புலம்பெயர் தமிழர்கள் தமது கலாச்சர பண்பாடுகளை பேணி பாதுகாக்கும் முகமாக புலம்பெயர் தேசத்தில் பல்வேறு  தமிழ் பண்டிகைகளையும் கலாச்சார நிகழ்வுகளையும்  மிக முனைப்போடு முன்னெடுத்து வருகின்றமை மிக பாராட்டுதலுக்குரியது. இப் பண்டிகைகள் தமிழர்கள்  தமக்கிடையில் மட்டும் கொண்டாடும் நிகழ்வாக அல்லாமல் உலக அரங்கில் தமிழர்களின் தனித்துவ அடையாளத்தையும் எமது கலாச்சரத்தையும் உலகறியச் செய்வதன் முக்கியத்துவம் கருதி பிரித்தானிய தமிழர் பேரவையினர் ஆகிய நாம் முதன் முதலில் பிரித்தானியாவின் ஹரோ கவுன்சிலில் தை பொங்கல் திருநாளினை சில பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர்கள் மற்றும் அரசியல் தலைவர்கள் சகிதம் ஒழுங்கு செய்திருந்தோம். அதன் பிற்பாடு பிரித்தானியாவின் பாராளுமன்றத்தில், கடந்த பல வருடங்களாக தொடர்ச்சியாக தை மாதத்தினை தமிழர் மரபுரிமை மாதமாக அங்கீகரிக்க கோரி  பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர்களின் பிரசன்னத்துடனும், பிரித்தானிய வாழ் தமிழ் இளையோர்களின் ஆதரவுடனும் சிறப்பாக முன்னெடுத்திருந்தோம்.

இச் செயற்பாடுகள் தொடர்பில் எமக்கான ஆதரவு உலக தமிழர்களிடம் இருந்து கிடைக்கப் பெற்றது மட்டுமன்றி தமது நாடுகளிலும் இவ்வாறான முயற்சியை உலகத் தமிழர்கள் முன்னெடுத்து இருந்தனர். முக்கியமாக கனடா வாழ் தமிழர்களின் முயற்சியினால்  அக்டோபர் 2016ம்  வருடம் கனடா தேசம் தை மாதத்தினை தமிழர் மரபுரிமை மாதமாக அங்கீகரித்து தமிழர்க்கும் தமிழுக்கும் பெருமை சேர்த்து இருந்தது. கடந்த வருடமும் இவ் வருடமும்  பிரித்தானியாவிலும் எமக்கான உத்தியோகபூர்வ அங்கீகாரத்துக்கான நடவடிக்கையாக,   பாராளுமன்றத்தின் இரு உள்ளரங்கங்களில் பெரும் எண்ணிக்கையான பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர்கள், அரசியல் தலைவர்கள், சமய குருமார்கள் மற்றும் பொதுமக்கள் என பலரும் பங்குபற்றும் நிகழ்வாக முன்னெடுக்கப்படவுள்ளதுடன்  பிரித்தானிய பிரதமருக்கு, ஜனவரி மாதத்தினை தமிழர் மரபுரிமை மாதமாக அங்கீகரிக்குமாறு கோரும் உத்தியோகபூர்வ விண்ணப்பம் ஒன்றும் சமர்பிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

பிரித்தானிய பிரதமருக்கான இவ் உத்தியோகபூர்வ விண்ணப்பத்திற்கு தம்மையும் ஈடுபடுத்தி எமக்கான முழு ஆதரவு வழங்கிய ஏனைய தமிழ் அமைப்புக்கள் மற்றும் அனைத்து நிர்வாகங்களுக்கும்  இச் சமயத்தில் எம் மனப்பூர்வ நன்றியை தெரிவிப்பதுடன்,  தொடர்ச்சியாக எமக்கு கிடைத்து வரும் தமிழர்களின் ஆதரவினால் மற்றுமொரு விண்ணப்பம் சமர்ப்பிக்கும் செயல்திட்டத்தினை தற்போது முன்னெடுத்து வருகின்றோம். இச் செயற்பாட்டிற்கு ஆதரவு  தர விரும்பும் அமைப்புகள் அல்லது ஏனைய தமிழ் பாடசாலை, ஆலய மற்றும் ஊர்ச் சங்க நிர்வாகங்கள் உட்பட தமிழர் நலன் பேணும் சமூக நிறுவனங்கள்  கால தாமதமின்றி எம்மை தொடர்பு கொள்ளுமாறு அன்புடன் கேட்டுக் கொள்கிறோம்.

இதுவரை தமது ஆதரவினை வழங்கியுள்ள தமிழர் நலன் பேணும் அமைப்புகளின் விபரம் இங்கே தரப்பட்டுள்ளது.

1. Agaram Senthamizh Foundation

2. Arivu Foundation
3. Federation of Tamil Organisations Waltham Forest
4. Sri Katpaga Vinaygar Temple
5. Sri Merupuram Kali Amman temple
6. Tamil Catholic Chaplaincy
7. Emmanuel Christian Fellowship
8. Waltham Forest Tamil Sangam
9. Tamil Elders Welfare Association
10. Waltham Forest Sai Centre
11. London Tamil Centre
12. Milton Keynes Murugan Temple Trust
13. OSA CMMV UK
14. Ray of Hope People
15. Tamil Association of Brent (TAB)
16. Tamil Academy of Language and Arts (TALA)
17. Tamil Learning Centre- Crawley
18. Thaaitamil Sangam, A Coventry & Warwickshire Tamil Community
19. Thamilavai
20. The Milton Keynes Tamil Forum
21. Tamil Studies UK (TSUK)
22. Federation of Saiva (Hindu) Temples – United Kingdom
23. Sri Ghanapathy temple
24. Sri Kanaga Durka Amman Kovil
25. Highgatehill Murugan temple
26. Sri Rajarajeswari Amman temple
27. London Sivan Kovil
28. Crawley Sri Swarna Kamadchi Amman temple
29. Sri Katpaga Vinayagar temple
30. Enfield Nagapooshani Ambaal temple
31. Arulmigu Sri Sivagami Sametha
32. London Sri Selvavinayagar temple
33. Sri Sithi Vinayagar Thevasthanam
34. Shree Sakthy Ghanapathy temple
35. Eela Patheeswarar temple
36. New Malden Murugan temple
37. Sri Merupuram Maha Pathiragali Amman Devasthanam
38. Coventry Shree Maha Sithi Vinayagar
39. London Sree Ayyappan Temple
40. Eela Kanthan temple
41. Liverpool Ganesh temple
42. Sri Thurkkai Amman temple
43. Meenakshi temple
44. Sri Katpaga Vinayahar temple
45. Kopay Christian College Old Students Association UK
46. Attiar Hindu College Old Student Association UK
47. Neervely Welfare Association UK
48. Tamil Mandram Cardiff
49. Shri Kalpaga Hindu Culture Association
50. SWaT badminton club (south Wales Tamils)
51. Surrey Tamil School
52. ITC Kingston Tamil School
53. Tamil Learning Centre- Crawley
54. Milton Keynes Tamil Academy
55. UNITY – United Tamil Artiste
56. Nottingham Tamil School
57. Sivapatha Natyalaya
58. Alaveddy Makkal Sangam
59. NAAME NAMAKKU
60. Conservative Friends of Tamils (CFT)
61. Tamils for Labour (TfL)
62. Tamil Friends of Liberal Democrats (TFLibDem)
63. Rayners football club
64. Maruthanila Charity
65. Thayakam sports club, Milton Keynes
66. Maidstone All Stars Club
67. Croydon Academy of Eastern Arts
68. Serendip Children’s Home
69. Hendon Tamil School
70. Tamil Women Development Forum (TWDF)

Tamil Press Release Pongal Event

இணைந்து கொள்ளுமாறு பிரித்தானிய தமிழர் பேரவை தமிழ் அமைப்புக்களுக்கு அழைப்பு

பிரித்தானிய தமிழர் பேரவை ஆகிய நாம் தமிழரின் தை திருநாளினை முன்னிட்டு கடந்த பல வருடங்களாக தை மாதத்தினை தமிழர்களின் மரபுரிமை மாதமாக பிரித்தானியாவில் அங்கீகரிக்கப்படுவதற்காக, பிரித்தானியாவின் அரசியல் தலைவர்கள், பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர்களுடன் இணைந்து தை பொங்கல் திருநாளினை பிரித்தானிய பாராளுமன்றத்தின் உள்ளே, எம் கலை, கலாச்சார அம்சங்களை முன்னிறுத்தி தொடர்ச்சியாக நடாத்தி  வருகின்றோம்.

