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.
