1. RESOLUTION ADOPTED

CONSIDERING that an independent Tamil State had been in existence for several centuries in the Traditional Homelands of the Tamils in the Island of Ceylon until its conquest by the Portuguese in 1619;

TAKING ACCOUNT of the fact that with the termination of British rule in the Island of Ceylon in 1948 and the imposition of a British-made constitution in that year rejected by the majority of the Tamil people at the Parliamentary General elections of 1947, British paramountcy over the Tamil Nation lapsed thereby creating a constitutional vacuum in respect of the Tamil Nation;

BRINGING TO THE ATTENTION of the world that the illegally imposed constitutions of 1972 and 1978 by the Sinhalese Government of the day were no more than unilateral declarations of self-proclaimed constitutions in respect of the Sinhalese Nation only, the majority of Tamil Representatives in Parliament refusing to participate in constitution - making and rejecting both constitutions;

REGRETTING that since granting of independence to the Island of Ceylon in 1948 the Tamil Nation has been subject to discrimination, oppression and state-encouraged violence by successive Governments dominated by the Sinhalese people:

RECALLING that the just and legitimate demands of the Tamil People were not appreciated or recognized by the Sinhalese People and their Governments resulting in the Tamil United Liberation Front, the political party representing the Tamil People, at their First Convention on 14th May, 1976 unequivocally resolving that "the restoration and reconstitution of the Free Sovereign Secular Socialist State of THAMIL 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 the Country".

RECOGNIZING that the Tamil United Liberation Front requested from the Tamil People at the Parliamentary Elections of 21st of July 1977 a mandate, for the re-establishment of the Sovereign secular State of Tamil Elelam and did in fact obtain the mandate;

NOTICING WITH CONCERN the pogroms against the Tamil People by the Sinhalese People and the Sinhalese Security Forces throughout the Island since 1956 and increasingly so since August 1977, thereby endangering the very existence of the Tamil people including the plantation Tamils, calculated to coerce them to flee to India;

ALSO NOTICING WITH CONCERN the arbitary arrests, prolonged detention, torture, killings and arrests as hostages of Tamils under the State of Emergency in 1979 and under the prevention of terrorism law of 1979 which contains provisions denying protections available under normal laws and designed to be used mainly against Tamils and which have been condemned in the report of the International Commission of Jurists of October 30, 1981.

ALSO NOTICING WITH CONCERN the burning of the Pubic Library in Jaffna with 97,000 volumes including rare first editions and manuscripts, the Independent Press, Eelanadu, headquarters of T. U.L.F. and other institutions and buildings in Jaffna by the security forces of the State in June, 1981 manifesting the intention to destroy the cultural heritage of the Tamil People and to repress their knowledge and freedom of expression;

ALSO NOTICING WITH CONCERN the killing of innocent persons, terrorising of people and the arrest of their leaders by the security forces and the rigging of the elections of District Development Council of Jaffna in June 1981 by Ministers of State, Sinhalese Government officials and the security forces;

RECOGNIZING that the Sinhala security forces in the traditional homeland of Tamils are acting as an army of occupation;

BEING AWARE of the planned effort by the successive Sri Lanka Governments to colonize the Traditional Homelands of the Tamils with Sinhalese, using the aid and loans given for the purpose of development by foreign countries and international aid agencies;

CONSCIOUS of the fact that having adopted the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Sri Lanka Government continues to carry on a false propaganda that there is protection of human rights in Sri Lanka as provided by the constitution, while blatantly denying to the Tamil People fundamental human rights including the right of self-determination;

REALIZING that the chauvinistic policies of successive Governments since the granting of Independence to the Island of Ceylon are leading to repeated acts of State terrorism resulting in increasing sense of insecurity and fear of genocide among the Tamil people;

REAFFIRM the necessity and urgency for the restoration of the sovereign State of Thamil Eelam so that the survival and security of the Tamil people will be ensured, the dignity and honour of the Tamil People will be preserved, and the ideal of enjoyment of civil and political freedom and freedom from fear and want for the Tamil People will be achieved;

CALL UPON the Tamils of the World to join and unite in the struggle to secure justice, security and peace to the Eelam Tamil Nation;

WHILE ACKNOWLEDGING with gratitude the sympathy and support to the oppressed people by the people and Government of India, the people and all political parties of Tamil Nadu whose representatives are participating in this Convention as observers, the State Government of Tamil Nadu, the State Assembly of Massachusetts, the International Commission of Jurists, Ammesty International, International Human Rights Law Group and other human rights organizations-

APPEAL TO the nations of the World and the International Community to ensure that the Eelam Tamil Nation is not denied fundamental human rights including the right of self-determination -

AND RESOLVE TO SET UP A THAMIL EELAM LIBERATION COUNCIL TO LOBBY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, TO CO-ORDINATE THE ACTIVITIES OF ALL GROUPS COMMITTED TO THE IDEA OF THAMIL EELAM AND TO USHER THE BIRTH OF THE NEW NATION.