நீண்ட பாரம்பரியங்களையும் நிலத்தையும் உரித்தாகக் கொண்ட எம் மக்களுக்கான நிரந்தர அரசியல் தீர்வுக்கான செயற்பாடுகளை பிரித்தானிய தமிழர் பேரவையினராகிய நாம், சர்வதேச நாடுகளுடன் இணைந்து மேற்கொண்டு வரும் சம காலத்தில், எமக்கான தனித்துவமான கலாச்சாரம், பராம்பரிய விழுமியங்களை சர்வதேச சமூகத்திடம் எடுத்துச் சென்று நாம் ஒரு தனித்துவமான தேசிய இனம், எமக்கான சட்டபூர்வமான உரிமைகள் அங்கீகரிக்கப்படல் வேண்டும் என்னும் கருப்பொருளுடன் இந் நிகழ்வினை தொடர்ச்சியாக  முன்னெடுத்து வருகின்றோம். கடந்த பல வருடங்களாக பல தரப்பட்ட தளத்தில் இருந்து குறிப்பாக பிரித்தானியாவின் ஆளும் கட்சி, எதிர் கட்சி மற்றும் ஏனைய கட்சி உறுப்பினர்களிடமிருந்து எமக்கான ஆதரவு கிடைக்கப் பெற்று வருகிறது. 

இன் நிலையில் பிரித்தானிய அரசின் அதிகாரபூர்வமான  அங்கீகாரத்துக்கான அடுத்த கட்ட நடவடிக்கையாக,   சென்ற வருடத்தில் தொடங்கிய முயற்சியினால் பல்வேறு தமிழ் அமைப்புகளுடன் கூட்டாக இணைந்து முறைப்படியான விண்ணப்பம் ஒன்றினை  பிரித்தானிய பிரதமர் அவர்களிடம் முதல்கட்ட நடவடிக்கையாக தற்போது சமர்ப்பித்துள்ளோம்.

இவ் அங்கீகாரத்தின் மூலம் தமிழர்கள் சிறுபான்மை இனம் அல்ல, எமக்கான நீண்ட நெடிய வரலாறு, தனித்துவமான  கலாச்சாரம், பண்பாடுகள் உள்ளன என்பதனை உலகறிய செய்ய முடியும் என்பதுடன் இனவழிப்பிற்கு உட்படுத்தப்படும் எம் மக்களின் தனித்துவத்தைப் பேணும் முறையான அரசியல் தீர்வுக்கு இவ்வாறான அங்கீகாரம் உறுதுணையாக இருக்கும் என்பது எம் நம்பிக்கை.

இச் செயற்பாட்டுக்கு ஒப்பம் தந்து தம்மையும் இவ் விண்ணப்பத்தில் இணைந்து கொள்ள விரும்பும் தமிழர் நலன் பேணும் பிரித்தானியா அமைப்புக்கள், தமிழ் பாடசாலை நிர்வாகங்கள், பழைய மாணவர் சங்கங்கள், ஊர்ச் சங்கங்கள், தொண்டு நிறுவனங்கள் மற்றும் ஆலய நிர்வாகங்கள் எம்மை தொடர்பு கொண்டு எமக்கான இவ் அங்கீகார முன்னெடுப்புக்கு ஆதரவு நல்குமாறு அன்புடன் வேண்டுகிறோம்.

தொடர்புகளுக்கு:

Phone: 0208 808 0465. Email: info@britishtamilsforum.org

தமிழ் மரபுரிமை மாதமாக அங்கீகரிக்குமாறு பிரதமருக்கு கோரிக்கை

நன்றி 

பிரித்தானிய தமிழர் பேரவை

தமிழ் மக்களின் அபிலாசைகளை நிறைவேற்றும் வகையில் நிரந்தர அரசியல் தீர்வொன்றை நோக்கமாகக் கொண்டு செயற்படும் பல அமைப்புகள் மத்தியில், குளோபல் தமிழ் ஃபோரம் (GTF) எனப்படும் உலகத் தமிழர் பேரவை  (உ.த.பே) வெவ்வேறு புத்த அமைப்புக்களைச் சேர்ந்த மூத்த புத்த பிக்குகள் கொண்ட இலங்கைக்கான “சிறந்த இலங்கை சங்க மன்றத்தை” சந்தித்ததானது, பெரும் அதிர்ச்சி அலைகளை உருவாக்கியுள்ளது.

பிரித்தானியர்களிடமிருந்து இலங்கை சுதந்திரமடைந்த பின்னரான கடந்த 75 வருடங்களாக தமிழர்கள் படிப்படியாக தங்களுக்கு உரித்தான அனைத்தையும் இழந்து வருகின்றனர். சுதந்திரத்திற்குப் பின்னரான அரசியல் வரலாற்றில் பௌத்த மதகுருமார்களின் ஆதிக்கமே மேலோங்கியிருந்தது. இதன் காரணமாகவே, தமிழ் மக்களின் அடிப்படைப் பிரச்சினைகளுக்கான தீர்வு காணும் பொருட்டு தமிழ் மற்றும் சிங்கள அரசியல் தலைவர்களுக்கு இடையில் கைச்சாத்திடப்பட்ட உடன்படிக்கைகள் நடைமுறைப்படுத்தாமல் இரத்து செய்யப்பட்டன.

இலங்கைத் தீவில் வரலாற்று ரீதியாக தமிழ் மக்களுக்கு எதிராக நிகழ்த்தப்பட்ட வன்முறைச் சுழற்சி மற்றும் இனப்படுகொலைக்கான உறுதியான ஆதாரங்கள் உள்ளன. யார் ஆட்சிக்கு வந்தாலும் சிறிலங்கா அரசானது, நாட்டை ஒற்றை இன, ஒரு மொழி, மற்றும் ஒற்றை மத (mono ethnic, mono lingual, mono religious) சிங்கள பௌத்த நாடாக மாற்றுவதே  ஆட்சியாளர்கள் கொள்கையாக கொண்டுள்ளார்கள். இந்த நிலையில் உ.த.பே உடனான சந்திப்பின் பின்னர் பௌத்த மதகுருமார்கள் வெளியிட்ட பிரகடனத்தில் இலங்கையின் பன்முகத்தன்மையை ஏற்றுக் கொண்டிருப்பதாக அறிவித்துள்ளதானது  தமிழ் மக்கள் மத்தியில் சந்தேகத்தையும் திகைப்பையும் உருவாக்கியுள்ளது. இந்தச் சந்திப்பு தமிழ் மக்களையும் சர்வதேசத்தையும் ஏமாற்றும் அரசியல் யுக்தி கொண்டதா என தமிழ் சமூகம் சந்தேகம் கொள்கின்றது.

எந்தவித கலந்தாலோசனையும் இல்லாமல் ரகசியமாக வைக்கப்பட்ட ‘இமயமலைப்  பிரகடனம்‘ தமிழ் மக்களது எரியும் பிரச்சினைக்கு எண்ணை ஊற்றுவதாக உள்ளது. ‘இமயமலைப் பிரகடனம்‘ பாதிக்கப்பட்டவர்களுடன் கலந்தாலோசித்து பொதுவெளிக்குக் கொண்டு வந்திருக்க வேண்டும். இந்தச் சந்திப்புக்கு முன்னர் இந்த விடயம் தமிழர் தரப்பில் எவருடனும் ஆலோசிக்கப்படாமல் திரைமறைவில் அரங்கேற்றப்பட்டுள்ளது.

மறுபுறம் GTF இதே போன்ற செயற்பாட்டை 2015 இல் ரணில் விக்ரமசிங்கா பிரதமராக இருந்தபோது அப்போதைய ஜனாதிபதி மைத்திரிபாலவுடன் ஆரம்பித்து, அது ஒட்டுமொத்த தோல்வியில் முடிந்தது. அதன் முழுமையான செயல்முறையும் இலங்கை அரசால் வசதியாக வடிவமைக்கப்பட்ட ஒரு மாயை என்பதை உணர்ந்து கொள்ள உலகத் தமிழர் பேரவைக்கு (GTF) 5 ஆண்டுகள் பிடித்தது. UNHRC செயல்முறையை இழுத்தடித்து நீர்த்துப் போகச் செய்யவும், கடந்த கால வன்முறைகள் மீண்டும் நிகழாமல் இருப்பதை உறுதி செய்வதற்காக சிறிலங்காவினை மறுகட்டமைக்க வேண்டும் என அதிகரித்து வரும் அழுத்தங்களை தந்திரமாக கையாளவும் மைத்திரிபால மற்றும் ரணில் விக்கிரமசிங்க தலைமையிலான இலங்கை அரசாங்கத்திற்கு உலகத் தமிழர் பேரவையின் (GTF) உதவி தேவைப்பட்டது.

