Sri Lanka: December 19th Proposals 1986

Tamils - a Trans State Nation..

"To us all towns are one, all men our kin.
Life's good comes not from others' gift, nor ill
Man's pains and pains' relief are from within.
Thus have we seen in visions of the wise !."
- Tamil Poem in Purananuru, circa 500 B.C

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The 1986 "December 19th Proposals"

Subsequent to the collapse of the Thimpu Talks in August 1985, and the September 1985 Working paper, the Indian External Affairs State Minister Natwar Singh and Home, Pensions, Personnel and Public Grievances Minister P. Chidambaram visited Sri Lanka in 1986 to discuss a political solution along the lines of "Eastern Province Trifurcation proposals" of J. R. Jayawardene. India suggested that the predominantly Sinhala Amparai electorate be delinked from Eastern Province and attached to Uva Province. The proposals which emerged as a result of discussions of this Indian delegation (who left Sri Lanka on December 19, 1986) came to be known as the "December 19th Proposals".

The Proposals

The Present territory comprising the Eastern Province minus the Amparai electoral district may constitute the new Eastern Province.

A Provincial Council will be established for the new Eastern Province.

The institutional linkages between the Northern Province and the Eastern Province discussed earlier will be further refined in order to make it more acceptable to the parties concerned.

The Sri Lanka government will be willing to consider a proposal for a second stage of constitutional development providing for the Northern Province and the New Eastern Province coming together subject to modalities being agreed upon for ascertaining the wishes of the people comprised in the Northern Province and the Eastern Province separately.

The Sri Lanka government is willing to consider the creation of an office of Vice President to be appointed by the President for a specified term.

The five Muslim members of Parliament of the Eastern Province may be invited to visit India to discuss matters of mutual concern with the Tamil side under the auspices of the Government of India.