LTTE Plans Government in Exile, Joe Leahy in Mumbai,
Financial Times, 16 June 2009 "The declaration of the transnational government may be
intended to help it keep the independence hopes of the diaspora alive so
that the LTTE can maintain its financial networks, analysts said."
"There are also signs that the Tamil Diaspora is
divided over whom to support. The TamilNet Web site, seen as a
mouthpiece for the rebels, has refused to carry statements from
Pathmanathan."
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Department of International Relations
Formation of Provisional Transnational Government of Tamil
Eelam
[see also Krishna Ambalavanar-
இன்றைய
வரலாற்றுக் கடமை "தோல்வியில் இருந்து மீண்டெழுதல், இன்றைய வரலாற்றுக் கடமை இது. “இயற்கை எனது நண்பன். வாழ்க்கை எனது தத்துவாசிரியன்.
வரலாறு எனது வழிகாட்டி.”
இது தமிழீழத் தேசியத் தலைவர் வே.பிரபாகரன் கூறிய மிகப் பிரபல்யமான கருத்து.......தமிழீழ தேசிய விடுதலைப் போராட்டம் பாரிய பின்னடைவைச் சந்தித்தற்கான
காரணங்கள் ஆராயப்பட்டு, அவை கண்டறியப்பட வேண்டும். அப்போது தான் எமது வரலாற்றுத்
தோல்வியில் இருந்து எம்மால் மீட்சிபெற முடியும்.
தோல்வியில் இருந்து பாடம் கற்கின்ற
மனிதனே வரலாற்றைப் படைப்பான்..."
more
]
Press Release by Selvarasa
Pathmanathan, Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Department of International
Relations [also in PDF].
16 June 2009
Mr Selvarasa Pathmanathan,
the Head of International Relations for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Edam
while explaining the necessity for a Provisional Transnational Government of
Tamil Eelam has issued a media release today announcing the establishment of a
working committee under the leadership of legal advisor, Mr Rudrakumar
Viswanathan to make all necessary pre-arrangements to form such a Government.
"The struggle of the people of Tamil Eelam, for their right to self rule
has reached a new stage. It is time now for us to move forward with our
political vision towards our freedom, hearing in mind the practical
realities in our homeland. Understanding the need for a common work plan
based on a unified policy, we had called upon our people for their advice
and opinions. Incorporating the advice provided by our people and the advice
of our sectoral experts, we have deemed as necessary the formation of a
Provisional Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam to take forward the next
phase of the struggle. To make all necessary pre-arrangements to form such a
Government, a working committee has been established under the leadership of
our legal advisor, Mr Rudrakumar Viswanathan. We call on all Tamil people
and Tamil organisations to provide this committee their whole hearted
support and assistance". Mr Selvarasa Pathmanathan, the Head of
International Relations for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam has stated
in a media release today.
Mr Pathmanthan has further stated that, "the political aspirations of the
people of Tamil Eelam were built on the foundations of a Tamil Nation, Homeland,
and the right to self rule. These were expressed explicitly through the
Vaddukoddai resolution of 1976, during the negotiations at Thimpu in 1985 and in
the proposal fir an Interim Self Governing Authority in 2003. These aspirations
should he kept alive, nurtured and strengthened.
At the same time, in our homeland where our people are subjected to a life
under Sri Lanka's military domination, it is not practical for these people to
vocally express their political aspirations freely. The need for us to function
understanding this pragmatic reality is imperative. Under these circumstances
the Tamil Nation should implement two parallel operations to achieve a common
vision under a common agreement.
"The Provision al Transnational Government of Tamil Edam to he established
shall operate representing the political aspirations and being the voice and
conscience of the people of Tamil Eelam in the international arena. At the same
time, the operational plan implemented in our homeland, the under the leadership
of the Tamil National Alliance that represents the political aspirations of the
people of Tamil Edam, shall hear in mind the existential circumstances on the
ground. There shall he a link between the two operational plans.
"The established working committee which, is to function within democratic
principles shall espouse the details of its operational plans to the people and
maintain an active link with the people to capture the opinions and aspirations
of our people. In order fir this working committee to achieve its goals in whole
I call on all Tamil People to work in unity" Mr Pathmanathan further stated in
the media release.