சுதந்திரத்திற்குப் பின்னரான காலப்பகுதியில் தொடர்ச்சியாக பதவியிலிருந்த இலங்கை அரசாங்கங்களின் தோல்வியுற்ற கொள்கைகளால் மீண்டும் மீண்டும் வன்முறை தாக்குதல்கள், கொலை, கொள்ளைகள் மற்றும் சொத்துக்கள் அழித்தல், உயர் மட்ட ஊழல், துஷ்பிரயோகம், குற்றத்திற்கான தண்டனையிலிருந்து விலக்களித்தல், பொருளாதார பின்னடைவு, இராணுவமயமாக்கலுக்கான  நிதி விரயம், கடன் பொறி, அதீத அதிகார மையமயமாக்கல், சர்வதேச தனிமைப்படுத்தல் மற்றும் பொருளாதார வங்குரோத்து ஆகியவற்றிற்கான மூல காரணங்களை ஆராய்ந்து நிவர்த்தி செய்யாமல் தமிழ் மக்களின் அடிப்படைப் பிரச்சினைகளை ஆழமாக நோக்காமல் மேலோட்டமாக ஒரு அற்பமான விடயமாக கருதினால் அதற்கான நிலைத்து நிற்க்க கூடிய தீர்வு கிட்டப் போவதில்லை. அரசியலமைப்பு ரீதியாக தமிழ் மக்களின் நியாயபூர்வமான அரசியல் அபிலாஷைகளுக்கு தீர்வு காணாமல், அர்த்தமுள்ள எந்த மாற்றங்களும் அங்கு ஏற்படப் போவதில்லை. பௌத்த சிங்கள பெரும்பான்மையான பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர்களின் ஆதரவைப் பெறாமல், மேற்கொள்ளப்படும் இத்தகைய முயற்சி சிங்கள-பௌத்த மேலாதிக்கம் கொண்ட இலங்கை நாடாளுமன்றத்தில் ‘கல்லிலிருந்து இரத்தம் எடுப்பது;” போன்றதாகும். இவர்கள் இனவாதத்தை சிங்கள மக்கள் மீது தூவுவதன் மூலம் நாடாளுமன்றத்திற்குச் செல்வதை உயிர் மூச்சாகக் கொண்டுளனர்.

ரணில் விக்கிரமசிங்க கடந்த காலத்தை ஆராய்ந்து நிகழ் காலத்தை தனக்குச் சாதகமாகக் கையாளுபவர். தமிழர்களின் போராட்டங்களை நீர்த்துப் போகச் செய்யவும், சர்வதேச சமூகத்தை ஏமாற்றுவதற்கும் GTF இன் சந்திப்பு ரணிலுக்கு வாய்ப்பளிக்கும்.

கடந்த காலத்தை தனக்கு சாதகமாக கையாளும் ரணில் விக்கிரமசிங்கவின் சந்திப்பு, புலம்பெயர்ந்த தமிழ் அமைப்புகளுடன் பேசுவதில் வெற்றி என்ற போர்வையில் தமிழர்களின் குரல்களை மூடி மறைத்து  சர்வதேச சமூகத்தை ஏமாற்றுவதற்கு GTF இன் சந்திப்பு ரணிலுக்கு வாய்ப்பளித்துள்ளது.

சர்வதேச தலையீட்டை அகற்றி உள்நாட்டின் பொறிமுறைக்குள் முடக்கி விடும் நோக்கோடு உருவாக்கப்பட்ட  உத்தேச உண்மை மற்றும் நல்லிணக்க ஆணைக் குழுவிற்கான (TRC)  சர்வதேச மட்டத்திலான ஆதரவை திரட்டவும் சர்வதேச சமூகத்தை ஏமாற்றுவதற்கும் ரணிலுக்கு இது வாய்ப்பளித்துள்ளது..

புலம்பெயர் தமிழ் அமைப்புகள் பலவும் நிரந்தர அரசியல் தீர்வுக்காக தீவிரமாக செயல்பட்டு வருகின்றன. 2009 ஆம் ஆண்டு உள்நாட்டுப் போர் முடிவடைந்த பின்னர் தமிழ் மக்கள் சமாதானத்துடனும், சமத்துவத்துடனும் வாழ்வதற்கான தீர்வினை அடைவதற்காக இந்த அமைப்புக்கள் தங்கள் நேரத்தையும், பணத்தையும், உழைப்பையும் கடுமையாகச் செலவிடுகின்றன. இந்த புலம்பெயர் தமிழ் அமைப்புக்கள் தமிழ் மக்கள் மீது நிகழ்த்தப்பட்ட போர்க்குற்றங்கள், மனிதகுலத்திற்கு எதிரான குற்றங்கள் மற்றும் இனப்படுகொலைகளுக்கு பொறுப்புக்கூறலை வலியுறுத்துகின்றன.

UNHRC இன் கடுமையான தீர்மானங்கள் 46/1 மற்றும் 51/1 இற்கு அமைய இலங்கையை பொறுப்புக்கூறலுக்கு உட்படுத்துவதுடன் (Sri Lanka Accountability Project – SLAP), ‘மேக்னிட்ஸ்கி‘ (Magnitsky) சட்டம் மற்றும் உலகளாவிய மனித உரிமைகள் தடைச் சட்டம் (Global Human Rights Sanctions Act) போன்றன மூலம் நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க வேண்டும் என தொடர்ந்து வற்புறுத்துதல், உறுப்பு நாடுகளால் குற்றவாளிகளுக்கு எதிராக சட்டங்களை  பயன்படுத்தப்பட வேண்டும் என்று பல புலம்பெயர் தமிழ் அமைப்புகள் வலியுறுத்துகின்றன.

இலங்கை சுதந்திரமடைந்து கடந்த 75 வருடங்களாக தமிழ் மக்கள் அனுபவித்து வரும் அவல நிலை பற்றிய சர்வதேச சமூகத்தின் பார்வையில் ஏற்படுத்தப்பட்டு வரும் புரிதலினை GTF இன் நடவடிக்கையின் விளைவுகள் குறிப்பிடத்தக்க தாக்கத்தை ஏற்படுத்தப் போகின்றன.

• OHCHR ஆல் மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்டு வரும் இலங்கை மீதான பொறுப்புக்கூறல் திட்டத்தை (SLAP) பாதிப்படையச் செய்கிறார்கள்.
• சர்வதேச குற்றவியல் விசாரணை பொறிமுறைக்கு வழிவகுக்கும் அனைத்து முன்னெடுப்புக்களுக்கும் மாற்றாக உண்மை மற்றும் நல்லிணக்க பொறிமுறை (TRC) போன்ற ஒரு உள்ளக செயல்முறைக்குள் அடக்குவதே ஜனாதிபதி ரணில் விக்கிரமசிங்கவின் முயற்சியாகும்.
• இந்தியா, அமெரிக்கா, இங்கிலாந்து மற்றும் ஐரோப்பா போன்ற உலகத் தலைவர்களை நேரடியாகத் தலையிடச் செய்யும் முயற்சிகள் ஊடாக சமாதானத்துடனும் நல்லிணக்கத்துடனும் வாழ்வதற்கு தமிழ் மக்களுக்கு நிலையான அரசியல் தீர்வை ஏற்படுத்த வேண்டும், அத்தகைய தீர்வில் அவர்களின் நியாயமான அபிலாஷைகளை நிவர்த்தி செய்யப்பட வேண்டும். கடந்த காலங்களில் உருவான பல ஒப்பந்தங்களை சிங்கள தரப்புகள் ரத்து செய்ததன் அடிப்படையில், அர்த்தமுள்ள அரசியல் தீர்வு ஒன்றைக் கண்டறிவதற்கான எந்தவொரு உள்ளக செயல்முறையிலும் தமிழ் மக்கள் நம்பிக்கை இழந்துள்ளனர்.
• இதன் விளைவாக, GTF இன் முயற்சி பாதிப்பைக் கொடுக்கும் என்பதோடல்லாமல் தமிழ் அமைப்புகள் கடந்த 15 ஆண்டுகளாக சிரத்தையுடன் உருவாக்கிய தீர்வுக்கான உத்திகளையும் முயற்சிகளையும் நாசமாக்கிவிடும்.
• இலங்கை அரசாங்கமும் ஊடகங்களும் GTF இன் பௌத்த மதகுருமார்களுடனான சந்திப்புக்கள் குறித்து செய்துவரும் விளம்பரங்கள் சர்வதேச சமூகத்திற்கு தவறான செய்தியை பரப்பியுள்ளன. தமிழ் மக்கள் தங்களின் நீண்டகால இன்னல்களுக்கு விடிவு காணப் போராடுகிறார்கள். அதற்கு எதிரானதொரு கருவியாகவே இது பயன்படும். சிங்கள பௌத்தர்களின் தயவில் தமிழர்களை கை விட்டுவிட்டு, இலங்கையில் சர்வதேச சமூகத்தின் தலையீடு இல்லாத கொள்கையை முன்னெடுக்க ரணில் விக்ரமசிங்கே அரசுக்கு வாய்ப்பாகி விடும்.

