Even if we assume the government will be able solve the issue, with the all the present alliance is it posible to have a kind of a solution to satisfy the tamils in Sri Lanka. No. because the fundamentalists never allow that because of their own political survival. Thats what happened in the past and we also repeatedly adressing to that and justify our cause. But now the issue is how we are going to solve this issue. Is is with our own findings and sacrificies with the international pressure. It has been reported international community have been giving pressure but what has happened fruitfully ? They also sick of this issue sometime as they have own prolems and otehr problems. Otherwise as Sri Lanka is is one of the smallest country and depend on international community for most of the thinks. How could the international community failed in pressurising the parties to solve the issue.

THEREFORE TIME HAS COME TO THINK SERIOUSLY BECUASE WHATEVER TAMILS LOST IN THE NAME OF ESTABLISHING OUR OWN RIGHTS SHOULD NOT GO WASTE.

He was more concerned with building his nest with the PA administrations he was in and for his own upward mobility. Without any question his ability, his credentials as a political leader and a potential Prime Minister – were immaculate. And raising his voice for the Tamil cause would have caused, in his own reckoning, grievous injury to his political mobility and therefore he chose the latter. I have no quarrel with his going after the LTTE locally and in the international arena – but to him, like to many Sinhala extremists, LTTE and the large mass of the Tamil people were the same. Show me one speech in Parliament he made in sympathy with the Tamil people who have suffered for so long. No wonder the JVP and the JHU considered him their pin-up boy. But the way he was done in – by whoever – was beastly and barbaric.

‘Sri Lanka is 2,500 year-old. There were self-rules within a united Sri Lanka. Tamil people have been demanding for their rights since 1956. The Sri Lanka state says that the leader of the LTTE Velupillai Prabhakaran is committed for separate state. Has the Government of Sri Lanka given any proposal to challenge him? ‘

Reading between the lines he seems to have accepted that a separate Eelam is not viable, and that a solution within a unified Sri Lanka would be acceptable. That is a direct contradiction of Velu’s stated goal.

‘Mahinda Rajapakse became the President, partly because of the LTTE, because they did not allow the Tamils in North and East to vote. I think that the Tamils in North and East should have been allowed to exercise their franchise.’

This is a direct criticism of VP/LTTE in that they allowed Mahinda R to come to power and also that the tamils were not allowed to vote

‘There were opportunities for political solution for the ethnic conflict when Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga was in power in 1995. She had a set of proposals. I told her to consider the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam seriously, when she summoned the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) was summoned to talk further about the proposals. But unfortunately the hostilities began in April-May of 1995.’

Mr Sampanathan has a short memory or he he has conveniently chosed to side-step why and who was the reason for hostilities resuming in 1995. Navy vessel, trincomalee, blown up…. ring a bell?

;I know the leader of the Liberation tigers of Tamil Eelam Velupillai Prabhakaran for 30 years, ever since I became a Member of Parliament. I told him that, he needs to transform his military strength to political strength of the Tamil people, and accept democracy when I met him in April 2002 in Vanni.’

More criticism of Velu. Are you actually saying that his military approach is not productive?

I admire that you are displaying traces of courage and self respect that you sacrificed when you sold your soul to the devil. But please be reminded what happened to those that criticised Velu….. remember your former guru Amirthalingam…….?

I have deliberately chosen the word Ceylon over Sri Lanka as the name Sri Lanka which came into being after the introduction of the 1972 Republican Constitution was the consolidation of the process of institutionalisation of the exclusion and marginalisation of the Tamils of the NE of Ceylon by the Sinhalese political leadership. Hence, I do not want to contribute to process further by using the name Sri Lanka.

Mr Sampanthan should be admired for for stating with courage and conviction the current reality and the possible way out of the impasse.And Dushi should be congratulated for capturing the essence of his speech in terms of mood and content.Well done Dushi.

The important fact fthat should be taken into account by the international communty and the sinhalese is the impact of the standardisation scheme (1970)on the Tamils of the NE of Ceylon, which was unilaterally introduced by the then government against the long term interests of the multiethnic Ceylonese Society, that gave rise to militancy .

The genesis of the liberation movements in Ceylon was the standardisation and the accumulated denial of the rights of the Tamils of Ceylon since 1956 till 1972.The subsequent, political developments upto 1983 and the consequent evolution of the peace processes,including the current one(although it is paralysed) if looked under a microscope in an impartial manner (if one really cares for the country ), will demonstrate to what extent the sinhalese leadership was/is willing even now to accept and accomadate the Tamils of the NE of Ceylon with dignity and respect to live as equal citizens within a united Ceylon.

Unfortunately, most of the analysts do take a limited view of the ethnic conflict by analysing the period post 1983 and the global context after 9/11, which is woe fully inadequate and provides a jaundice view of the origins and evolution of the Ceylonese ethnic conflict.The contemprory analysis and predictions by experts bordering on bias and partiality will not contribute to the resolution of the ethnic conflict,instead will aggravate.