2. The following is the full text of the resolution moved at the World Tamil Eelam Convention held recently on the subject of the formation of a Provisional Government of Tamil Eelam. The resolution was referred to the Eelam Liberation Council for consideration.

WHEREAS since this is the first time that an International convention comprising leading representatives from several countries of the World including Thamil Eelam, is being held to decide and determine the destiny of the Eelam Tamils.

WHEREAS, it is in this great country that certain historic STEPS were recently taken to win world sympathy for the understanding of the Thamil cause, starting with the address in the United Nations General Assembly in 1978 on why the U.N. should recognise the right of self -determination already exercised by the Eelam Thamils for a separate Thamils to live as a soverign soverign state., separate state.

WHEREAS, this was followed in 1979 [May 22] by a unique and unprecedented demonstration of support by such an august assembly as that of the Massachusetts State which unanimously passed and adopted a resolution and proclamation amounting to an implied recognition of the sovereignty and freedom of the State of Thamil Eelam.

WHEREAS another important state much nearer Thamil Eelam namely Tamil Nadu has no more than one occasion demonstrated its support and solidarity for our case as shown by the State Assembly's unanimous resolution adopted in August 1981,

WHEREAS, as a further step on Pongal Day 1982 [14th January], Thamil representatives assembled at the United Nations solemnly and with historical perspective made and carried out the Declaration of Independence for the three and a half million Eelam Thamils to live as a sovereign separate state.

WHEREAS, on this same Pongal Day similar Independance Declarations and demonstrations in support were made in other countries such as in India [Erode] and Malaysia [Kulalumpur] and of course in Thamil Eelam.

WHEREAS, this momentum is being kept up as clearly shown by the people backed re-adoption of the Independence Declaration on 26th April, 1982 in Jaffna led by the emerging new mass movement led by the Thamil Eelam Liberation Front [TELF].

WHEREAS, the number of arrests of militant Tamil youth, particularly last May, both in Tamil Nadu and Thamil Eelam, make it imperative that further practical steps be taken to achieve our goal of Thamil Eelam.

WHEREAS this very morning our Thamil Eelam Flag has been solemnly hoisted in the presence of the Convention delegates and representatives.

THIS WORLD CONVENTION TAKING INTO FULL CONSIDERATION THE TOTALITY OF ALL RELEVANT DEVELOPMENTS, RESOLVES AND DECIDES TO FORM AN INTERIM PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT OF THAMIL EELAM. WITHIN ONE YEAR FROM TODAY.

The following are extracts of the speech made by Dr. S. Navaratnam at the World Tamil Eelam Convention held in July 3 and 4 at New York:-

"The scarred and bloodied landscape that disfigures so much of this once peaceful and beautiful land (Sri Lanka) is only the visible result of a well calculated and brilliantly organised campaign to undermine the morale of the civilian masses and the freedom fighters alike.

Our political system is in turmoil. Our people are bewildered. Our youth is confused. The leaders who a few years ago were proclaiming from every available public platform that the Tamil speaking People have given them a mandate to establish a homeland for them are seen today parleying with the President and preaching the virtues of co-operation with a government whose catalogue of betrayals has yet to be erased from our memories. We are told of "Amity Talks" taking place between the leaders but not details of their character and nature is forthcoming.

Eelam is rife with rumours that the Tamil leadership is  now slowly sliding away their commitment to Eelam. These speculations are allowed to pass unchallenged. Consequently, new political groupings are springing up, naturally accusing the existing leaders of gross betrayals. The Tamils at home and abroad are perplexed and disillusioned, their hopes are shattered. Their youth once dedicated to bring peace and freedom to their people are today confused and spilling blood among themselves to the utter dismay and disappointment of the people. To some of us living abroad and committed to help our brethren achieve the same degree of peace and security as we are fortunate to enjoy in these alien lands, it is both sad and distressing to note the lack of purposeful leadership offered to those ir Eelam.

"For approximately three decades since independence the Tamil speaking people sought to involve themselves in the political affairs of the island within the unitary constitution bequeathed to them by the British. They believed that, within it were provisions which would give adequate protection to their life, liberty and property and they could transact their affairs in relative tranquility. The view of the Tamil elite was dealt a shattering blow by Bandaranaike's decisive victory at the general election of 1956 rejecting much of the things that had then come to be accpeted as the normal order of the day.