இந்த வேளை, GTF எந்த விதத்தில் புலம்பெயர்ந்த தமிழ் மக்களைப் பிரதிநிதித்துவப்படுத்துகிறது என்பதை கேள்விக்குள்ளாக்குவது பொருத்தமானது. புலம்பெயர் தமிழ் 14 அமைப்புக்களின் கூட்டு அமைப்பாக பிரான்சில் GTF 2009 ஆம் ஆண்டு  உருவாக்கப்பட்டதிலிருந்து, அவற்றில் 13 தமிழ் அமைப்புகள் நாளடைவில் தங்கள் அங்கத்துவத்தை மீளப் பெற்று விட்டன.

எனவே, GTF பெரும்பான்மையான புலம்பெயர் அமைப்புகளின் கூட்டு முடிவுகளை பிரதிநிதித்துவப்படுத்துகிறது என்பதே தவறானதாகும். பலத்துடன் செயற்படும் வெவ்வேறு தமிழ் அமைப்புக்கள் ஒன்றிணைந்து இலங்கைத் தீவில் வாழும் தமிழ் மக்கள் நீதியுடன் கூடிய சமாதானத்துடன் வாழ்வதற்கு உலக நாடுகளின் தலையீட்டைக் கோருகிறார்கள். GTF இன் இந்த நடவடிக்கை அந்த ஒற்றுமையை பலவீனப்படுத்தி புலம்பெயர் தமிழர்களை பிளவுபடுத்தி சர்வதேச சமூகத்தை ஏமாற்றும் இலங்கை அரசின் திட்டத்திற்கு வகை செய்கிறது.

நாம் யதார்த்தமான வகையில் அனைத்துத் தமிழ் அமைப்புக்களும் சர்வதேச சமூகத்துடன் ஒன்றிணைந்து இலங்கைத் தீவில் தமிழ் மக்கள் சமாதான சகவாழ்வு மற்றும் நிலைபேறான வளர்ச்சியை அடைவதற்கான காலவரையறையுடன் கூடிய  உறுதியான நிரந்தர தீர்வு எட்டப்பட வேண்டியதுதான் தகுந்த வழியாகும்.

On behalf of:

British Tamils Forum (BTF): +447814486087, info@britishtamilsforum.org

Centre de Protections des Droits du Peuple Tamoul-France: 0033652100400, mte.france@gmail.com

Irish Tamils Forum (ITF): 0035389959270, irishtamilsforum@gmail.com

Solidarity Group for Peace and Justice (SGPJ – South Africa): padayacheepregasen@gmail.com

Swiss Tamil Action Group (STAG): +41764450642, swisstamilag@gmail.com

Tamil Movement Against Genocide (Mauritius): +230 5728 5505, tamilmagen0@gmail.com

தமிழர் தாயகமும் உலகத் தமிழர் பேரவையும் Fn1 (3) (1)

Since independence, Buddhist clergies’ dominance in the political history, has been the predominant cause for repealing every pact signed between the Tamil and Sinhalese political leaders for reaching a solution to Tamil peoples’ fundamental issues. 

The historical cycles of violence and genocide inflicted against Tamil people in the island have concrete evidence that the Sri Lankan state, regardless of who came to power to prove that the Sinhala state’s aim is to make the country a mono-ethnic, mono-lingual, and mono-religious Sinhala-Buddhist country. The unprecedented declaration of the Buddhist clergies accepting the existence of a plural society at the meeting with the GTF has generated scepticism and dismay among the Tamil people whether this meeting was political motivated to deceive Tamil people and the international community. To add to fuel to Tamil peoples’ concern the whole process of this ‘declaration’ had been kept secretive without any consultation process. It is paramount that any declaration such as ‘Himalayan Declaration’ should have been consulted with the victims and brought to the public domain prior to the meeting. This did not occur. 

The GTF on the other hand started a similar process in 2015 with the then President Maithiripala Sirisena when Ranil Wickremasinghe was the Prime Minister and that failed miserably as expected. It took over 5 years for GTF to realise the entire process was an illusion conveniently crafted by the Sri Lankan government led by Maithiripala and Ranil Wickremasinghe aiming to drag the UNHRC process and manage the increasing call to restructure the state to ensure nonrecurrence of past violence. 

The failed policies of all consecutive Sri Lankan governments in the post-independence period led to repeating cycles of violence, death and destruction of properties, corruption at the highest level, impunity, economic regression, wastage of funds to continue the militarisation, debt trap, high degree of power centralisation, international isolation and default. Thus, without addressing the root causes of Tamil peoples’ issues in depth, treating them superficially as a trivial matter is not going to resolve Tamil peoples’ yearning aspirations constitutionally. The constitutional changes are not going to occur without gaining the majority parliamentary support, which is an operation of “getting blood out of stone” in Sinhala-Buddhist exclusionists dominated Sri Lankan parliament. Provoking racial slurs among Sinhala public has been the oxygen of Sinhala parliamentarians to win their seats to the parliament. 

Knowing Ranil Wickremasinghe’s past of manipulating matters to his advantage, GTF’s meeting will provide Ranil an opportunity to hoodwink the international community to sweep Tamils’ outcries under the carpet in the guise of success in talking with Tamil diaspora organisations and to promote support for the proposed Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) model for the resolution internally.  

Several Tamil diaspora organisations have been actively working in founding a permanent political solution since the end of civil war in 2009 for Tamil people to live in peace and harmony with equal rights in the country. These organisations are also laboriously spending their time, money, and efforts to establish accountability for the war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed on the Tamil people. 

The rigorous UNHRC Resolutions 46/1 and 51/1 along with the Sri Lanka Accountability Project (SLAP) and continued persuasion of implementing “Magnitsky” Act and / or Global Human Rights Sanctions Act against the perpetrators by the member states are being continuously carried out those genuine Tamil diaspora organisations. 

The consequences of the GTF’s action are going to have significant impact in the international community’s true perception of the plight, the Tamil people are undergoing for the past 75 years since Sri Lanka became independent. They are,

• Jeopardise the Sri Lanka Accountability Project (SLAP) that is being carried out by the OHCHR.
• Any process leading to an international criminal prosecution mechanism will be replaced entirely by an internal process such as the toothless Truth and Reconciliation mechanism proposed by the President Ranil Wickremasinghe.
• The efforts are made to get the world leaders, like India, USA, UK and Europe, to directly intervene to establish a sustainable political solution for the Tamil people to live in peace and harmony addressing their legitimate aspirations in the island. Based on abrogation of several pacts in the past, Tamil people have lost hope in any of the internal process to find a meaningful political solution. 
• Consequently, the GTF’s effort will be futile and will sabotage the efforts the genuine Tamil organisations have been painstakingly formulating for the past 15 years. 
• The publicity made by the Sri Lankan government and the media about the GTF meeting with the Buddhist clergies is going to send a wrong message to the international community that Tamil people are going to see a dawn to their long-standing sufferings. This will play as a tool to Ranil Wickremasinghe government to convince the international community to take a non-intervention policy in Sri Lanka leaving Tamils solely at the mercy of Sinhala Buddhist exclusionists.

