If LTTE & TNA demands
are the same – why is Sri Lanka Government agreeing to implement them?
Both LTTE & TNA are
demanding a separate Tamil Homeland. LTTE fronts have been echoing the same.
Take out their statements, press releases, constitutions, election manifestos,
interviews & demands and the comparisons are shocking. LTTE were terrorists
and TNA is the political wing created by the LTTE. In 1976 Tamil political
leaders came up with Vaddukoddai Resolution the same year Prabakaran formed the
LTTE. ITAK is the leader of the TNA alliance set up by LTTE in 2001. ITAK
head has been made the Opposition Leader since August 2015. The supporters of
LTTE, TNA & LTTE fronts are now galvanizing their demands into a serious of
actions that forces the Government in power to take action simply because of
the assurances made before elections to help bring the government to power. Now
the Shylocks are demanding their piece of flesh. Requoting Sambanthan’s speech
at the ITAK Convention in 2013 “The struggle is the same, but the
approaches we employ are different. Our aim is the same, but our strategies are
different. The players are the same, but the alliances are different. That is
the nature of the Tamil people. Although we still have the same aim, the methods
we use are now different.” With these ground realities is the GOSL insane to
even entertain demands by any of these groups riding on the bogey of
reconciliation which is also being funded by the same supporting sources and
the new constitution is being drafted by those that supported separatist aims
& objectives?
It doesn’t take a whizz kid
to notice the similarities and virtual cut and paste statements from Tamil
political parties and the Tamil armed militant groups. Essentially there is no
difference in what the Tamil political parties are demanding and what the Tamil
armed militants demand. So when LTTE remains banned as a terrorist group and
were militarily defeated, did it not mean that their ideologies were also
rejected and eliminated? If so, why are these same demands being entertained
now that they are being championed by Tamil leaders not in LTTE uniform?
These are questions that the
public needs answers to. Simply by showing a lovey-dovey picture of
reconciliation we cannot keep silent as armed militancy has now being replaced
with unruly Tamil public outbursts in demanding removal of military camps in
the North and East and this weak government is simply giving in? Will any
Western country remove any of its military bases simply because some ISIS or Al
Qaeda supporters surround the bases screaming their closure?
TULF formed an alliance with the three Indian backed paramilitary
groups, Eelam National Democratic Liberation Front (ENDLF), Eelam People’s
Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) and Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization
(TELO), to contest the 15 February 1989 election.
TNA alliance in 2001 comprised Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), the
All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization
(TELO) and the Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF)
Global Tamil Forum (GTF) was
established in 2009 – its Policy Advisor is Joan Ryan, Labor MP
The Transnational Government
of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) is a political formation to win the freedom of the Tamil
people on the basis of their fundamental political principles of Nationhood,
Homeland and Right of self-determination.
Pro-LTTE statements
·
ITAK remembers the ‘Tamil youth who sacrificed their
lives in armed struggle’ (Sampanthan’s speech at the 14th Annual ITAK
convention in 2012 Batticoloa) – the only Tamil youth who sacrificed their
lives in armed struggle were the LTTE!
·
TULF Manifesto 1977 also stated that Eelam would be
ultimately established “either by peaceful means or by direct action or
struggle.”
·
“Even after the
adoption of the Vaddukoddai resolution, and even after the commencement of an
armed struggle… the armed struggle gained in strength, and the Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam came to occupy a paramount position, and play a pivotal
role in the struggle of the Tamil nationality to win their rights. It would be
futile not to recognize this reality” – TNA manifesto 2001
·
“seriously
flawed policies of the Sri Lankan State in the past six years, of claiming to
'conduct a war for peace’ and claiming 'that the war is being conducted against
the LTTE and not against the Tamil people' has aggravated the situation and
made a just solution to the Tamil national question even more complex” – TNA manifesto
2001
·
“The immediate
commencement of the process of negotiations with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam ( LTTE) with international third party involvement.” – TNA manifesto
demand 2001
·
“This Alliance
also states that unless meaningful negotiations are held with the L.T.T.E. no
just solution can be found to the Tamil national question and that such
negotiations should be held immediately only with the LTTE.” – TNA manifesto
2001
·
“lift the
proscription imposed on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Sri
Lanka” – TNA manifesto 2001
·
“participation
of the LTTE at such negotiations on behalf of the Tamil nationality.” – TNA
manifesto 2001
·
“in order to
safeguard the life and liberty of the Tamil race and to establish its
birthright for self-determination, the Tamil Nation having been pushed to the
unavoidable state of armed conflict as the only way, the war not only broadened
but advanced under the generalship of the Tigers’ leader Hon. Pirapaharan” –
TNA manifesto 2004
·
“the legendary
bravery, sacrifices and exploits of our heroes and fighters.” – TNA manifesto
2004 clearly refers to Tamil militants and not to Sri Lankan soldiers!