This did not mean that the interests of the Tamils were intact prior to 1956, as is evident in the disenfranchisement of the plantation workers and the active policies pursued and implemented in the form of Sinhala colonisation of traditional Tamil speaking areas. Even though they affected the ordinary Tamil working classes very substantially, the erosion of their interest was at best tolerated and ignored or at worst conveniently accepted by the elitist leadership whose ethos and values were no different from those of Sinhala leaders, both natural offsprings of the colonial masters

• The Tamil plantation workers were disenfranchised by an Act of Parliament. The immediate effect was to distort the electoral balance whereby Kandyans who constitute 26% of the population of the island gained 44% of the seats, thereby consolidating the political ascendancy of the Sinhalese vis a vis the rest.

• By the crude use of "democratic process," the Tamils were effectively disenfranchised by the different Sinhala governments gripped in Sinhala Budhist nationalism.

• Attempts at reconciliation by agreements negotiated between Sinhala governments and the Tamil parliamentry leaders were abruptly abrogated before they were implemented.

• Predominantly Tamil speaking areas such as the Plantation areas in the Central Province, Eastern Province and the Southern periphery of the Northern Province are subject to state sponsored colonisation at the behest of Sinhala Buddhist pressure groups.

• Tamils who live outside their borders are set upon by Sinhala goondas with the connivance of the forces of law and order, their lives put in jeopardy and their property appropriated.

• Armed with special legislation the Army and Police continually harass those Tamils who live in their traditional homeland causing untold damage to life and property.

• Institutionalised discrimimation in the field of employment and educational opportunities.

These facts which I have just enumerated clearly constitute a violation of Article II of the Convention of the Prevention and Punicshment of the Crime of Genocide as approved by the General Assembly of the United Nations Resolution 260A (iii) of the 9th December, 1948.

A democratic state can only exist and effectively excercise sovereign power so long as it can command the loyalty of all its people, and to do so itmust be capable of representing the general will of the people. This general will must be a reflection of the consensus of opinion across the whole of its population, not the private opinion of any groups. But when this general will becomes identified with one of these groups because it is the largest and therefore able to dominate the rest, the result is one of inevitable divisive rancour. The charecteristics of the general will which unites people together cannot be founded simply on the sole will of the majority. When simple majorities are used to disadvantage the minorities and put them in peril, then it becomes oppression.

The Tamils have not seriously participated in Government since 1956. Their representatives are elected to Parliament but their voice is not heard. Of what use is democratic representation when there is not power to be shared? The two major parties among the Sinhalese compete with each other, as in a Dutch auction to further diminish and curtail the few rights left to the Tamils. As if this was not sufficient, the very forces  of law and order, ostensibly established to protect the person and property of the people, themselves carry out deliberates acts of violence against the people and their property. These men are not compelled to answer for their misdeeds.

In these circumstances, I submit that the essence of the contract between the Tamil citizen and the State has ceased to exist. We are on own and virtually thrown back into the State of nature...

That is why I say to this convention we have a right to join togehtcr with similarly placed people and organise within a defined geographical area to resist these acts of violence and genocide perpetrated on our people and adopt policies to increase their welfare. This is the case for Eelam which I commend to this Convention.

In the past our leaders were negotiating with Sinhala Governments in order to extract various concessions from them. From judging those negotiations, agreements and pacts, no tangible benefits haveaccrued to the vast majority of the Tamil speaking people, certainly not the plantation workers or the ordinary peasant who is now crowded out of his village in the Vanni and the Eastern Province.

"The fact that the bulk of the plantation workers are without a vote places them at a great disadvantage since no one outside the plantation leadership itself is interested in •their cause.

The state of Eelam will be composed of all the disadvantaged groups, be they Tamils, Muslims, Christians, Hindus or Budhists. It is their sufferings that will have to be alleviated. It is their welfare that will have to be promoted if EeIam is to be reality. It is these people who will have to create it. There is no Eelam unless they are convinced that the new state would usher in a new dawn, a new era where freedom from fear, freedom from basic wants, and equal opportunities to all without discrimination are guaranteed.

That is why our founding fathers in their wisdom at their National Convention of the T.U.L.F. declared and I quote

"That Tamil Eelam shall be a socialist state wherein the exploitation of man by man shall be forbidden, the dignity of labour shall be recognised, the means of production and distribution shall be subject to public owner ship and control, while permitting private enterprise in these branches within limits 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 or family may acquire".

We must take this message to the people to make this a mass movement. Eelam can only be liberated by mass actio . The expression of the desire of a people at an election does not necessarily mean that they are ready for mass action.