At this moment, it is pertinent to flag out whether the GTF represents the Tamil diaspora in any form or shape. Since GTF formed as an umbrella organisation in August 2009 in France, all except one of the 14 Tamil organisations have withdrawn their membership from the GTF. Thus, it is wrong to portray or construe as GTF representing the collective decisions of majority diaspora organisations of the Tami people. The diverse but strong Tamil diaspora is united in protecting the Tamil people in the island and finding justice and a lasting political solution with the necessary intervention of the international community, GTF’s action is weakening that synergy and allowing the Sri Lankan state to divide Tamil diaspora and hoodwink the international community. 

The realistic way-forward is all Tamil organisations should engage the stake-holders and the international community and initiate a time-bounded consultation process for establishing a permanent solution for Tamil people for peaceful coexistence, stability and prosperity in the island of Sri Lanka.

On behalf of:

British Tamils Forum (BTF): +447814486087, info@britishtamilsforum.org

Centre de Protections des Droits du Peuple Tamoul-France: 0033652100400, mte.france@gmail.com

Irish Tamils Forum (ITF): 0035389959270, irishtamilsforum@gmail.com

Solidarity Group for Peace and Justice (SGPJ – South Africa): padayacheepregasen@gmail.com

Swiss Tamil Action Group (STAG): +41764450642, swisstamilag@gmail.com

Tamil Movement Against Genocide (Mauritius): +230 5728 5505, tamilmagen0@gmail.com

DOES THE GTF PLAY THE FIDDLE WHILE TAMILS AND THEIR HOMELAND IS BURNING

The panellists were Dr Annamarie Devereux – Head/Senior Legal Officer of the UNHRC mandated  OHCHR Sri Lanka Accountability Project (OSLAP); Ambassador Stephen J. Rapp – a former international prosecutor of atrocity crimes and  former United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues; Dr. Beth Van Schaack – Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice, US Department of State; Ms Malliha Wilson – Former Assistant Deputy Attorney General (Civil), of the Government of Ontario and an International Human Rights Lawyer; and, Dr. Anbumany Ramadoss  – an Indian member of Parliament from Tamil Nadu and a former federal Minister of Health and Family Welfare. Councillor Sarmila Varatharaj, former Deputy Mayor of Wandsworth Council, London moderated the event.

The event took place following the scathing report put out by the High Commissioner of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) pointing to the serious accountability deficit for past atrocity crimes in Sri Lanka and the call to the Sri Lankan government to deliver on past commitments and Council resolutions. A clip from a recent interview by a German TV was shown at the event where Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe angrily rejected any notion of an international investigation demonstrating his desire to protect the perpetrators of atrocity crimes by military and political leaders including his predecessors and endorsing prevailing environment of impunity. 

Dr. Beth Van Schaack, stating that she was motivated by the recognition that measures of accountability for those most responsible, coupled with an honest assessment of the past added the importance of a durable peace and a prosperous future with a comprehensive transitional justice programme to include a justice component but also engage in truth telling, reparation, memorialization, institutional reforms, and other guarantees of non-recurrence. 

Dr Schaack continued that as a member of the core group and Human Rights Council’s resolutions on Sri Lanka, she was aware that Tamil people have been waiting years, indeed decades, for justice processes to begin in earnest and to produce meaningful results. She expressed dismay that the period of hope, following Sri Lanka’s consent and co-sponsorship of a comprehensive transitional justice agenda in the 2015 resolution has since dissipated. 

Ambassador Van Schaack questioned the motives of the Sri Lanka government mooting a Truth and Reconciliation Mechanism without having the required consultations with victims and without providing any link to accountability mechanisms. She stated that Sri Lanka would remain on the Human Rights Council agenda precisely because of the failure over many years to address the abuses of the past and to ensure that those abuses would not go unpunished. 

“In the absence of credible domestic justice processes, the options elaborated by the HRC resolution remain the most viable pathways to justice and accountability. This would include universal jurisdiction where applicable, sanctions and visa ban to support truth telling, accountability and to recognise harm to victims and survivors, and continued support for United Nations Sri Lanka Accountability Project. This panel may also wish to discuss ways to strengthen the resolution and to seek better compliance with international human rights treaty obligations. Though worthy of consideration, the prospect for other judicial pathways, however, remain remote and challenging,” Ambassador Beth Van Schaack concluded. 

Ambassador Stephen Rapp, emphasising the importance of pursuing accountability in Sri Lanka, if not possible there, then elsewhere in third countries or in international bodies, for the violations and crimes committed, cited that very serious crimes were committed by the Sri Lanka government during the conflict. Referring to murders of surrendered, intentional, and disproportionate attacks on civilians and torturing, violating sexually on those, who were detained, deserved full investigation. Ambassador Stephen Rapp added that those alleged committing crimes deserved opportunities to defend their innocence. Despite it was promised in 2015, it was never delivered. 

Referring to impunity, Ambassador Stephen Rapp said that when some people would get away with these things, other people would think that they would do the same – hence the rise in incidents of detention, torture and ransom. Ambassador Rapp was confident that the OHCHR’s Sri Lanka Accountability Project (#OSLAP) would bring the truth out.  

Dr. Anbumany Ramadoss expressed his concern of the suffering of Tamil people in Sri Lanka due to racism, discrimination, and other many forms of intolerance for decades and emphasised on the importance of the OSLAP to provide path for justice for the victims and to curtail on-going destruction of Hindu temples and proliferating Buddhist viharas in traditional Tamil homeland.

Ms Malliha Wilson spoke on many past and ongoing important issues in Sri Lanka and explained new avenues of operationalizing Universal Jurisdiction with recent examples of advancement in Canada. Based on the serious nature of findings by the Secretary General’s Panel of Experts and the OISL report, Ms. Wilson pointed out that its incumbent upon the OSLAP investigation team to determine whether the mass atrocities and war crimes committed against the Tamils in Sri Lanka rise to the level of genocide as often asserted by the victim community. 

Dr. Annamarie Devereux of the OSLAP team first explained the terms of reference of the Sri Lanka Accountability Project. Referring to the HRC 46/1 Resolution as the main pillar established in 2021 followed by the October 2022 Resolution HRC 51/1 extending it for a period of two years, Ms Devereux reiterated the importance of collecting, consolidating, analysing, and preserving information to develop strategies for future accountability and serious violations of international humanitarian law and to support relevant judicial and other proceedings.

Stating that the adoption of Resolution 46/1 was for the need to be seen against the background of the ongoing concern of the Human Rights Council of serious violations that have occurred over many years, Annamarie touched on the events such as the Secretary General assigning a Commission of Panel of Experts in June 2011, Human Rights Council requesting UN Mission to undertake a comprehensive investigation of alleged serious violations and abuses and subsequent finding (OISL report), among many, to deal with a deep seated institutionalised culture of impunity.

She added that processing SLAP itself would involve complex task of ensuring documentation to maximise its potential use in future proceedings with a recovery system to make it more accessible including exploring options of providing various online translation services. 

She further added while prioritising areas with available resources OSLAP is trying to establish connection between individuals and specific violations for the purpose of accountability. She also stated that the SLAP work involves reviewing the existing information in detail on matters of enforced disappearances and violations against children. Witness identities will be protected and risk analysis will be undertaken before any data is shared with potential prosecution entities or States.

The OSLAP work entails an emphasis on the importance of a comprehensive approach incorporating judicial and non-traditional processes to ensure the rights of victims, justice and reparations. In its activities the project integrates gender perspectives as well as approaches ensuring the protection of children with their best interests, Dr Devereux stated.

UN Webex meeting recording Video link: https://youtu.be/6JrbH18h8GQ

Questions and answers on OHCHR’s mandate under resolution HRC 46/1 & Terms of Reference of the OHCHR Sri Lanka accountability project link: https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/sri-lanka-accountability/index#:~:text=In%20its%20resolution%2046%2F1,Lanka%20with%20a%20view%20to

Photos: Parallel event at the UNHRC 54th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council – British Tamils Forum

Parallel event at the UNHRC 54th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.docx

-end-

Judicial positions Judge Saravanarajah resigned are the Mullaitivu District Judge, the magistrate court judge, the family court Judge, the primary court Judge, the small claims court Judge, and the Juvenile court Judge.