The case of the Cease Fire Agreement and the fate of peace talks especially the lack of honouring the commitments made at the end of the initial 6 rounds of talks and the next 2 rounds are indeed an excellent barometer of the sincerity and will of the parties to the agreement .If one takes the trouble to analyse and understand the issues, context and the dynamics, it would be crystal clear as to who is for peace and who is against it.

It is not a justification but , I wish to cite the Newton’s 3rd law (in physics)that is every action has an equal and opposite reaction. I am sure the transformation of the non violent struggle to violent /militant one could perhaps be better understood in this context.

The southern leadership should act now to restore the righful place of the Tamils of NE of Ceylon without further delay in keeping with it’s obligations as a member of the UN and by complying with conventions and covenents to which it has become a signitory.

I do hope that there will be a paradigm shift atleast now on the part of the Sinhalese leadership which I am sure if attempted in earnest will be welcomed accepted by the TNA , LTTE and the majority of the Tamils of NE of Ceylon.In my opinion, this was the gist of Mr Sampanthan’s speech.

/*
Ceasefire Agreement was signed between the Ranil Wickremasighe government and the LTTE in 2001.His mandate was to set up an interim council for the North and East. But unfortunately he was unable to make it a reality.
*/

Focus on both instances where the sentence ends with “Unfortunately..”. The government offers another candid and honest proposal, he again later have to repeat the sentence that ends with “Unfortunately..”

Before asking for any proposal, get your national leaders consent. Wihout his acceptance, nothing will work. Either you do this or help the military to take him out with a bullet or a bunker bomb. when he is out of the way then perhaps you can discuss candid proposals.

My hunch is there there will be heightened political activities, in the event of Vanni being freed from the cluthces of the LTTE; there will be a multitude of political parties, outclassing one another. The established parties will have to brace themselves for the inevitable challenge.

All in all, politicians in the North and East are not very different from their counter-parts from the south – they are collectively motivated by their own self-interests and the issue of race or religion provides them with a very firm platform to keep dancing to a tune, that the sentiments of masses choose from time to time.

o There is widespread racism and state terror that has been directed at the Tamil people since Ceylon gained independence from Britain in 1948.
o The Sinhalese came to Sri Lanka about 2500 years back and claim to be Aryan race, which is a bunch of crap
o Tamils have been living in Sri Lanka for more than 30,000 years and called it Ellam.
o In 1769 the British arrived and absorber the Island of Ceylon into its huge empire.
o Before Portugese, Dutch & British came, there were three Kingdoms in Ceylon, Tamil kingdoms in North and East, one Sinhalese kingdom in Hill Country and one in Costal areas of Ceylon.
o British centralised all powers in Capital Colombo for administrative purpose , unified the whole country by amalgamating three Kingdoms into one Country and brought large amount of Tamil Labours from India to Build Tea estates and these Tamils built the national economy and earn highest amount Foreign exchange today ( US $ 900 Millon per year )
o When British left in 1947, they handed over centralised power in Colombo to Sinhalese and the first Sinhalese majority parliament stripped, (which consisted of Racist like DS Senanayaka, SWRD Bandaranayaka & JR Jeyawardena,) one million tea estate Tamils in the central hill country of their citizenship and right to vote, because they voted against the ruling party and happened to be Tamils.
o The third parliament of Ceylon in 1n 1956, under the leadership of SWRD Bandaranayaka and with the support of UNP, made Sinhalese the only official language and as a consequence large number of Tamils lost their job opportunities. LSSP leader Colvin R De Silva warned one language, two countries, two languages, one country.
o During nineteen seventies the Government of Srimao Bandaranayaka, with the support of Badudeen Mohammed, NM Perera, Peter Kennaman & Colvin R De Silva implemented the standardisation policy where Tamil student have to get much more marks to enter university, irrespective of their merit, and abolished the Constitution Drafted by Last British Governor and deleted the protection given to Tamils under that Constitution and these act angered moderate Tamil Politicians and young Tamil students and provided a strong motivation to start armed struggle, another foolish act of Sindhalese
o Major Sinhalese political parties and Majority of the Buddhist Monks are totally racist and anti Tamil.
o In July 1983 the Sinhalese thugs aided, supported and encouraged by Sinhalese politicians, Buddhist monks and Sinhalese army and police killed thousands of Innocent Tamils, burned down their houses, business premises, medical clinics and lawyers offices and ganged raped Tamils girls and this is known as ‘ July Holocaust’ or ‘ Black July’ .
o The Tamil armed struggle gathered momentum after this foolish act of Sinhalese and resulted in the development of present day Tamil Army known as ‘Tamils Tigers’