"
Press statement by Mr Visuvanathan
Rudrakumaran, Coordinator of the Committee for the formation of a
Provisional Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam, 16 June 2009
[also in PDF - English -
Tamil]
The legitimate campaign of the Tamils to realize their right to self:
determination has been brutally crushed through military aggression, which has
been in violation of humanitarian laws and all civilized norms. People all over
the world are shocked and deeply saddened by the massacres of Tamils in the
Vanni.
Of particular note, banned weapons and heavy shelling by the Sinhalese
military were responsible for the massacre of an estimated 30,000 Tamil
civilians in the no fire zone this year. Today the government of Sri Lanka
continues to incarcerate 300,000 Tamils, who have been herded into internment
camps guarded by the Sinhalese military. The UN, INGOS and other relief
organizations and journalists have been barred from free access to these
internment camps. Those Tamils who live outside the camps hardly fare better in
terms of their safety and wellbeing. The Jaffna Peninsula is an open prison
camp. The Eastern part of the island, part of traditional habitation of
Tamil-speaking people, is occupied territory. The South of the island is under
the control of an anti-Tamil government, and the Tamils who live there are
securitized, harassed and live in constant fear of violence. All Tamil civilians
are being targeted solely on account of their Tamil ethnicity. Tamils are on the
verge of being annihilated as a nation, a people and a community through
deliberate killing and disappearance, forced assimilation, ethnic cleansing and
colonization.
Not only is the very physical survival of Tamils in danger in the island of
Sri Lanka, but Tamils also do not have any political space to articulate their
legitimate political aspirations on the island.
Politicians who articulate the voices of their people are in grave danger of
their life. Three Tamil Members of Parliament have been killed since Pres.
Rajapakse was elected in 2005, more have fled the country and the ones who
remain are very brave. In addition, because of the systematic colonization of
Tamil areas, the gerrymandering of electoral districts, the large numbers who
were driven from or fled the Tamil areas because of violence and the lack of new
voter registration, Tamil representation has decreased substantially in the
legislature since independence. Moreover, the electoral process in the island of
Sri Lanka is entrenched with pervasive racism and has resulted in further
marginalization and oppression of Tamil people at each and every election as
acknowledged by academics. Consequently the Tamils are denied effective
participation in the political process of the island.
A symptom of this lack of political space is the 1983 Sixth Amendment which
prohibits even discussion of a separate state in violation of freedom of speech.
The physical insecurity of Tamils is embodied in the 1979 Prevention of
Terrorism Act which has been described as "an ugly blot on the statute book of
any civilized country" by the International Commission of Jurists, and in the
Emergency laws that have allowed hundreds of thousands of enforced
disappearances, extrajudicial executions, torture and rape of Tamils with total
impunity by the perpetrators. There is no political space for the full
articulation of Tamil political aspirations within the constraints of the Sri
Lankan state's constitutional structure, and, with the lack of personal security
for Tamils within the island, the Tamils' political campaign for their rights
can he pursued only from outside the island.
We, the people of Tamil Eelam and its Diaspora, therefore, firmly believe
that the formation of a Provisional Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam is
imperative. It is a well accepted proposition in international law that the
legal claim to establish a government in exile arises the more readily when the
exclusion of its political leaders is achieved through acts contrary to
principles of ius cogens, such as the unlawful use of force, abductions with a
view to torture, genocide, war crimes, detention in internment camps or "open
prisons," the rape of women and the kidnapping of children.
In this connection, we, the people of Tamil Eelam and its Diaspora, propose
to put together a committee for the Formation of a Provisional Transnational
Government of Tamil Eelam. Our program and efforts in this regard are
fundamentally democratic.
The Committee is given the task of structuring such a provisional government,
with the view of
1. Uniting all Tamil entities and elements who subscribe to the fundamental
tenets of Tamil political aspiration, namely the recognition of Tamil
Nationhood, a Tamil homeland as recognized in the 1987 Indo- Sri Lanka
Agreement, and the Tamils' right to self determination found in the 1976
Vaddukoddai Resolution, which was subsequently endorsed and mandated in the
general election of 1977, the 1985 Thimpu Declaration and the 2003 Interim Self
Governing Authority (ISGA) proposals;
2. Working in partnership with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), considering
that the political policies and aspirations articulated by the TNA at
consecutive elections in 2001 and 2004 were strongly endorsed and, thereby
mandated, by the Tamil people, and with any other Tamil political party or
representatives of other parties that support and advocate for the realization
of the Tamils' right to self-determination.