Following Judge Saravanarajah’s steadfast judicial uprightness and refusal to give in to the unlawful demands of a higher-up, the police protection he was legally entitled to was scaled down, and the Sri Lankan military intelligence service began keeping him under surveillance.

The Attorney General called him to his office on 21 September 2023 and pressured him to change the judgements he had already given in the Kurunthurmalai case where an ancient Hindu temple was destroyed and in its place a Buddhist temple was built under the false pretext of archaeological discovery, in a way contradictory to truth.

Two legal actions appear to have been filed against Judge Saravanarajah by the Sri Lankan State under his name on the Kurunthurmalai Vihara Decision in the court of appeal.

These developments are evidence of impunity, lack of judicial independence, and undermining the security for judges in the North-East.

Press Release 051023

The Australian Tamil Congress, (ATC), British Tamils Forum (BTF), Irish Tamils Forum, Solidarity
Group for Peace & Justice, South Africa (SGPG), Swiss Tamil Action Group (STAG) and the United
States Tamil Action Group (USTAG) welcome the thorough report by OHCHR and thank the team
constituting the Sri Lanka Accountability Project for their meticulous work. While highlighting key
aspects of the report we also intend to point out a few deficiencies to be addressed.

We strongly support the assertion that “Lack of accountability at all levels remains the fundamental
human rights problem” in Sri Lanka, while we believe that Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism which results
in extreme centralization of power is the fundamental political issue.

We greatly appreciate the suggestion by the High Commissioner that bilateral and multilateral
efforts to assist Sri Lanka in the current economic crisis must consider “economic, social and cultural
rights and pay special attention to issues of accountability, governance and diversity when negotiating
or implementing support programs.”

The report calls on the Government of Sri Lanka to develop a coherent time-bound plan for post-war
transitional justice that connects the elements of truth, accountability, redress, and non-recurrence. We
appreciate the calls throughout the report for victim participation and for consideration of the needs of
victims. The report, however, fails to explicitly call for a political solution to the national question
guaranteeing non-recurrence perhaps through the good offices of countries like India and the United
States which helped Sri Lanka to emerge from the recent economic crisis.

The failure to repeal or issue a moratorium on use of the Prevention of Terrorism Act is highlighted. The
deficiencies in the proposed replacement Anti-Terrorism Bill were pointed out by a joint communique
issued by ten UN Special Rapporteurs. Some Appeal Court and High Courts continue to sentence PTA detainees to disproportionately long jail terms, ignoring even the 15 years of pretrial detentions
suffered by some detainees.

Land disputes between the State and citizens from local communities continue to be reported, with 26
such disputes recorded between October 2022 and June 2023, mostly in the Tamil-majority Northern
and Eastern provinces. Over the reporting period, the main state actors involved were the Army (10
cases), the Department of Archaeology (six cases) and the Mahaweli Authority (five cases). However,
the report fails to document the frequent occurrences of Buddhistisation in Tamil areas including
building of Buddhist temples, destroying Hindu deities, and preventing Hindu religious rites. These illegal
acts – supported implicitly or explicitly by state forces – have serious potential to deteriorate into
communal violence. Land disputes with the direct or indirect involvement of the state have been a
feature of the national question for decades and were a direct cause of the war as Tamils interpret such
disputes as efforts to change the demography of the North and East to dilute Tamil political
representation and shrink the ‘areas of historical habitation of Sri Lankan Tamil speaking peoples.’ 1

We welcome the importance given in the report to security sector reform. The Sri Lanka government
gave commitments to OHCHR to reduce the troop strength of the Army from 208,000 to 135,000 by
2024 and to 100,000 by 2030. The report further urged that “These measures should be accompanied
by deeper security sector reform, including a comprehensive and transparent vetting process that
removes individuals and disbands units that have been implicated in serious human rights or
international humanitarian law violations. It should also comprise the phasing out of military
presence from former conflict areas, where current deployments seem disproportionate to current
security requirements.” On the ground, however, we have not seen any signs of troop demobilization
and the people in the NorthEast continue to live under a suffocating military presence dominating their
lives and livelihoods.

The report details Sri Lanka government attempts to set up a truth-seeking mechanism. It points out
that without proper consultations with victims and stakeholders and without an enabling environment
such a mechanism cannot achieve its goals. “Truth-seeking alone will not suffice. It must also be
accompanied by a clear commitment to accountability and the political will to implement far-
reaching change,” Türk said, in a press release accompanying the report. Nine leading Human rights
organizations including the ICJ, HRW and Amnesty released a statement denouncing the flawed
truth-seeking body as currently constituted. Our organizations and the victim community in Sri
Lanka reject the so-called truth-seeking mechanism and express great reservation that it is an
attempt by the Sri Lanka government to delay and distract the OHCHR’s Accountability Project.

The OHCHR report gives visibility to the mandated work of the Sri Lanka Accountability Project in
Collecting, consolidating, analysing and preserving information and evidence, Advocating for Victims and
Survivors, Supporting relevant judicial and other proceedings, including in Member States, with
competent jurisdiction, and Developing possible strategies for future accountability processes. The team
had consultations with over 120 civil society organizations and women groups in and outside of Sri
Lanka. We are heartened to hear that the Project briefed representatives from 29 States drawn from
national prosecutorial authorities and/or law enforcement agencies on the mandate and work of the project, and to explore potential collaboration. We urge swift action towards strong legal action against
perpetrators of serious international crimes in all potential justice mechanisms.

We learn from the report that four priority areas were selected for investigation: (1) unlawful killings, (2)
sexual and gender-based violence and torture in detention settings, (3) enforced disappearances and (4)
violations against and affecting children, including the recruitment and use of children in hostilities.
While this is a good list, it leaves out one important category of violations. We urge OHCHR and the
Project team to investigate incidents of large-scale civilian killings spanning decades, including aerial
bombing of schools, churches and temples, the Kumuthini boat massacre (1985), the many massacres in
the East including Sathurukondan (1990), Kumarapuram (1996), the 1983 Black July pogrom, the use of
cluster munitions, etc. It is critical to analyze the systemic nature of the war crimes, crimes against
humanity and genocide committed against the Tamils before, during and after the war in order to
develop strategies for accountability, along with processes and avenues to ensure non-recurrence.

While the report provides a window into the work done by the Sri Lanka Accountability Project, we are
disappointed not learning about concrete suggestions or referrals for prosecution based on the two and
a half years of their work. The victims should not be left waiting till next September to see some interim
results on accountability.

We appreciate the High Commissioner reiterating the recommendations made in reports to the Human
Rights Council and Member States in 2021 and 2022. We recall that one such recommendation by
former High Commissioner Michele Bachelet on January 12, 2021 stated: “Member States have a
number of options to advance criminal accountability… In addition to taking steps towards the referral
of the situation in Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court, Member States can actively pursue
investigation and prosecution of international crimes before their own national courts, including under
the principles of extraterritorial or universal jurisdiction.”

The recent calls by many in the Sinhala polity, including the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, for
an international investigation following allegations by the UK’s Channel 4 on the ‘Easter Bombings’ with
respect to the complicity of the same cast of perpetrators involved in serious international crimes
against the Tamil people during and after the war – namely the highest echelons of the Sri Lankan
regime, military, and Intelligence personnel – adds impetus to the High Commissioner’s
recommendations. We urge that these calls strengthen the resolve of Member States that domestic
accountability in Sri Lanka is not possible and a strong international process is essential.

The High Commissioner recommends Sri Lanka to “Invite OHCHR to strengthen its country presence.”
We fully endorse this call to increase OHCHR’s country presence in Sri Lanka and urge OHCHR to protect
and strengthen the efforts of human rights defenders, to help in tracing the missing and to offer
assistance in exhuming mass graves and identifying remains following international best practices.

Finally, we look forward to the High Commissioner’s reports on Sri Lanka over the coming year, urge
HRC member states to fully take advantage of the Sri Lanka Accountability Project’s efforts to provide
judiciable material to victims and courts for justice for the serious international crimes committed in Sri
Lanka, and look forward to the Project’s recommendations to the Human Rights Council for future
avenues for justice to be delivered at the 57 th session in September 2024.
For more information, please contact:

Mr. Krish Illungko
Chairperson, Australian Tamil Congress (ATC)
chairperson@australiantamilcongress.com
V. Ravi Kumar
General Secretary, British Tamils Forum (BTF)
www.britishtamilsforum.org@tamilsforum

Irish Tamils Forum (ITF)
0035389959270
irishtamilsforum@gmail.com

Solidarity Group for Peace and Justice (SGPJ –
South Africa)
padayacheepregasen@gmail.com

Swiss Tamil Action Group (STAG)
+41764450642

swisstamilag@gmail.com

Anandaraj Ponnambalam
President, United States Tamil Action Group
(USTAG)
www.theustag.org
@UstpacAdvocacy

20230910 Joint Tamil Diaspora PR on OHCHR Report on Sri Lanka Fn

On behalf of the British Tamil community, the British Tamils Forum (BTF) convened the 40^th anniversary observance of the Black July pogrom on 19 July 2023 in Committee Room 10 in the Parliament of the United Kingdom, hosted by Rt Hon Sir Stephan Timms, MP.

Sir Stephen Timms, being the member of Parliament for East Ham since 1994, has always been voicing against the atrocity crimes inflicted on Tamil people by the Sri Lankan state and attending UNHRC meetings in Geneva with British Tamils Forum to reinforce the international community support for the justice and accountability for the victims of the war crimes, crime against humanity and genocide. His last visit was to the 51^st UNHRC Session in March 2023.

BTF panelist on Failed Commissions and the upcoming TRC Model in Sri Lanka

The Government of Sri Lanka has a long, long history of setting up these “justice mechanisms” whenever there is a national issue that needs addressing – it is the very first thing the Government does. Yet to date, none of these commissions have led to any meaningful legislative or executive reform whatsoever. The recommendations of each successive commission have never been implemented. This has led to a culture of impunity among the security services personnel; we have seen perpetrators of human rights violations walk free every single time.

They’ve been setting up many such Commissions since 1977, such as the “Sansoni Commission.”
Several commissions were set up to investigate premeditated massacres and enforced disappearances from 1989 to 2005; however, the reports of the commissions were either not made public, or the Government did not take any action upon hearing the findings of the commissions.

That’s not to mention the mother of all failed commissions – the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), set up in 2010 at the end of the Civil War. Human Rights lawyers slammed this particular commission, as it was not independent of the Government, did whatever it could to downplay allegations of human rights violations, and did not provide protection to witnesses giving evidence. We are yet to see a commission that has delivered justice to victims of governmental wrongdoing.

In her speech to the United Nations Human Rights Council on the 21^st of June, 2023, the UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights said: “Sri Lanka has witnessed too many ad hoc commissions in the past that failed to ensure accountability.” She specifically mentioned the Office of Missing Persons, which has “not achieved the results that provide satisfaction to victims.” In fact, the Office has failed to solve even a single case, of a missing person.

Under the provisions of the Commissions of Inquiry Act of Sri Lanka, a Commission of Inquiry is a “fact-finding” mission – no judicial powers are granted to them. It just so happens that the same model is used for every commission relating to human rights abuses.

The President can decide whether a commission’s findings should be made public, whether partly or fully, owing to reasons related to (quote) “national security”. But this provision has been misused by successive governments to hide incidents of serious human rights violations and protect the names of the perpetrators. To top it off, it is the President alone who decides whether they want to implement recommendations of a Commission of Inquiry. This is but a taste of the many fatal flaws that the Commissions face. The commissions are not given the tools to enforce their recommendations, leaving the government and its security services free to do anything they like.

The many failed commissions of Sri Lanka have all been set up to deceive the international community.

There have been far too many sham commissions set up to waste everyone’s time. Sri Lanka has been using these commissions to ensure the international community does not get involved; the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is yet another attempt at this tactic of stalling. The oppressors will continue to be in power and lead the TRC whilst the oppressed remain oppressed and will cease to exist in the future.

The Tamil Community has been calling for an international independent justice mechanism with the power to prosecute war criminals and human rights abusers. It is our firm belief here at the British Tamils Forum, that if there is to be any form of justice for the victims of human rights abuses in Sri Lanka, an international Criminal Justice Mechanism into the wrongdoing of the Government is required.

Among many other things, Sir Stephen, in his speech, explained the importance of setting up an international independent inquiry and clarified why the British government should take steps to sanction perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide following the example set by other countries.

Executive Director of the Oakland Institute, USA, Anuradha Mittal’s video presentation about the persistent violence and identity annihilation of the Tamils, with the focus on land grabs, was displayed. Eyewitness accounts of an international Diplomat and two other victims and a documentary film about the anti-Tamil Pogrom in 1983 in Sri Lanka produced by our sister organisation USTAG narrated the horrendous violence perpetrated against Tamils. This documentary portrayed Indra Gandhi’s statement, “There is a Genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka.” She immediately dispatched her external affairs Minister Narasimha Rao to Colombo. Rao saw with his own eyes the violence and requested the then President J R Jayewardene, “Can you stop this violence, or shall we stop it?“. This was the message from Prime Minister Indra Gandhi to J R Jeyawardene. JR replied, “We will do it ourselves.” The violence, which had been going on nonstop for 4 days, came to a halt in a matter of hours.

Subsequently, many other Members of Parliament of all major political parties shared similar views and widespread discontent with the further deterioration of the Tamil people’s situation in Sri Lanka, especially since the 1983 Black July pogrom.

The First Chair of APPG for Tamils when BTF initiated and became the Secretariat of the APPG for Tamils and Vice-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils, Mr Virendra Sharma MP, added that he would be committed to protecting the human rights of Tamils in Sri Lanka, and throughout the world in his speech.

The Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG For Tamils), Mr Elliott Colburn MP, said that he would continue to fight along with his Parliamentary colleagues to recognise the genocide, sanction war criminals, and find justice for the Tamil people.

Mr Ben Morris, from Sri Lanka Campaign, in his speech, stated that various commissions hitherto set up by the Sri Lankan governments had gone nowhere, Mr Ben questioned the credibility of the current President Ranil Wickremasinghe, who is the nephew of J R Jayawardena, the man who oversaw the anti-Tamil pogrom. He also posed the question, ‘how can one expect justice from President Ranil Wickremasinghe, a cabinet minister since 1977 and was in J R Jayawardena’s government’s cabinet’?

The inference of Mr. Ben’s concerns reflects what underlies the quote of the then Sri Lankan President J R Jayawardene at an interview with Ian Ward, the editor of London Daily Telegraph on 11 July 1983, two weeks before the state-sponsored the Black July 1983 Anti Tamil Pogrom.

“I am not worried about the opinion of the Jaffna (Tamil) people now. Now we cannot think of ‘THEM’. Not about their lives or their opinion on ‘Us’…. The more you put pressure in the North, the happier the Sinhala people will be here… really, if I starve the Tamils out, the Sinhala people will be happy…”

Martyn Day MP, Scottish National Party’s Spokesperson for Health in the House of Commons: Spoke about the Genocide of Tamils and assured that he would stand in solidarity with Tamils.

Sarah Olney MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for the Treasury, Business and Industrial Strategy and Vice-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils criticised the inadequate response from the international community during the atrocities committed against the Tamils. She, on behalf of her party, called on the British government to recognise the atrocities committed against the Tamils as Genocide. Sarah Olney also said that the cycle of violence against the Tamils must come to an end.

Bob Blackman MP (Conservative), Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils, Conservative Friends of India and British Hindus: After describing the Sri Lankan government’s attempt to wipe out the Tamils as genocide, added that the Muslim community in Sri Lanka was also badly affected by the Sri Lankan State. By further adding that the Chinese influence in Sri Lanka should be curtailed, Bob Blackman said that India and Britain would have important roles to play. After mentioning that economic sanctions should be applied to force the Sri Lankan government to come to the negotiating table., Bob Blackman confirmed his continued support for the Tamil for achieving their aspirations.

Sarah Champion MP, Chair of the International Development Select Committee and a Member of National Security Strategy: After expressing her concern that the Black July 1983 was something none of us could forget, extended her solidarity to the Tamils to get to the truth as to what went so horribly wrong and why and how it was orchestrated. Stating that it would be difficult to move forward to prevent it from happening again and that prevention would be the one important to her, Sarah added that she would stand united to prevent genocide in future.

A video of the Mayor of Brampton, Canada Patrick Brown’s interview to the British Tamils Forum was displayed at the event, where Patrick Brown upon describing the atrocities committed against the Tamils as genocide, said that the war criminals should not only be sanctioned but also should be tried in an international Court of Justice and put in prison for the rest of their lives. It is construed that Patrick Brown’s strong view has been that the Tamils should have their right to self-determination in their homeland.

