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 

Tamils - a Nation without a State

United Kingdom - ஐக்கிய இராச்சியம்
- an estimated 100,000 Tamils live in Great Britain  -

British Tamil from Eelam, Jan Jananayagam
stands for Election to European Parliament
from Greater London Electorate - Around 5 million Voters

15 May 2009

http://votejan4mep.org/ - 8 Seats in Greater London Electorate - Proportional Representation

 
Jan Jananayagam, Tamils Against Genocide
in TV Discussion Programme with Mr-Hugo Charlton
and Keheliya Rambukwela

Deepam Interview on Significance of Proportional Representation
in Election to European  Parliament
 

[see also 
"Tamils under existential threat" says Jan Jananayagam - BBC Interview, 4 February 2009
  Jan Jananayagam at World Tamils Forum London Conference, 27 March 2009 
List of Candidates
Report in Tamil]

Profile

Early years and Education

Jan grew up in Sri Lanka, England, Zambia and Nigeria where her parents worked as school teachers. In England she lived in the seaside town of South Port in Merseyside, as well as in Croydon and in Bramdean, a small village near Winchester.

She studied for her GCE O and A levels by correspondence course from Africa and gained entry to Manchester University where she graduated with distinction in Computing and Information Systems. She also holds a Masters in Applied Mathematics from Imperial College, University of London and an MBA from INSEAD business school in France.

Jan�s family were granted leave to remain in England as refugees from the armed conflict in Sri Lanka, while Jan herself was granted a work visa in 1989 as a professional expert in her field.

Jan moved to London in 1992.

Professional Life

Jan started her career in Research and development for a leading computer manufacturer, Digital Equipment Ltd, before moving to the banking industry, where she worked in roles in technology, research and trading. She has worked for leading firms including Merrill Lynch and Credit Suisse.

She currently works as interim project manager of quantitative technology for the Markets and Investment Banking Division of the Unicredit Group, Italy�s second largest banking group, splitting her time between the London and German offices.

She has also been involved in setting up and managing startup e-commerce ventures and understands the needs of entrepreneurs and small businesses.

She is passionate about the transformative power of the internet, and of technology, and has a strong interest in macroeconomic issues.

Activist Life

Jan has been a human rights activist since 1995, when she co-founded HURT (Human Rights for Tamils) together with then medical student, Dr S Shiamila. She also writes regularly for Tamil media. For the last year she has been UK spokesperson for �Tamils Against Genocide� an advocacy group that seeks to obtain convictions for genocide against high-ranking Sri Lankan officials and the state. She is also recently a Director of the British Tamil law foundation that focuses on public and international humanitarian law.

Why I am participating in this election to the European Parliament

I have watched with dismay the gradual erosion of civil liberties in UK and Europe since 2001, the increase in the policing powers of the state, and the accompanying marginalisation of ethnic communities.

I am appalled by the indifference and impotence of the British and European political establishment in the context of the ongoing genocide in Sri Lanka.

I oppose the surreal wastefulness of the European tax-payer funding the purchase of banned weapons of war in countries such as Sri Lanka via international institutions such as the IMF all in the name of preserving �financial stability�.

On the other hand, racism is on the rise in Europe and the BNP has a real chance of getting a seat in London.

It is clear that when it comes to abiding by agreed international norms of behaviour our governments cannot be depended on. This is not just with respect to genocide but also in areas related to torture and detention.

In the last few months, I have tried to influence the large political parties and international organisations to do something tangible to stop the war in Sri Lanka. Young people have gone on hunger strike while ordinary people protest in their thousands in London. But we are unable to stop the forced starvation of an entire people. We cannot persuade our government to do air drops of food or to insist on delivery by ship. It seems that no lessons have been learned from Biafra, Rwanda, Srebenica, let alone the Jewish holocaust. These last few months have been a revelation.

One cannot leave matters in the hands of the established political parties. As an independent candidate who is not afraid to tell the truth and to catalyse change, I intend to make a difference in the areas in my manifesto.

"Tamils under existential threat" says Jan Jananayagam

BBC Newshour interview with TAG

In an interview with BBC's Lyse Doucet in Tuesday's Newshour program, British member of the US-based group Tamils Against Genocide (TAG), Jan Jananayagam, says, "[g]enocide by UN definition is an attempt to destroy in part or in whole an ethnic group. I think that what is going here becomes perilously close to at least destruction at least in part," and adds that the "existential threat to Tamils" in Sri Lanka has to be immediately recognized to avoid mistakes made in Rwanda where obstruction to recognition of genocide early resulted in the loss of thousands of lives.

Full transcript of the interview segment follows:

Jananayagam: Absolutely not. We would not suggest that this is the starting point of this discussion. As a Tamil group, what we like to see is official acceptance that genocide is on going in Srilanka. We think that understanding the problem is the key to the solution. We think that lot of NGOs have come out and talked about genocide there.

BBC: I think they talked about � we have to be careful now, genocide does refer to something absolutely atrocious �we know there are civilians have been suffering and civilians have been killed. but, let us talk about the extent, trying to end it. Do you think laying down arms will do something to stop.