·
“LTTE put
forward the proposal that an interim self-governing authority be set up for the
regions of the Tamil nation” – TNA manifesto 2004
·
“The LTTE has
for the past two years put up with the violent, surly behaviour of the armed
forces without impairing the conditions for peace and observing the cease-fire
and acting steadfastly and firmly towards the path of peace” – TNA manifesto
2004 (then why did SLMM record over 3000 violations by LTTE?)
·
“LTTE, the
authentic sole representatives of the Tamil people” – TNA manifesto 2004
·
“LTTE not only
has fully 70 regions in the Tamil people’s traditional homeland under its
complete control and is managing an administrative set up with characteristic
features of a state government but also has a functioning government.” TNA
manifesto 2004
·
“The Sinhala
nation should accept in to the ideas developed in the ISGA document put forward
by the LTTE which contains excellent proposals in regard to rebuilding the
Tamil country devastated and Tamil lives ravaged in the twenty-year long war,
to solve the day to day problems encountered by the Tamil people and to
establish normalcy in the lives of the Tamil people, centred on their welfare,
respecting human rights and conforming to the rule of law, and proceed to hold
talks with the LTTE and set up the ISGA committee” – one of 10 resolutions of
TNA manifesto 2004
·
“Accepting
LTTE’s leadership as the national leadership of the Tamil Eelam Tamils and the
Liberation Tigers as the sole and authentic representatives of the Tamil
people, let us devote our full cooperation for the ideals of the Liberation
Tigers’ struggle with honesty and steadfastness” – TNA manifesto 2004
·
“. Let us work
side by side with the LTTE, who are fighting for the protection and autonomous
life of the Tamil speaking people” – TNA manifesto 2004
·
In 2014
Anandasangaree writes to Indian PM Modi and says TNA is a LTTE proxy - http://www.mfa.gov.lk/index.php/en/news-from-other-media/5352-mr-modi-tna-is-a-lttes-proxy-anandasangaree-
·
“TULF MP Mavai Senathirajah who is in the process of
reviving the Federal Party (ITAK) visited Killinochchi had meetings with the
LTTE Deputy Political Commissar Thangan on 14-10-2003. The revival of the
Federal party is being undertaken at the behest of the LTTE” – Anandasangaree
letter to Modi 2014
·
““The TNA was started by four parties of which TULF
was one. The TULF was replaced by ITAK without any reference to anybody or to
the party concerned. All concerned parties should now accept that both the TNA
and the ITAK had been revived by dishonest means on the instigation of the LTTE
to look after their interest. It is this TNA that nominated candidates for all
electoral districts in the North and in the East for the 2004 elections, Mr.
Tamilselvan retaining half the number of slots in each one of the electoral
districts. Of all the members elected to the 2004 Parliament, majority belonged
to the LTTE.” Anandasangaree letter to Modi 2014
·
“the secretaries of the ITAK, ACTC, Telo & EPRLF endorsed“Accepting the
leadership of the LTTE as the National Leadership of the Tamil people and also
accepting the LTTE as the real sole – representatives of the Tamil people, we
honestly and firmly pledge to give our full support for the struggle the LTTE
had undertaken on behalf of the Tamil Nation”. Anandasangaree
letter to Modi 2014
Post-LTTE defeat – ITAK
taking over political leadership of the ‘cause’ to separate Sri Lanka
·
ITAK is now the ‘legitimate representative of the
Tamil people’ – ITAK convention 2014
Indian involvement with LTTE
& Tamil politicians
·
‘India will never
welcome a political solution in Sri Lanka that does not accord with the
interests of India’ – Sambanthan at ITAK convention in 2014
Tamil Nation / Tamil Eelam /
Against unitary constitution / federal constitution / maximum devolution / full
implementation of Indo-Lanka Accord / autonomous rule in North East based on
self-determination / shared sovereignty within an united Sri Lanka
·
LTTE aims to
create a separate homeland for the Tamils known as the Tamil Eelam (State) in
the Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka.