o Some feel that creation of a Tamil Federal state or a Scottish style Tamil Parliament will bring peace; this solution will not work, because this type of political system to work, the central government should be trust worthy and Tamils have no trust in Sinhalese central government or Sinhalese politicians. They cannot be trusted, because Sri Lankan army, police and state machinery is one hundred percent Sinhalese.
o The only option for Tamils to fight Sinhalese state terrorism is to create their own state which existed before Portugese, Dutch and British came to Colonise Ceylon – Sri Lanka.
o WITH OUT A TAMIL ARMY TAMILS HAVE NOTHING – POLITICAL POWER GROWS OUT OF BARREL OF GUN – ARMY IS HE CHIFE COMPONENT OF STATE POWER –
o The ‘Tigers’ control their own territory and run it like a totalitarian dictatorship now, after winning an independent state for Tamils, they have to grant democracy to all people, otherwise Tamil people will revolt
o Tamil Army is a militant army with a cause, to disarm them is impossible and no army can fight them forever.
o The ‘war on terror after 9/11’ has been used by Sri Lankan States (past & present) to suppress Tamils and opposition descendants and get plenty of foreign aid from US, Canada, Australia, Pakistan, China and Israel. Tamils and their Tamil Army are not terrorist, but freedom fighters. The Sinhalese and International media describes the entire Tamil people as terrorist and remain silent about Sri Lanka state terrorism for the benefit of their Geopolitical agendas.
o Regardless of whether the war in Sri Lanka is recognized as a war of national liberation in the exercise of the right to self-determination or a civil war, support for the LTTE from the Tamil people cannot be criminalise. The Tamil people, whether in Sri Lanka or elsewhere, have the right to freedom of opinion and belief, the right to freedom of expression and the right to support political parties or groups of their own choosing.
o FIGHTING FOR SURVIVAL IS A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT.

NB:

I have few things to improve your statement

1. In 1970 not only racial merit system started but also Tamils students already selected were sent back.
2. In 1972 traitor Colvin in addition removed secular nature of the constitution and made it Singhala Buddhist Constitution.
3. Before 83 since 57 there were several pogroms against Tamils
4, In the chauvinist singhala state not only the armed forces even the civil administration is singhala dominated. Tamil usage is only when fight is made.
lanka,Ellam all refer to sinhala. hence pre-aryan Dravidian name must be something else. may be a word starting from ‘am’ or’ ka’
5. Do not give up your rights in the south.

Wickrama bahu KARUNARATNA
Nava Sama Samaja Party

TULF – Declaration 14/05/1976

The first National Convention of the Tamil United Liberation Front meeting at Pannakam (Vaddukoddai Constituency) on the 14th day of May, 1976, hereby declares that the Tamils of Ceylon by virtue of their great language, their religions, their separate culture and heritage, their history of independent existence as a separate state over a distinct territory for several centuries till they were conquered by the armed might of the European invaders and above all by their will to exist as a separate entity ruling themselves in their own territory, are a nation distinct and apart from Sinhalese and this Convention announces to the world that the Republican Constitution of 1972 has made the Tamils a slave nation ruled by the new colonial masters, the Sinhalese ,who are using the power they have wrongly usurped to deprive the Tamil Nation of its territory, language citizenship, economic life, opportunities of employment and education, thereby destroying all the attributes of nationhood of the Tamil people.

And, while taking note of the reservations in relation to its commitment to the setting up of a separated state of Tamil Eelam expressed by the Ceylon Workers Congress as a Trade Union of the Plantation Workers, the majority of whom live and work outside the Northern and Eastern areas,

This convention resolves that restoration and reconstitution of the Free, Sovereign, Secular, Socialist State of Tamil Eelam, based on the right of self determination inherent to every nation, has become inevitable in order to safeguard the very existence of the Tamil Nation in this Country.

This Convention further declares:

That the State of Tamil Eelam shall consist of the people of the Northern and Eastern provinces and shall also ensure full and equal rights of citizenship of the State of Tamil Eelam to all Tamil speaking people living in any part of Ceylon and to Tamils of Eelam origin living in any part of the world who may opt for citizenship of Tamil Eelam.

That the constitution of Tamil Eelam shall be based on the principle of democratic decentralization so as to ensure the non-domination of any religious or territorial community of Tamil Eelam by any other section.

That in the state of Tamil Eelam caste shall be abolished and the observance of the pernicious practice of untouchability or inequality of any type based on birth shall be totally eradicated and its observance in any form punished by law.

That Tamil Eelam shall be a secular state giving equal protection and assistance to all religions to which the people of the state may belong.

That Tamil shall be the language of the State, but the rights of Sinhalese speaking minorities in Tamil Eelam to education and transaction of business in their language shall be protected on a reciprocal basis with the Tamil speaking minorities in the Sinhala State.

That Tamil Eelam shall be a Socialist State wherein the exploitation of man by man shall be forbidden, the dignity of labor shall be recognized, the means of production and distribution shall be subject to public ownership and control while permitting private enterprise in these branches within limit prescribed by law, economic development shall be on the basis of socialist planning and there shall be a ceiling on the total wealth that any individual of family may acquire.

This Convention directs the Action Committee of the Tamil United Liberation Front to formulate a plan of action and launch without undue delay the struggle for winning the sovereignty and freedom of the Tamil Nation;

And this Convention calls upon the Tamil Nation in general and the Tamil youth in particular to come forward to throw themselves fully into the sacred fight for freedom and to flinch not till the goal of a sovereign state of Tamil Eelam is reached.