Referring to the UK being the pen-holder of the core group on Sri Lanka at the UNHRC in Geneva, the UK’s reluctance to impose sanctions against the perpetrators of the war crimes, the crimes against humanity and the genocide but, in lieu, continuing to trade with Sri Lanka Mayor Patrick Brown expressed that a democratic country like the UK should not set a poor precedent by tolerating Sri Lanka’s human rights abuses. He added that tens of thousands of Tamils were butchered by the Sri Lankan war criminals and should not be swept under the carpet.

In short, there was consensus amongst dignitaries that what has hitherto happened and what is continuously happening to Tamil people in Sri Lanka is genocide. Ranil Wickremasinghe showing a reconciliatory face to the world, is stealthily carrying out a genocidal agenda in a multifaceted fashion against Tamils in Sri Lanka. Under his leadership, Buddhist statues spring up in Tamil areas where there are no Buddhists living or ever lived. Tamil lands are being taken over under the pretext of archaeological research. Successive governments have used things like irrigation projects to settle Sinhalese people in predominantly Tamil areas as a way of colonisation.

The United Nations Human Rights Council’s current resolution, which is not time-barred, is very clear in its mandate to collect evidence, analyse and prepare case files for future prosecutions for the atrocity crimes committed in Sri Lanka.

President Ranil Wickremasinghe’s latest ploy to protect war criminals is the advent of yet another commission akin to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission used in South Africa after the end of Apartheid. His attempt to hoodwink the international community is widely described as half-witted that challenges the intelligence of world leaders like President Biden, Chancellor Scholz, President Macron, Prime Minister Sunak and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The meeting concluded with the following notes of the moderator.

• It has become very clear that the application of the TRC model in Sri Lanka, after a lapse of 14 years of ending the war is another hoax to hoodwink the international community and prolong the justice for the victims of the war crimes, the crime against humanity and the genocide.
• It is a ploy to deceive the international community to jeopardise the strong UNHRC Resolutions 46/1 and 51/1 merely to protect its perpetrators of the war crimes, the crime against humanity and genocide.
• It is therefore imperative that an international criminal prosecution mechanism is paramount to establish the accountability and justice.
• Sri Lanka domestic commissions had always proved to be ruse and so the TRC be.
• We are in the crucial stage to strengthen the Sri Lankan Accountability Project (SLAP). We must endeavour to collect evidence to use in judicial proceedings.
• Two years since the start of the SLAP and there has been no public report on the progress, a comprehensive report for the public should be published without delay.
• The North and East of Sri Lanka as a war affected region torn apart by 30 years of civil war and neglected by all the Sri Lankan governments before and after the war. Resettlement, Reconstruction, Rebuilding the economy of North and East in par with other regions of Sri Lanka are the need of the hour.
• The Sri Lankan government has not carried out a comprehensive need assessment survey in the war affected North and East region. Thus, an interim administration must be set up to do this in the North and East by elected representatives immediately.
• This interim administration must conduct civil, political, and economic affairs and address the issues of ongoing land grab, intimidation and harassment of civilians and civil society. This interim administration should focus on resettlement and reconstruction to stop Tamils beingforcibly pushed into poverty and dependency.
• To avoid history repeating itself institutional restructuring is needed including a socio economic and political contract between the Tamil Nation and Sinhala Nation, arbitrated by the international community for peaceful co-existence.
• To ensure non-recurrence the Sri Lankan security forces need to be demilitarised from the North and East as well as demobilised in the island.
• Sri Lanka will continue to be a pawn for global powers to exploit if serious structural changes are not carried out immediately. This sensitive island will experience more violence, more conflicts and be without peace and prosperity.
• Any future mechanisms must be international and support the judicial process. Member states must also take meaningful action for criminal prosecution and set up an International criminal justice mechanism.

40th anniversary of Black July Westminster – BTF Fn1

The Jaffna Public Library was the pride of invaluable asset of Tamil people, not only for those who
lived in Jaffna peninsula, but also for academics and research-scholars from all around the world.
With a modest beginning in 1933, it grew to become a repository of significant Tamil palm leaf
manuscripts, original copies of regionally important historic documents in the contested political
history of Sri Lanka and newspapers that were published hundreds of years ago in the Jaffna
peninsula. It thus became a place of historic and symbolic importance to the Tamil people.

BURNING DOWN JAFFNA PUBLIC LIBRARY – A CULTURAL GENOCIDE

On 01 June 1981, Jaffna Public Library was reduced to ash by the premeditated willful and malicious
act of then Sri Lankan government with the presence of two cabinet ministers Gamini Dissanayake
and Cyril Matthew were stationed in Jaffna to oversee the election process and campaign. They
abetted the police forces and thugs especially brought from south and housed in Duraiappa Stadium
under the guise of election duty of the District Council election on June 04 th . Duraiappa Stadium is
situated right across a road of Jaffna Public Library is and was adjacent to the location of Jaffna
Police Station; all were in the same bordering vicinity separated by a road; at that time.

At around 10pm on 01 June 1981, Jaffna’s then Municipal Commissioner Mr. C V K Sivagnanam
received a call from Mrs Yogendra Duraisamy, the wife of then Government Agent of Jaffna District
and their house was within the vicinity of the library, telling him that there were smoke and fire
coming around the library and asked him to check up. When he contacted his staff over the phone,
and they told him that the library has been set on fire.

Please find former Municipal Commissioner Mr C V K Sivagnanam’s testimony as video statement[1] (https://youtu.be/jzQ_6Wt0wew)

For Tamils, the devastated library became a symbol of cultural genocide. The attack was seen as an assault on their aspirations, the value of learning and traditions of academic achievement.

Thereafter, a committee was appointed by the President J R Jayawardena, and one-man committee
was headed by Kingly Wickramasooriya, who was the DIG, came to Jaffna and collected evidence
from several high-ranking officials and witnesses in Jaffna, including then Jaffna Municipal
Commissioner Mr. C V K Sivagnanam, who was threatened to be shot by the police by a road
barricade, when Mr. Sivagnanam was rushing in his car after receiving a phone call about Jaffna
Library was on fire. Mr. Sivagnanam had seen the burning library and the policemen in the library
area from the location where he was stopped by the police.

Despite of appointing a committee by the government at that time and up to now no action have
been taken by any successive Sri Lankan government came to power thereafter, to grant justice to
the heinous crime committed by the perpetrators by burning the cultural treasure of Tamil people.

This shows the clear evidence of Tamil genocidal intent of the Sri Lankan state’s policy that it
hitherto continues.

TAMIL PEOPLE RIGORUSLY ENDEAVOURED TO RETAIN THE RUINED LIBRARY AS A MEMORIAL OF
STRUCTURAL GENOCIDE OF TAMIL PEOPLES’ INVALUABLE INHERITANCE AND TO BUILD ANOTHER
IDENTICAL ONE NEARBY

Nonetheless, their endeavor was shattered when subsequent Sri Lankan governments tacitly
planned and refurbished the ruined Jaffna Library building with the motive of eradicating all
evidence of their genocidal act. Despite the fascia of the library is restored, the acrimony of
destroying irrecoverable invaluable manuscripts, original copies of historic documents and
newspapers will continue to traumatise Tamil people as long as they live.

Tamil peoples’ will to retain and preserve the charred building as a living memory of structural
genocide; a part of the atrocity crimes being continuously inflicted on them, has also been
deliberately denied.

During one of the truce negotiations between Chandrika Kumaratunga’s government and the LTTE in
1994 – 95, the government of Sri Lanka purposely brought the issue of the Jaffna Public Library and a
compromise was reached between the negotiating parties for a new library to be built next to the
old one. Subsequently, an architectural design for the new library was submitted by the LTTE
representatives to the government negotiators.

REFURBISHING & FURNISHING OF THE BURNT DOWN JAFFNA PUBLIC LIBRARY

Nevertheless, contrary to such a negotiated compromise to retain the burnt library building,
President Chandrika Kumaratunga, after militarily occupying the Jaffna district in 1996, undertook to
repair & refurbish the old library building, deliberately to erase the scars of the burnt library.

This has been the hallmark of the Sri Lankan state’s structural genocide with the notion of
eliminating Tamil people and their historical invaluable records form Sri Lanka’s history. Its enduring
psychological scar will continue to traumatise Tamil people as long as they live.

Jaffna Library