Jananayagam: �No I don�t. I don�t. I disagree with you on the point that genocide is something atrocious. Genocide by UN definition is an attempt to destroy in part or in whole an ethnic group. I think that what is going here becomes perilously close to at least destruction at least in part. The problem with genocide is you don�t recognize then till they are over. We never did in past till they are over. We also say as Tamils that this is a long running genocide started with legislation when a million Tamils lost citizenship. It is a very very long running structural issue.

BBC: But that is OK, what is being said now is the government has asked the Tamil tigers to release civilians � the international community and the Red Cross and the UN has talked about freedom of movement for people. so they are also in effect asking the Tamil Tigers to leave the conflict zone.

Jananayagam: That I agree with. That is perfectly fine. I don�t think that the Tamil tigers are holding the people back from the conflict zone of preventing them from moving �

BBC: Then why would the UN then call on them to provide freedom of movement, if they are ..

Jananayagam: That is a very interesting question for UN. The UN should be asking why those people are being shelled. why hospitals are being shelled, why safe zones are being shelled. There are 5000 shells that fell on the safe zone. The question is why is that happening? you can�t force people to move away from their homes. I don�t think UN should be suggesting that. It is a war crime to shell civilians in a safe zone. The UN should recognize that war crime right now. We need to recognize what is going on now by the name.

BBC: I think this group of countries all of them who were trying to play a part in ending the conflict are saying is that the Tamil tigers are being defeated on one battle field after another. It is a matter of time. Therefore, why not end it now before more lives are lost.

Jananayagam: I completely agree that is how they see it. But as Tamils, we believe that they see it wrong. The problem is not a problem of civil war � not a problem of terrorism as it is made out to be. It is an attack on Tamil people. There is a reason why Tamil people, civilians are being killed by their own government � supposedly their own government, Srilankan government is attacking its own people. Tamil people are under existential threat. We have been for a very long time. Nobody else seem to recognize that.

BBC: So, what would you say that. You don�t agree with the call to lay down the arms. what is the means to stop this � we both agree on this � the suffering of civilians?

Jananayagam: It is to recognize that there are war crimes, that there are acts of genocide. If you do not wish to recognize complete genocide, you can begin with acts of genocide. It is to impose sanctions for war crimes. It is to even that � balance out the playing field between the government and the Tigers.

BBC: That is after the fighting is over there should be an investigation into. What about now, when the fighting is continuing?

Jananayagam: I think that the recognition has to be immediate. In Rwanda, that was the mistake that was made. In Rwanda, the US and Britain obstructed recognition. That cost lives.

BBC: So, should the Tamil Tiger rebels keep fighting?

Jananayagam: I don�t think the UN, based on its record in Rwanda, has proved that it can alone defend the Tamil people. Tamil people are under threat, and there is a party required to defend them. The Tamil people have to choose.

---

ஐரோப்பிய பாராளுமன்றத் தேர்தல் 2009: பிரித்தானியாவில் வாக்காளார்களைப் பதிவு செய்தல்

ஜுன் மாதம் 4ஆம் நாள் நடைபெறவிருக்கிற ஐரோப்பிய பாராளுமன்றத் தேர்தலில் பிரித்தானியாவில் வாக்களிப்பதற்கு உரித்துடையவர்கள், இதுவரை தங்களை வாக்களர்களாக பதிவு செய்யாதவிடத்து, தங்களது விண்ணப்ப படிவங்களை இம்மாதம் 19ம் திகதிக்கு முன்னதாக அனுப்பி வைக்க வேண்டும்.

விண்ணப்ப படிவங்களை உள்ளுராட்சி சபைகளிடமிருந்து நேரடியாகப் பெற்றுக் கொள்ளலாம் அல்லது அவர்களது இணைய தளங்களிலிருந்து தரவிறக்கம் செய்து கொள்ள முடியம்.

இவ்விடயத்தில் தமிழ் மக்களுக்கு உதவுவதற்காக இவ்வார இறுதியில் தமிழ் பாடசாலைகள், வணக்கதலங்கள், தமிழ் வியாபரத்தலங்கள் போன்றவற்றில் விசேட சாவடிகள் நிறுவப்படவிருக்கின்றன.

இம்மையங்களிலிருந்து விணணப்படிவங்களை பெற்றுக்கொள்ளலாம். அத்துடன் விண்ணப்பங்களை நிரப்புவதற்கு உதவுவதற்காக  தொண்டர்களும் அங்கிருப்பார்கள்.

மேலதிக விபரங்ளை 0208 866 58 00 என்ற தொலைபேசி இலக்கத்துடன் தொடர்பு கொண்டு பெற்றுக்கொள்ள முடியும்.

விண்ணப்ப படிவங்களை http://votejan4mep.org என்ற இணைய தள முகவரியிலும் பெற்றுக் கொள்ளலாம்.

ஐரோப்பிய நாடாளுன்ற தேர்தலில் இனப்படுகொலைக்கு எதிரான அமைப்பின் பேச்சாளர் ஜனனி ஜனநாயம் பிரித்தானியாவில் இருந்து போட்டியிடுவதால், பிரித்தானியாவில் வாழும் தமிழர்கள் அனைவரும் தமது வாக்குகளை அவருக்கு இட வேண்டும் எனக் கோரிக்கை முன்வைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

ஒன்றரை இலட்சத்திற்கு மேற்பட்ட வாக்குகள் பெற்றால் இவர் ஐரோப்பிய நாடாளுமன்றத்தில் அங்கம் பெற முடியும என்பது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது.