Within two years of Parliamentary elections of December 5, 2001 the Tamil nation
was forced to the position of having to face another election as a result of a
power struggle between the two largest Sinhala chauvinist parties.
However, with the current political environment and in the
backdrop of the changes shaping the attitudes of the international community
towards our freedom struggle, the TNA has decided to make use of the opportunity
presented by this election to bring forcefully to the attention of the world,
and Sri Lanka in particular, our resolve for self determination.
The Tamil
Nation which from historical times had its own traditional homeland, sovereignty
and rule over it lost them first to the European aggressors. When in 1833 the
British brought the whole island of Ilankai under one administrative control the
Tamil Nation, without its consent, was annexed to the Sinhala areas.
Later in 1948 at the time of their departure, the British rejected every
constitutional proposal submitted on behalf of the Tamil Nation and the way was
paved for the fate of the Tamil Nation to be at the mercy of the Sinhala nation.
Subsequently, as a result of the measures taken by the chauvinist Sinhala
majority such as the appropriation of Tamils' land, disenfranchisement,
abrogation of voting rights and language rights, discrimination based on race in
education, employment, culture all of which threatened the distinctiveness and
survival of the Tamil Nation, the non-violent struggle adopted by the Ilankai
Thamil Arasu Katchi on behalf of the Tamil Nation based on the conviction that
the affairs in our traditional homeland should be administered only by us and on
the principle of self-determination, was put down by force of arms by the
government. Since 1957 the agreements entered into from time to time, by the
leaders of Tamil people with the chauvinist Sinhala political leaders have been
torn up and discarded.
Continuing this behavior, in the years 1956 and 1957
planned violence was directed at the helpless Tamil people. Because the
provisions of the unitary state republican constitution of 1972, which was
approved in the midst of the opposition by Tamil people's representatives by the
chauvinist Sinhala majority, which denied totally and comprehensively the rights
of the Tamil people, there arose the historical inevitability of the start of an
armed rebellion on behalf of the Tamil people.
In this political environment
the Tamil organizations got together and resolved on May 14, 1976 to establish a
sovereign independent Tamil Eelam based on our inalienable right to
self-determination. 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.
In addition to the
unleashing of genocidal attacks on the Tamil people as an immediate response to
the mandate for an independent Tamil Eelam, in the following year, a second
republican constitution, further strengthening the unitary state government was
promulgated despite opposition from the Tamil people and their representatives.
Subsequently in 1979 and 1981 and later on a enormous scale in 1983, genocidal
attacks on Tamils was planned and agitated by the Sinhala chauvinist
politicians.
In this circumstance, 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.
The state of affairs being that all the
efforts taken by the successive Sinhala chauvinist governments to defeat the
armed campaign for Tamil Nation's freedom and thereby crush the political
aspirations of the Tamil people having ended in failure, and in the context of
the reality being accepted and emphasized by the international community that
the solution to the Tamil National problem cannot be settled by force of arms
but only politically, the basis was laid for political negotiations with the
help of the international community.
We are obligated to remind ourselves at
this stage that the only reason we have established the power of Tamil
nationalism thus is because our people have demonstrated such determination and
sacrifice for the ideals in the face of numerous hardships and the loss of
nearly one lakh of lives and because of the legendary bravery, sacrifices and
exploits of our heroes and fighters. The unilateral ceasefire, declared by the
LTTE midnight on December 24, 2001 and the subsequent ceasefire agreement signed
(between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government) as a result of the efforts of
the Norwegian government with the approval of the LTTE and the Sri Lankan
government, paved the way for a series of talks.
On account of the failure to
institute, in terms of the agreement reached in the talks, the administrative
organs including 'SIHRN' to carry out the necessary and urgent functions based
on humanitarian considerations required to restore normalcy in the daily lives
of the Tamil people and the failure to organize the bureaucratic framework to
put to use the huge amount of aid promised by the international community and
bearing in mind the escalating daily hardships and misery to the people and the
resulting perceptions, the LTTE put forward the proposal that an interim
self-governing authority be set up for the regions of the Tamil nation.
Their
draft proposals for the interim self-governing authority (ISGA) was submitted to
the facilitators on October 31, 2003.
The LTTE requested the Sri Lankan
government to appoint a date for the commencement of talks on these proposals.