·
“recognition of the Tamils of Ceylon as a
nation” – LTTE demand at Thimpu Talks 1985
·
“recognition of the right of self
determination of the Tamil nation” – LTTE demand at Thimpu Talks in 1985
·
“Unitary Government
with present composition of legislature and structure of executive totally unaacceptable
to the Tamils. In the absence of a
satisfactory alternative we demand the right of self-determination for the
Tamil people.” (Telegram sent by President of the Tamil Congress through
the Governors Office to the Secretary of State for the Colonies on 20th
November 1947)
- ‘Our
expectation for a solution to the ethnic problem of the sovereignty of the
Tamil people is based on a political structure OUTSIDE that of a UNITARY
GOVERNMENT, in a UNITED SRI LANKA in which Tamil people have all the
powers of government needed to live with self-respect and self
sufficiency’ – Sambanthan at ITAK convention 2014
- Federal
constitution – maximum devolution & full implementation of 13a – one
of ITAK’s 15 resolutions passed in 2014 & one of Vaddukoddai
Resolutions 6 demands in 1976
- “Recognition
of the Tamils of Sri Lanka as a distinct nationality” – Demands made by Tamil delegation (LTTE, EPRLF, EROS,
PLOTE, TELO, TULF) at the India organized Thimpu Talks in 1985
- “recognition
of the inalienable right of self-determination of the Tamil nation.” – TNA
manifesto 2001
- “Tamil
organizations got together and resolved on May 14, 1976 to establish a
sovereign independent Tamil Eelam based on our inalienable right to
selfdetermination.” – TNA manifesto 2004
- “Independent
Thamil Eelam received its mandate as a result of the overwhelming support
given to the TULF by the Tamil speaking people of NorthEast in the general
elections of July 1977” – TNA manifesto 2004
- “ITAK and the other Tamil parties
came together under a banner called Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF),
and in 1976 passed a resolution calling for a restoration of our lost
sovereignty in the background of the continued denial of the right of the
Tamil People to self determination” – TNA manifesto 2010
- “Tamil People are entitled to the
right of self determination” – TNA manifesto 2010
- “Devolution of powers should be over
land, law and order, socioeconomic development including health and
education, resources and fiscal powers” – TNA manifesto 2010
- “Direct foreign investment in the
North and East will be facilitated” – TNA manifesto 2010
- “legitimate and inalienable right of
the Tamil Speaking Peoples to charter their own destiny in the areas
historically inhabited by them within a united country.” – TNA manifesto
2010
- “Tamil People are entitled to the
right to self-determination” – TNA manifesto for 2013 NPC elections
- “Devolution of power on the basis
of shared sovereignty shall necessarily be over land, law and order,
socio-economic development including health and education, resources and
fiscal powers” – TNA manifesto for 2013 NPC elections
- “our right to determine our destiny
to ensure self-government in the Tamil Speaking North-East of the country
within a united and undivided Sri Lanka.” – TNA manifesto 2015
- “Tamil Speaking Northern and
Eastern provinces is the historical habitation of the Tamil People and the
Tamil Speaking Peoples” – TNA 2015 manifesto
- “Tamil People are entitled to the
right to self-determination in keeping with United Nations International
Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights, both of which Sri Lanka has accepted and acceded to” – TNA
manifesto 2015
- “Devolution of power on the basis
of shared sovereignty shall be over land, law and order, enforcement of
the law so as to ensure the safety and security of the Tamil People,
socio-economic development including inter-alia health, education, higher
and vocational education, agriculture, fisheries, industries, livestock
development, cultural affairs, mustering of resources, both domestic and
foreign and fiscal powers.” – TNA manifesto 2015 (basically means running
a separate state)
· “meaningful de-militarization resulting
in the return to the pre-war situation as it existed in 1983 before the
commencement of hostilities by the removal of armed forces, military
apparatuses and High Security/Restricted Zones from the Northern and Eastern
Provinces.” – TNA manifesto 2015
· ‘meaningful
devolution should go beyond the 13th Amendment
to the Constitution passed in 1987’ – Sambanthan ITAK Convention 2014
· ‘Tamil
United Liberation Front, of which our party was a member took the historical
decision to establish the separate government of Tamil Eelam in 1976’ –
Sambanthan at ITAK convention 2014
· “Uniting all Tamil entities and elements
who subscribe to the fundamental tenets of Tamil political aspirations
proclaimed in the Vaddukoddai Resolution, which was subsequently endorsed and
mandated in the general election of 1977 and in the Thimbu Principles in 1985.”
