SANGAM.ORG
Ilankai Tamil Sangam, USA, Inc.
Association of Tamils of Sri Lanka in the USA
by P. Sivasubramaniam
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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. |
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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