The political crisis that was precipitated by the president at this juncture by
taking over the Defense, Interior and Information ministries within three days
of the ISGA proposals culminated in the dissolution of the parliament and the
announcement of general elections to take place on April 4, 2004. This state of
affairs not only disrupted the efforts to set up an ISGA sorely needed for our
people but also set back and put in peril the efforts to a political solution to
the Tamil national problem. Despite this the LTTE has reaffirmed their
determination to pursue the course of peace. The international community has
praised and approved this.
In the forthcoming elections the Tamil national
problem has been made to take the center stage in South Sri Lanka. This has been
used as the basis for Sinhala chauvinist propaganda in various forms to present
to the Sinhala electorate. Thus, the responsibility resides with the Sinhala
people to arrive at a mature position in the matter of resolving the Tamil
national problem.
The LTTE announced the unilateral cessation of hostilities
in December 2001. We wish to point out that following this on February 22, 2002
even though they signed the ceasefire agreement and continued to take part in
the political negotiation regarding the Tamil national problem the 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.
For
these reason the TNA expects the Sinhala nation also to play its part in the
productive and healthy resumption of the disrupted political settlement efforts.
Based on this the TNA puts forward the following resolutions:
1. Find a
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).
2. The TNA has clear and definitive position on the political solution of the
Tamil national problem in regard to the Muslims. Because of the fact the Muslims
have Tamil as their Mother tongue like the Tamils and on the recognition that
they have lived in amity amongst the Tamil in the Tamil homeland, the TNA has
decided that any solution to the Tamil national problem must incorporate matters
and features that reassure the distinctiveness, security, culture and economy of
the Muslims. In this manner, in the ISGA proposals and features relating to the
Muslims have been made manifest. That the Muslim community has the right to be a
party in determining the part to be played by them in ISGA committee has been
made clear by the LTTE. Moreover, LTTE has made known that the members appointed
by the NorthEast Muslim community will take their place in the ISGA committee.
The TNA is confident that the Muslim brothers will join with the Tamils in this
front to erect a common future.
3. 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, centered 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.
4. The high security zones and armed forces camps which are located in areas
populated by Tamils disregarding their welfare, priority given to strategic
interest of warfare, should be removed and arrangements made for the Tamil
people to return and settle in their places of residence.
5. The armed
forces' interdiction and oppression imposed must be lifted comprehensively to
enable the Tamil people to carry on the activities needed for their livelihood
and to move freely in their homeland.
6. The international community, instead
of waiting until the Tamil nation's ethnic problem is permanently solved, should
step forward and directly assist in the pressing humanitarian needs and economic
development schemes and improve the economic life of the Tamil nation.
7. The
political prisoners unreasonably held in jail for years should all be released
forthwith.
8. An international judicial inquiry should be conducted to
deliver justice to our people and to the relatives who are burdened with the
unbearable sorrow of not knowing the fate of those innocents who disappeared
after having been arrested by the armed forces and police in our homeland.
9.
All the provisions of the ceasefire agreements must be completely fulfilled and
peace and normalcy should prevail in our homeland.
10. The LTTE has for the
past two years put up with the violent, surly behavior of the armed forces
without impairing the conditions for peace and observing the ceasefire and
acting steadfastly and firmly towards the path of peace. Hence, the
international community should create the environment by removing the
restrictions put in place by certain countries on the LTTE, the authentic sole
representatives of the Tamil people, so that they could, with authority, dignity
and with equal status conduct talks with the government of Sri Lanka.
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.
Let us endeavor determinedly, collectively as one group, one nation, one
country, transcending race and religious differences, under the leadership of
the LTTE for a life of liberty, honor and justice for the Tamil people.
Let
us work side by side with the LTTE, who are fighting for the protection and
autonomous life of the Tamil speaking people, for the political initiatives
under their leadership.
We emphasize that if the Tamil nation's requests are
continued to be rejected, rightful political solution denied and armed
aggression and oppressive rule return, based on the doctrine of
self-determination, it is an inevitable reality that Tamil sovereignty and
independence will be established in the Tamil homeland.
We implore our people
to identify the selfish, opportunistic packs and gangs that operate in our midst
as the enemies and as the tools of the majoritarian chauvinist Sinhala forces
against the Tamil nation which seeks an honorable and peaceful life and reject
them totally and completely in the upcoming elections.
We are sending a clarion call to the Tamil speaking people to unite under one
flag and give overwhelming support to the TNA which is contesting (the
elections) under the ILANKAI TAMIL ARASU KATCHI'S symbol of house, so as to
emphasize the aims of the people of the Tamil Nation, to proclaim again the
political resolve of our people, to strengthen further the Tamil nation and to
win the political rights of the Tamil speaking people.