– TGTE mission statement
· “support and advocate for the
realization of the Tamils' legitimate political aspirations to regain their
sovereignty and the right to self-determination” – TGTE mission statement
· “Starting the
process of writing the Constitution of Tamil Eelam, based on the principles
enunciated in 1976 Vaddukottai Resolution, Interim Self-Governing Proposal
(ISGA), and the Tamil Eelam Freedom Charter and involving Tamils all around the
world” – TGTE Dec 2015
· “feasibility
and modalities of launching a new Tamil Eelam currency” – TGTE Dec 2015
· “Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi, which has
become the political symbol of the Tamil Nation” – Sambanthan Speech at ITAK 14th Convention 2012
Tamil homeland claim (without any historical,
archaeological, anthropological evidence)
·
“recognition of the existence of an identified homeland for the Tamils
of Ceylon” – LTTE demand at Thimpu Talks in 1985
·
Vaddukoddai Resolution of 1976 falsely claims existence of a ‘Tamil
Nation’ overthrown by the Portuguese however it was the Kandyan King who sent
his envoy Mudaliyar Atappattu to defend the kings territory against the
Portuguese. North was a kinglet and tributary of the Kandyan Kingdom as was
East.
·
Tamil Nation claim made in TULF General Election Manifesto of 1977 and
the ITAK Conventions of 2012 and 2014.
·
“Recognition of an identified Tamil homeland and guarantee of its
territorial integrity.” - Demands made by Tamil
delegation (LTTE, EPRLF, EROS, PLOTE, TELO, TULF) at the India organized Thimpu
Talks in 1985
·
“political solution to the Tamil national problem based on the
acceptance of the fundamental proposals regarding (Tamil Nation’s) Tamil
homeland, Tamil Nation, Tamils’ right to self-government (autonomy). – one of
10 resolutions made by TNA manifesto 2004
·
“Tamil Speaking Northern
and Eastern provinces is the historical habitation of the Tamil Speaking
Peoples” – TNA manifesto for 2013 NPC elections
·
“Mobilise Tamils
globally for drafting a new Constitution for Tamil Eelam” – TGTE Dec 2015
·
“Start e-government services for the people of Tamil Eelam” – TGTE Dec
2015
Tamil official language in Tamil Eelam
·
One of 6 demands made in Vaddukoddai Resolution of 1976
Demilitarization
·
“meaningful
de-militarization resulting in the return to the pre- war situation as it
existed in 1983 by the removal of armed forces, military apparatuses and High
Security Zones from the Northern and Eastern Provinces’ – TNA manifesto 2010
·
“meaningful
de-militarization resulting in the return to the pre-war situation as it
existed in 1983 before the commencement of hostilities by the removal of armed
forces, military apparatuses and High Security/Restricted Zones from the
Northern and Eastern Provinces” – TNA manifesto for 2013 NPC elections
·
demilitarisation of Tamil areas and the restoration of complete civil
administration to all militarised government departments and national
institutions – Global Tamil Forum demand
·
“Sri Lankan military be withdrawn as a precondition to the creation of
the civil space in the Tamil homeland” – TGTE press release 2015
War crimes international investigations
·
one of ITAK’s 15 resolutions passed at Convention in 2014
·
‘our victory in the passage of the recent Resolution at UN Human Rights
Council’ – Sambanthan at ITAK Convention in 2014
·
“An Independant
International Investigation must be conducted into the allegations of
violations of international human rights and humanitarian laws made against
both the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE during the last stages of the
war” – TNA manifesto for 2013 NPC elections
War widows
·
“The war has left
behind over 50,000 widows in the Northern Province alone” – TNA manifesto for
2013 NPC elections
·
“The war has left
behind almost 90,000 widows in the North-East.” – TNA manifesto 2015