The leadership having obtained the mandate have a positive duty to prepare the people for such action rather than fritter away their limited resources on other activities.

Any agreement they negotiate with the government is of a temporary nature. They are maintained at the pleasure of the government and will be abrogated whenever it suits their convenience. We could petition and petition, march and march, and give money until we wear ourselves out; none of this endeavour would reach the core of this matter and it would change nobody's fate.

"No nation can be brought into being without experiencing the pangs of birth. Force is the midwife for an old society pregnant with the new. Therefore, if we are resolved to establish Eelam, then we must also be prepared to withstand considerable suffering and hardship.

It appears that my generation and its successors are just beginning to tread this well trodden path of oppressed people all over the world. Our youth are now on the march. There is dedication to the cause. Their harrowing tales of police persecution and their acts of herosim are already becoming part of our folklore. As is the case with t hses struggles, there are bound to be incidents which perhaps could be avoided by a proper appreciation of history.

The recent events in Eelam and South India where our gallant youth, possibly misled, were involved in acts of adventurism against each other fill us with sadness. These are temporary setbacks and of not much significance and therefore let us not lose heart. For each one of them there are hundreds of others who are by their dedication and self sacrifice are working and night to ensure that no Tamil speak g person will suffer again for accidentally being born a Tamil.

The task before us is enormous. The effort required is formidable. It is clear to some at least that all of us are standing in the same deep shadow, a shadow which can only be lifted by human courage and honour.

And therefore friends for anyone born a Tamil today is also burdened with a heavy responsibility. Now is not the time to be indulging in idle chatter or trivial talk or nourishing food. The party is over. There is a job to be done. Let us stand together and get on with it."

There is widespread acceptance that the struggle between the Sinhalese and the Tamils in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) dates back to nearly two thousand five hundred years. (2500 BC). It is widely claimed that the is widely claimed that the enmity and rivalry between these two communities is the single, oldest struggle between any two known groups of peoples in the world. Although, there have been periods of relative harmony between the groups involved, much of the history has been marked by a polemic climate, obviously generated by sharp differences in language, culture and religion. These differences have by and large remained irreconcilable for several centuries, and still remains a matter of not only domestic tranquility, but also have become a matter of international concern.

At the very outset without having to repeat statements that have been made by experts and scholars on the nature of the struggle provoked by Sinhala oppression all throughout the history of that nation, the one salient factor that stands out prominently, is the absence of `homogeneity' in Ceylon. In the past many Sinhala historians have alluded to this dimension, and it appears that the hear of the matter of this rivalry is the presumption of `homogeneity' in Ceylon. The essential ingredients so vital to the formation of a `nation-state' does not exist in Ceylon.

It is therefore, clear that the idea of "One Nation" is a political myth. As it has been pointed out with valid historical documentation -Ceylon is one country - but two nations. The Nation -Builders presumably working on the theory that unity was possible within diversity, but, a political philosophy that subscribed to the imposition of "Sinhala - Buddhist Uniqueness" resulted in the programmed exclusion of the minorities, especially the Tamil minority, from the mainstream of the social, economic and political life of Ceylon. All discriminatorymeasures both by administrative and legislative measures taken by successive governments were counter-productive to national unity, national integrity, and nation building. In point of fact, a stable and cohesive society was dismantled in the post-independence era .by serious political calculations. The principle of exclusion was operative, and it was visible.

OPTIONS EXHAUSTED The tamils have practically exhausted the many options, in an effort to vindicate their rights as a people-long settled in that country. The Tamils, through their elected representatives have placed their legitimate demands to the Sinhala leadership time and time after. The many pacts and deals made with the Sinhala political leadership in the post - independence era, were never honoured, it was honoured more in the breach than in its compliance.

The road the Tamils had travelled was torturous one. Communications between the Tamils and the Sinhalese have reached and impasse, and the only option that still remained open to the Tamils, was to think in terms of a political strategy that would mark the end of an era of wilful oppression. The political leadership in a landmark decision at Vaddukodai -unanimously decided to create a "Separate State for the Tamils." The Vaddukodai resolution is a major shift in the political philosophy and strategy, and one that has to be to honoured in terms of its mandate from the Tamils of Ceylon.

