,200) Tamils have been murdered by the Sri Lanka army and their paramilitary collaborators.

You have miserably failed to apply the principle of equality when addressing the violations of the Cease-Fire Agreement . The movement and amassing of government armed forces, the offensive exercises carried out by these armed forces, the movement and installation of heavy armour to the borders of the Tamil homeland, the closure of the entry and exit points to the main arterial A9 road at Muhamalai and Omanthai by the armed forces, the denial of food and medical supplies to the Tamil people held within the confines of an army occupied region of their homeland

The CFA stipulates that the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Thamil Eelam shall be and are equal partners at the negotiating table in their endeavour to reach a peaceful negotiated settlement to the Tamil National Issue. This recognises the GOSL as representing the Sri Lanka State and the LTTE representing the Tamil people at the negotiating table. This equality of status has been well recognised by the Peace facilitators and held with respect and dignity by the Tamil Leadership. It is the GOSL delegation that tries repeatedly to disrespect this principle in trying to dictate its nefarious and infamous authority over the Tamil Representatives.

More importantly, you have miserably failed, due to your perceived intransigent support and favour of the Government of Sri Lanka, to correctly identify the main perpetrator of initiating the present hostilities.

The Mavilaru episode is the creation of the Government of Sri Lanka, in not implementing its promises to provide adequate water resources to all farming communities, irrespective of their racial origins. It went ahead with supplies only to their own newly-settled Sinhalese farming community, and denied any for the Tamil farming community. It should also be stressed here, that immediately prior to this manoeuvred exercise, the government had amassed armed forces at the ready, near to this region.

Finally, you have miserably failed to display a broad and verifiable transparency in your approaches to the contentious issues that prolong this conflict in the island.

The manner of your approach, decision-making and derived conclusions towards the very brutal human rights abuses and humanitarian violations now unleashed on the Tamil people by the Sri Lanka government, should be called into question.

International Obligation

The Tamil people have a right to know what the true relationship that is currently exercised between the International Community and the Government of Sri Lanka and between the International Community and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the True representatives of the Tamil People.

To be impartial, dedicated and truthful towards finding a negotiated political settlement that recognises the aspirations of the Tamil people, that recognises their Right to Self-Determination, that would recognise the existence of a two-nation entity in the island of Sri Lanka, and to further promote and establish a permanent end to a conflict in the island as a whole, the following fundamental actions needs to be fulfilled.

1. Lift the Ban on the Liberation Tigers of Thamil Eelam
2. Give Legitimacy to the NorthEast homeland of the Tamil people
3. Recognise the Tamil Peoples? Right to Self-Determination
4. Censure the Sri Lankan Armed Forces on their breaches of international Law
5. Sanction the GOSL on their intransigent approach towards the Tamil National Issue

History 101

The foreign occupiers, when leaving the island in 1948, left it unified for their own political gains. Every time an invasion took place there were two or three independent countries within the island before that time. One thing clearly visible is international politicians and even the journalists are not telling the truth about history or may be not even want to learn the truth about the island's history and then report the facts to their own
citizens.

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