3. Articulating positions for negotiations with the Sinhala nation;
4. Conducting voter registration among the Tamil Diaspora within various
countries in collaboration with an internationally reputed firm in preparation
for electing a constituent assembly to frame a Constitution and to vote at a
referendum subject to international supervision with respect to a final
resolution of the Tamil national question;
5. Establishing procedures for electing a Congress and an Executive;
6. Establishing direct links with foreign Governments and other international
organizations;
7. Working for the social, economic and cultural well-being of the one
million members of the Tamil Diaspora;
8. Building a political program with the participation of Muslim
representatives, taking into account that the diversity of Tamil and Muslim
regions has been used as a threat in the past against the realization of the
Tamils' right to self-determination;
9. Performing such other tasks as may be necessary to promote the interests
of the Tamil people in the North East of the island of Sri Lanka and the Tamil
Diaspora.
Given the urgent need to halt the ongoing genocide of Tamils on the island,
the Committee is also given the task of liaising with international
nongovernmental organizations and international organizations to ensure that
Tamils' physical survival is guaranteed; to stop the sexual violence against
Tamil women; to stop the physical abuse of Tamil children by the Sri Lankan
government's mono-ethnic armed forces and ensure their speedy reunification with
their families; to ensure the return of the 300,000 Tamils held in internment
camps to their homes and to bring to justice those who have committed genocide,
war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The Committee shall also liaise with organizations representing the global
Tamil Diaspora from various parts of the world and, especially, the second
generation, to realize its task.
Members of the Formation Committee consist of a core team and many
subcommittees on a country and sector basis, and are now being recruited.
The Formation Committee is supported by an Advisory Committee of experts
in various fields. Professor M Sornarajah (UK), Professor Francis Boyle
(USA), Professor P. Ramasamy (Malaysia), Professor Rev A.J.C Chandrakanthan
(Canada), Professor Nadaraja Sriskandarajah (Sweden), Dr Murugar Gunasingham
(Australia), Dr Sivanendran Seevanayagam (Australia), Dr A.L. Vasanthakumar
(UK), Ms Karen Parker (USA), Dr N Jeyalingam (USA), Mr Selva Sivarajah
(Australia), Mr Paul Williams (Netherlands) and Professor Peter Schalk
(Sweden) have agreed to function as Advisory Committee members.
We kindly request all committed individuals to come forward to work for the
important task of the formation of a Provisional Transnational Government of
Tamil Eelam.
The Formation Committee is expected to function until December 31, 2009. Upon
completion of its term, the Committee is required to produce a report of its
work. The Committee invites suggestions from the general public in the above
matter. In this connection the Committee has setup an email address for the
public to use - info@govtamileelam
"The declaration of the transnational government may be
intended to help it keep the independence hopes of the diaspora alive so
that the LTTE can maintain its financial networks, analysts said."
Sri Lanka�s defeated ethnic Tamil rebel movement has sounded a note of
defiance by announcing it is setting up a �transnational� government among the
group�s overseas diaspora in a move likely to anger Colombo.
The statement was released by the pro-rebel Tamilnet website and was reportedly
signed by Selvarasa Pathmanathan, the head of international relations for the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, which was crushed by government forces on the
battlefield last month.
The LTTE has been quiet since the death of Velupillai Prabhakaran, its supreme
chief, in May.
The declaration of the transnational government may be intended to help it keep
the independence hopes of the diaspora alive so that the LTTE can maintain its
financial networks, analysts said.
It is also likely to prompt Colombo to step up pressure on western governments,
including the UK, the US and Canada, to take stronger measures against alleged
LTTE sympathisers among their ethnic Sri Lankan Tamil communities.
Colombo achieved a crushing victory against the LTTE when it killed most of the
group�s leaders, including Prabhakaran. But the ferociousness of the battle has
fuelled anger among Tamils, with unofficial United Nations estimates putting the
number of civilians killed in the final phase of the war this year at 20,000.
The government has disputed these figures, claiming it did not use heavy weapons
in the final weeks of the war.
Pressure for an independent inquiry by the UN into possible war crimes was this
month thwarted by China and Russia.
Mr Pathmanathan said the group would be aligned with opposition Sri Lankan Tamil
parliamentarians.
Jehan Perera, of the National Peace Council of Sri Lanka, said the group�s
defiant statements would provide ammunition for hardline nationalists in
Colombo, who argue that security needs to be tightened to counter a resurgence
by the LTTE.
Rohitha Bogollagama, Sri Lanka�s foreign minister, has called for international
co-operation in rounding up members of the LTTE among the diaspora, particularly
Mr Pathmanathan, who is reputed to be custodian of Mr Prabhakaran�s finances.
The government is also keen to deflect criticism from the huge detention camps
it has set up for refugees from the conflict in the north of the island.
"Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels are trying to
rise from the ashes of their devastating battlefield defeat, swearing off
violence and pledging to transform their internationally shunned terror
group into a democratic movement for Tamil statehood. Their rebranding
effort faces long odds.
There are also signs that the Tamil Diaspora is divided over whom to support.
The TamilNet Web site, seen as a mouthpiece for the rebels, has refused to carry
statements from Pathmanathan and there have been reports that many Tamils are
furious with him for quickly acknowledging Prabhakaran's death while others
refused to believe the rebel chief had been killed."
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) � Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels are trying to rise from
the ashes of their devastating battlefield defeat, swearing off violence and
pledging to transform their internationally shunned terror group into a
democratic movement for Tamil statehood.
Their rebranding effort faces long odds. The Tamil Tigers' self-proclaimed new
leader is a wanted arms smuggler, the group has no presence inside Sri Lanka and
the government has brushed off the remaining rebels as irrelevant. It's not even
clear if anyone is really in charge of the tattered and demoralized group.
"There is no LTTE now, because we have totally destroyed their capabilities and
their hierarchy," Media Minister Anura Yapa said, referring to the rebels by an
acronym of their formal name, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
The rebels once controlled a shadow state across northern Sri Lanka backed by
thousands of guerrilla fighters, a navy and even a nascent air force. They were
crushed by government forces last month after a quarter century of civil war.
In the final days of the battle, the military killed much of the Tamil Tigers'
leadership, including Velupillai Prabhakaran, the unquestioned ruler of the
group. His dispatch of hundreds of suicide attackers � whose victims ranged from
former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to commuters in a train station �
landed the group on terror lists around the world.
Now, nearly 300,000 ethnic Tamil civilians from the rebels' former stronghold
are being held in displacement camps in the north as security forces sweep
through the rest of the country searching for remaining sleeper cells.
But the rebels also maintained a vast international support network among the
estimated 800,000 Tamil expatriates living in Canada, Australia, Britain and
other countries.
In the wake of Prabhakaran's death, Selvarasa Pathmanathan, the group's chief of
international relations, has seized the leadership mantle and immediately begun
trying to recreate the Tamil Tigers' image.
He acknowledged the rebels could no longer hope to achieve their dream of a
separate state for minority Tamils � known as Eelam � on the battlefield and
renounced violence. He promised the group would reorganize itself based on
democratic principles � a major change from Prabhakaran's almost cult-like
leadership style. And he announced the creation of a committee to set up a
"provisional transnational government" for the proposed Tamil state.
"The struggle of the people of Tamil Eelam for their right to self-rule has
reached a new stage," he said in a statement Monday. "It is time now for us to
move forward with our political vision towards our freedom, bearing in mind the
practical realities in our homeland."
Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran, a former rebel legal adviser appointed to head the
committee, said he planned to register Tamils abroad to vote for a
constitutional assembly. The committee would also reach out to foreign
governments and create a platform for negotiations with Sri Lanka.
But Pathmanathan may not be the ideal person to transform the Tamil Tigers into
an internationally respected liberation movement. Known as "KP," he ran the
group's vast international weapons smuggling ring and remains a wanted man
internationally. The government has appealed to foreign governments in recent
days to find and arrest him.
"I don't know where he is, but basically we are asking his extradition from
whatever country (he is in)," Yapa said.
There are also signs that the Tamil Diaspora is divided over whom to support.
The TamilNet Web site, seen as a mouthpiece for the rebels, has refused to carry
statements from Pathmanathan and there have been reports that many Tamils are
furious with him for quickly acknowledging Prabhakaran's death while others
refused to believe the rebel chief had been killed.
Pathmanathan's efforts to transform a violent rebel group based in the jungles
of northern Sri Lanka into a peaceful government-in-exile will be "extremely
difficult, if not impossible," said Indian journalist M.R. Narayan Swamy, who
has written books on the rebel group and Prabhakaran.
Western governments are not likely to lift their bans on the group, Sri Lanka
has no incentive to entertain its demands and Tamils abroad may no longer be
willing to give money to the remnants of the defeated and discredited rebels, he
said.
"As far as I'm concerned, the LTTE does not even exist," he said.