The Tamils in their struggle for freedom and liberation from the oppressors have had recourse to many arguments, whether it be constitutional, -legal, or matters of historical evidence, and a whole other range of valid contestations which challenge Sinhala rule over the Tamils. It is perhaps true that not one of these will satisfy the Sinhala power holders, not because it lackslogic, but because once power has been passed on to the Sinhala - elite, they are unwilling to either share power to surrender their right to rule. In fact this transfer of power or surrender their right settlement was a tragedy of enormous dimensions, and a political error of great magnitude caused by the British, resulting in the current dilemma of the Tamils in Ceylon. It

was a horse deal between the British and the Sinhala leadership, and one that has caused untold havoc since that deal was made. Therefore, it is proper to claim, that we are being ruled illegally, but notwithstanding the rejection of these contestations, the one -"Right" that the Sinhalese cannot deny the Tamils - is the "RIGHT OF SELF DETERMINATION."

As Tamils, we have frequently alluded to the incontestable fact that the right of self-determination is an inalienable - fundamental right, and one that is not open for debate or discussion. It is a right widely accepted in the international community of nations, and one that has to be respected. The critical matter that is before the Tamil people is the nature of the political model that would best incorporate their native aspirations. The political model that has been proposed is that of "Thamil Eelam," and until a fresh mandate is obtained from the people, this model cannot be compromised.

MASS PARTICIPATION

A real - living progame for the liberation of a people, must necessarily include the "People", not some, but all of the people. The nature of the struggle is such that it must accept the principle of "MASS PARTICIPATION". The movement cannot be left in the hands of eighteen members of Paliament, or eighty one youths - whether they be radical or not, not even in the hands of a handful of members of the community of expatriate - wherever they

be. A dependent theory is contrary to the vitality and growth of a movement. Any genuine liberation struggle must place its stress with the peole themselves. This is what is meant by SELF - RELIANT struggle, and this must therefore encompass all areas. The building of resources at all levels must commence immediately. Yet this does not contradict the principle of `Self-Reliance." It is an orchestration of efforts, but one that must be planned and programmed to meet all exigencies. A struggle that transfers the burden of winning the rights, to powers whether they be super - powers or not, will eventually fail, and become entrapped in slavery to a new master. It is imperative therefore to bear in mind, that a liberation group that does not understand "Self - Reliance" cannot understand liberation. Only where the people themselves have fought and died for their liberation, can they then become masters of the new society. The "elite revolution" is political suicide, without Mass Participation, th revolution will be short lived and limited in terms of its ultimate goal.

The Tamils must learn from similar struggles that are taking place in the world. The best examples around the world whether the Cuban revolution, the Eritreans struggle, the P.L.O. etc.. are all worthy of our intense study, unless there is mass appeal, mass participation, the uprising of the people themselves, the movement is bound to fail. It must become a PEOPLE'S WAR. Our principal aim is our PRINCIPLES. There must be Determination. There must be WILL to succeed.

OUR STRUGGLE

In the final analysis, the idea of liberation must firmly be entrenched in our hearts and minds. We must positively take sides, the Tamils can no longer sit on the fence. We must be participants in this, our struggle, not spectators, -on the side of mankind attempting to liberate itself from all kinds of oppression. If we are a oppressed people -and we are -then we must fight for liberation.

The political model of Thamil Eelam can be read in many different ways. There are some who consider it as, Quest for Tamil rights, others use it as an intimidating and threatening political instruments, and yet others see it as a goal to be achieved. The shaping of the future is in the hand of the people. Since the free world usually are not supporters of "Separatism",then a strong federalism might be an answer.

In any event, the decision is in the hands of the people, As the Axiom goes - VOX POPULI - VOX DEI. (The voice of the people is the voice of God) The rights of man come not from the state but from Almighty God. The fight for self - determination is a political imperative; and one that must be pursued with all its Vigor and Vitality.

  Call for Effective Intervention By Indian Government. on Tamil Issue

The Tamil Nadu Kamaraj Congress leader, Mr. P. Nedumaran, has urged the effective intervention of the Union Government in the Sri Lanka Tamils issue to ensure the safe return of thousands who had fled the country seeking asylum in various countries.

Mr. Nedumaran told newsmen on is return from the World Tamils Conference held recently in New York, that the conference discussed the Sri Lanka Tamils Eelam demand and a new organisation styled "Tamils Eelam Liberation Council" was formed A 12-point programme was drawn up and it was resolved to open branches of the new Liberation Council in various countries in Europe to mobilise the sympathy and support of their people.

Li reply to a question, Mr. Nedumaran said the Sri Lanka Tamils wanted that the people and the Government of Tamil Nadu Mould mount pressure on the Centre. There could be talks between the officials of the External Affaris Ministries of the two countries, failing which the Foreign Ministers could meet.

Referring to the Liberation Tigers, Mr. Nedumaran demanded a probe by the Tamil Nadu Government into alleged leakage of information, during interrogation of the arrested persons.