Genocide claims
·
one of ITAK’s 15 resolutions passed at Convention in 2014
·
“bring to justice
those who have committed genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.” –
TGTE mission statement
·
“An international
investigation into the Sri Lankan Government’s Genocide of the Tamil people” –
TGTE press release 2015
Colonization claims
·
one of ITAK’s 15 resolutions passed at Convention in 2014
·
Vaddukoddai Resolution on 1976
·
State aided colonization of the Tamil homeland with Sinhala people, from
the time of independence has continued unabated – TNA manifesto 2001
·
“end of the
Sinhalisation of Tamil majority areas, with immediate effect” – Global Tamil
Forum key objective
Repeal of Prevention of Terrorism Act
·
one of ITAK’s 15 resolutions passed at Convention in 2014
Abolition of Executive Presidency
·
one of ITAK’s 15 resolutions passed at Convention in 2014
Re-merger of North & East
·
“Power sharing
arrangements must be established in a unit of merged Northern and Eastern
Provinces based on a Federal structure, in a manner also accptable to the Tamil
Speaking Muslim people.” – TNA manifesto 2010
·
“Power sharing arrangements
must be established in a unit of a merged Northern and Eastern Provinces based
on a Federal structure “ – TNA manifesto for 2013 NPC elections
·
one of ITAK’s 15 resolutions passed at Convention in 2014
·
One of 6 demands made in Vaddukoddai Resolution of 1976 (claim that
Tamil Eelam covers North & East)
·
‘North and East of Sri Lanka are the areas of historical habitation of
the Tamil speaking people’ – Sambanthan at ITAK Convention 2014
Discrimination by Sinhalese
·
Vaddokoddai Resolution lies about denial of Tamil language as Tamil was
never used as an official language before colonial rule or even after. How can
a language that was never in official/administrative use be turned into a right
denied just because Sinhala was made the official language?
·
Vaddukoddai Resolution also lies on denial of equal opportunities –
produce evidence of such inequalities after independence?
The Vaddukoddai Convention called upon
Tamil youth to throw themselves towards the fight for freedom to create Tamil
Eelam (months later Prabakaran formed his terror group)
The GOSL (whatever
party is in power) cannot ignore these ground realities. The mistake of the
past has been to ignore the constitutions of ITAK, Vaddukoddai Resolution of
1976, TULF manifestos, ITAK election manifestos and the demands by LTTE and
LTTE Diaspora fronts and understanding & countering their overall aims and
objectives before agreeing to negotiate on them. Why should any government
negotiate to divide or separate the nation with those who initially carried out
an armed struggle and when that has failed is continuing with the political
alternatives.
Shenali D Waduge
http://www.sangam.org/FB_HIST_DOCS/TULFManifesto77.htm - TULF General Election manifesto 1977
http://www.tamilnet.com/img/publish/2010/03/TNA_Election_Manifesto_2001.pdf - TNA manifesto 2001
https://www.tamilnet.com/img/publish/2010/03/TNA_Election_Manifesto_2004pdf.pdf – TNA manifesto 2004
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/full-text-tnas-northern-provincial-council-election-manifesto-2013/ - TNA manifesto for 2013 NPC elections
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/tna-manifesto-full-text/ - TNA manifesto 2015
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/the-struggle-for-the-political-rights-of-the-tamil-nation-has-now-entered-an-entirely-new-chapter/ - Sambanthan speech at 14th ITAK Convention
2012
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/full-text-of-the-itak-15-resolutions-including-merger-of-the-north-and-east-provinces/ - ITAK Convention 2014
http://www.tgte-us.org/about.html - Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam