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If LTTE & TNA demands are the same – why is Sri Lanka Government agreeing to implement them?

Both LTTE & TNA are demanding a separate Tamil Homeland. LTTE fronts have been echoing the same. Take out their statements, press releases, constitutions, election manifestos, interviews & demands and the comparisons are shocking. LTTE were terrorists and TNA is the political wing created by the LTTE. In 1976 Tamil political leaders came up with Vaddukoddai Resolution the same year Prabakaran formed the LTTE. ITAK is the leader of the TNA alliance set up by LTTE in 2001. ITAK head has been made the Opposition Leader since August 2015. The supporters of LTTE, TNA & LTTE fronts are now galvanizing their demands into a serious of actions that forces the Government in power to take action simply because of the assurances made before elections to help bring the government to power. Now the Shylocks are demanding their piece of flesh. Requoting Sambanthan’s speech at the ITAK Convention in 2013 “The struggle is the same, but the approaches we employ are different. Our aim is the same, but our strategies are different. The players are the same, but the alliances are different. That is the nature of the Tamil people. Although we still have the same aim, the methods we use are now different.” With these ground realities is the GOSL insane to even entertain demands by any of these groups riding on the bogey of reconciliation which is also being funded by the same supporting sources and the new constitution is being drafted by those that supported separatist aims & objectives?

It doesn’t take a whizz kid to notice the similarities and virtual cut and paste statements from Tamil political parties and the Tamil armed militant groups. Essentially there is no difference in what the Tamil political parties are demanding and what the Tamil armed militants demand. So when LTTE remains banned as a terrorist group and were militarily defeated, did it not mean that their ideologies were also rejected and eliminated? If so, why are these same demands being entertained now that they are being championed by Tamil leaders not in LTTE uniform?

These are questions that the public needs answers to. Simply by showing a lovey-dovey picture of reconciliation we cannot keep silent as armed militancy has now being replaced with unruly Tamil public outbursts in demanding removal of military camps in the North and East and this weak government is simply giving in? Will any Western country remove any of its military bases simply because some ISIS or Al Qaeda supporters surround the bases screaming their closure?

TULF formed an alliance with the three Indian backed paramilitary groups, Eelam National Democratic Liberation Front (ENDLF), Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) and Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO), to contest the 15 February 1989 election.

TNA alliance in 2001 comprised Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO) and the Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF)

Global Tamil Forum (GTF) was established in 2009 – its Policy Advisor is Joan Ryan, Labor MP

The Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) is a political formation to win the freedom of the Tamil people on the basis of their fundamental political principles of Nationhood, Homeland and Right of self-determination.

Pro-LTTE statements

· ITAK remembers the ‘Tamil youth who sacrificed their lives in armed struggle’ (Sampanthan’s speech at the 14th Annual ITAK convention in 2012 Batticoloa) – the only Tamil youth who sacrificed their lives in armed struggle were the LTTE!

· TULF Manifesto 1977 also stated that Eelam would be ultimately established “either by peaceful means or by direct action or struggle.”

· “Even after the adoption of the Vaddukoddai resolution, and even after the commencement of an armed struggle… the armed struggle gained in strength, and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam came to occupy a paramount position, and play a pivotal role in the struggle of the Tamil nationality to win their rights. It would be futile not to recognize this reality” – TNA manifesto 2001

· “seriously flawed policies of the Sri Lankan State in the past six years, of claiming to 'conduct a war for peace’ and claiming 'that the war is being conducted against the LTTE and not against the Tamil people' has aggravated the situation and made a just solution to the Tamil national question even more complex” – TNA manifesto 2001

· “The immediate commencement of the process of negotiations with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ( LTTE) with international third party involvement.” – TNA manifesto demand 2001

· “This Alliance also states that unless meaningful negotiations are held with the L.T.T.E. no just solution can be found to the Tamil national question and that such negotiations should be held immediately only with the LTTE.” – TNA manifesto 2001

· “lift the proscription imposed on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Sri Lanka” – TNA manifesto 2001

· “participation of the LTTE at such negotiations on behalf of the Tamil nationality.” – TNA manifesto 2001

· “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” – TNA manifesto 2004

· “the legendary bravery, sacrifices and exploits of our heroes and fighters.” – TNA manifesto 2004 clearly refers to Tamil militants and not to Sri Lankan soldiers!

· “LTTE put forward the proposal that an interim self-governing authority be set up for the regions of the Tamil nation” – TNA manifesto 2004

· “The LTTE has for the past two years put up with the violent, surly behaviour of the armed forces without impairing the conditions for peace and observing the cease-fire and acting steadfastly and firmly towards the path of peace” – TNA manifesto 2004 (then why did SLMM record over 3000 violations by LTTE?)

· “LTTE, the authentic sole representatives of the Tamil people” – TNA manifesto 2004

· “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.” TNA manifesto 2004

· “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, centred 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” – one of 10 resolutions of TNA manifesto 2004

· “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” – TNA manifesto 2004

· “. Let us work side by side with the LTTE, who are fighting for the protection and autonomous life of the Tamil speaking people” – TNA manifesto 2004

· In 2014 Anandasangaree writes to Indian PM Modi and says TNA is a LTTE proxy - http://www.mfa.gov.lk/index.php/en/news-from-other-media/5352-mr-modi-tna-is-a-lttes-proxy-anandasangaree-

· “TULF MP Mavai Senathirajah who is in the process of reviving the Federal Party (ITAK) visited Killinochchi had meetings with the LTTE Deputy Political Commissar Thangan on 14-10-2003. The revival of the Federal party is being undertaken at the behest of the LTTE” – Anandasangaree letter to Modi 2014

· ““The TNA was started by four parties of which TULF was one. The TULF was replaced by ITAK without any reference to anybody or to the party concerned. All concerned parties should now accept that both the TNA and the ITAK had been revived by dishonest means on the instigation of the LTTE to look after their interest. It is this TNA that nominated candidates for all electoral districts in the North and in the East for the 2004 elections, Mr. Tamilselvan retaining half the number of slots in each one of the electoral districts. Of all the members elected to the 2004 Parliament, majority belonged to the LTTE.” Anandasangaree letter to Modi 2014

· “the secretaries of the ITAK, ACTC, Telo & EPRLF endorsed“Accepting the leadership of the LTTE as the National Leadership of the Tamil people and also accepting the LTTE as the real sole – representatives of the Tamil people, we honestly and firmly pledge to give our full support for the struggle the LTTE had undertaken on behalf of the Tamil Nation”. Anandasangaree letter to Modi 2014

Post-LTTE defeat – ITAK taking over political leadership of the ‘cause’ to separate Sri Lanka

· ITAK is now the ‘legitimate representative of the Tamil people’ – ITAK convention 2014

Indian involvement with LTTE & Tamil politicians

· ‘India will never welcome a political solution in Sri Lanka that does not accord with the interests of India’ – Sambanthan at ITAK convention in 2014

Tamil Nation / Tamil Eelam / Against unitary constitution / federal constitution / maximum devolution / full implementation of Indo-Lanka Accord / autonomous rule in North East based on self-determination / shared sovereignty within an united Sri Lanka

· LTTE aims to create a separate homeland for the Tamils known as the Tamil Eelam (State) in the Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka.

· “recognition of the Tamils of Ceylon as a nation” – LTTE demand at Thimpu Talks 1985

· “recognition of the right of self determination of the Tamil nation” – LTTE demand at Thimpu Talks in 1985

· “Unitary Government with present composition of legislature and structure of executive totally unaacceptable to the Tamils.In the absence of a satisfactory alternative we demand the right of self-determination for the Tamil people.” (Telegram sent by President of the Tamil Congress through the Governors Office to the Secretary of State for the Colonies on 20th November 1947)

‘Our expectation for a solution to the ethnic problem of the sovereignty of the Tamil people is based on a political structure OUTSIDE that of a UNITARY GOVERNMENT, in a UNITED SRI LANKA in which Tamil people have all the powers of government needed to live with self-respect and self sufficiency’ – Sambanthan at ITAK convention 2014
Federal constitution – maximum devolution & full implementation of 13a – one of ITAK’s 15 resolutions passed in 2014 & one of Vaddukoddai Resolutions 6 demands in 1976
“Recognition of the Tamils of Sri Lanka as a distinct nationality” – Demands made by Tamil delegation (LTTE, EPRLF, EROS, PLOTE, TELO, TULF) at the India organized Thimpu Talks in 1985
“recognition of the inalienable right of self-determination of the Tamil nation.” – TNA manifesto 2001
“Tamil organizations got together and resolved on May 14, 1976 to establish a sovereign independent Tamil Eelam based on our inalienable right to selfdetermination.” – TNA manifesto 2004
“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” – TNA manifesto 2004
“ITAK and the other Tamil parties came together under a banner called Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), and in 1976 passed a resolution calling for a restoration of our lost sovereignty in the background of the continued denial of the right of the Tamil People to self determination” – TNA manifesto 2010
“Tamil People are entitled to the right of self determination” – TNA manifesto 2010
“Devolution of powers should be over land, law and order, socioeconomic development including health and education, resources and fiscal powers” – TNA manifesto 2010
“Direct foreign investment in the North and East will be facilitated” – TNA manifesto 2010
“legitimate and inalienable right of the Tamil Speaking Peoples to charter their own destiny in the areas historically inhabited by them within a united country.” – TNA manifesto 2010
“Tamil People are entitled to the right to self-determination” – TNA manifesto for 2013 NPC elections
“Devolution of power on the basis of shared sovereignty shall necessarily be over land, law and order, socio-economic development including health and education, resources and fiscal powers” – TNA manifesto for 2013 NPC elections
“our right to determine our destiny to ensure self-government in the Tamil Speaking North-East of the country within a united and undivided Sri Lanka.” – TNA manifesto 2015
“Tamil Speaking Northern and Eastern provinces is the historical habitation of the Tamil People and the Tamil Speaking Peoples” – TNA 2015 manifesto
“Tamil People are entitled to the right to self-determination in keeping with United Nations International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, both of which Sri Lanka has accepted and acceded to” – TNA manifesto 2015
“Devolution of power on the basis of shared sovereignty shall be over land, law and order, enforcement of the law so as to ensure the safety and security of the Tamil People, socio-economic development including inter-alia health, education, higher and vocational education, agriculture, fisheries, industries, livestock development, cultural affairs, mustering of resources, both domestic and foreign and fiscal powers.” – TNA manifesto 2015 (basically means running a separate state)

· “meaningful de-militarization resulting in the return to the pre-war situation as it existed in 1983 before the commencement of hostilities by the removal of armed forces, military apparatuses and High Security/Restricted Zones from the Northern and Eastern Provinces.” – TNA manifesto 2015

· ‘meaningful devolution should go beyond the 13^th Amendment to the Constitution passed in 1987’ – Sambanthan ITAK Convention 2014

· ‘Tamil United Liberation Front, of which our party was a member took the historical decision to establish the separate government of Tamil Eelam in 1976’ – Sambanthan at ITAK convention 2014

· “Uniting all Tamil entities and elements who subscribe to the fundamental tenets of Tamil political aspirations proclaimed in the Vaddukoddai Resolution, which was subsequently endorsed and mandated in the general election of 1977 and in the Thimbu Principles in 1985.” – TGTE mission statement

· “support and advocate for the realization of the Tamils' legitimate political aspirations to regain their sovereignty and the right to self-determination” – TGTE mission statement

· “Starting the process of writing the Constitution of Tamil Eelam, based on the principles enunciated in 1976 Vaddukottai Resolution, Interim Self-Governing Proposal (ISGA), and the Tamil Eelam Freedom Charter and involving Tamils all around the world” – TGTE Dec 2015

· “feasibility and modalities of launching a new Tamil Eelam currency” – TGTE Dec 2015

· “Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi, which has become the political symbol of the Tamil Nation” – Sambanthan Speech at ITAK 14^th Convention 2012

Tamil homeland claim (without any historical, archaeological, anthropological evidence)

· “recognition of the existence of an identified homeland for the Tamils of Ceylon” – LTTE demand at Thimpu Talks in 1985

· Vaddukoddai Resolution of 1976 falsely claims existence of a ‘Tamil Nation’ overthrown by the Portuguese however it was the Kandyan King who sent his envoy Mudaliyar Atappattu to defend the kings territory against the Portuguese. North was a kinglet and tributary of the Kandyan Kingdom as was East.

· Tamil Nation claim made in TULF General Election Manifesto of 1977 and the ITAK Conventions of 2012 and 2014.

· “Recognition of an identified Tamil homeland and guarantee of its territorial integrity.” - Demands made by Tamil delegation (LTTE, EPRLF, EROS, PLOTE, TELO, TULF) at the India organized Thimpu Talks in 1985

· “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). – one of 10 resolutions made by TNA manifesto 2004

· “Tamil Speaking Northern and Eastern provinces is the historical habitation of the Tamil Speaking Peoples” – TNA manifesto for 2013 NPC elections

· “Mobilise Tamils globally for drafting a new Constitution for Tamil Eelam” – TGTE Dec 2015

· “Start e-government services for the people of Tamil Eelam” – TGTE Dec 2015

Tamil official language in Tamil Eelam

· One of 6 demands made in Vaddukoddai Resolution of 1976

Demilitarization

· “meaningful de-militarization resulting in the return to the pre- war situation as it existed in 1983 by the removal of armed forces, military apparatuses and High Security Zones from the Northern and Eastern Provinces’ – TNA manifesto 2010

· demilitarisation of Tamil areas and the restoration of complete civil administration to all militarised government departments and national institutions – Global Tamil Forum demand

· “Sri Lankan military be withdrawn as a precondition to the creation of the civil space in the Tamil homeland” – TGTE press release 2015

War crimes international investigations

· one of ITAK’s 15 resolutions passed at Convention in 2014

· ‘our victory in the passage of the recent Resolution at UN Human Rights Council’ – Sambanthan at ITAK Convention in 2014

· “An Independant International Investigation must be conducted into the allegations of violations of international human rights and humanitarian laws made against both the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE during the last stages of the war” – TNA manifesto for 2013 NPC elections

War widows

· “The war has left behind over 50,000 widows in the Northern Province alone” – TNA manifesto for 2013 NPC elections

· “The war has left behind almost 90,000 widows in the North-East.” – TNA manifesto 2015

Genocide claims

· one of ITAK’s 15 resolutions passed at Convention in 2014

· “bring to justice those who have committed genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.” – TGTE mission statement

· “An international investigation into the Sri Lankan Government’s Genocide of the Tamil people” – TGTE press release 2015

Colonization claims

· one of ITAK’s 15 resolutions passed at Convention in 2014

· Vaddukoddai Resolution on 1976

· State aided colonization of the Tamil homeland with Sinhala people, from the time of independence has continued unabated – TNA manifesto 2001

· “end of the Sinhalisation of Tamil majority areas, with immediate effect” – Global Tamil Forum key objective

Repeal of Prevention of Terrorism Act

· one of ITAK’s 15 resolutions passed at Convention in 2014

Abolition of Executive Presidency

· one of ITAK’s 15 resolutions passed at Convention in 2014

Re-merger of North & East

· “Power sharing arrangements must be established in a unit of merged Northern and Eastern Provinces based on a Federal structure, in a manner also accptable to the Tamil Speaking Muslim people.” – TNA manifesto 2010

· “Power sharing arrangements must be established in a unit of a merged Northern and Eastern Provinces based on a Federal structure “ – TNA manifesto for 2013 NPC elections

· one of ITAK’s 15 resolutions passed at Convention in 2014

· One of 6 demands made in Vaddukoddai Resolution of 1976 (claim that Tamil Eelam covers North & East)

· ‘North and East of Sri Lanka are the areas of historical habitation of the Tamil speaking people’ – Sambanthan at ITAK Convention 2014

Discrimination by Sinhalese

· Vaddokoddai Resolution lies about denial of Tamil language as Tamil was never used as an official language before colonial rule or even after. How can a language that was never in official/administrative use be turned into a right denied just because Sinhala was made the official language?

· Vaddukoddai Resolution also lies on denial of equal opportunities – produce evidence of such inequalities after independence?

The Vaddukoddai Convention called upon Tamil youth to throw themselves towards the fight for freedom to create Tamil Eelam (months later Prabakaran formed his terror group)

The GOSL (whatever party is in power) cannot ignore these ground realities. The mistake of the past has been to ignore the constitutions of ITAK, Vaddukoddai Resolution of 1976, TULF manifestos, ITAK election manifestos and the demands by LTTE and LTTE Diaspora fronts and understanding & countering their overall aims and objectives before agreeing to negotiate on them. Why should any government negotiate to divide or separate the nation with those who initially carried out an armed struggle and when that has failed is continuing with the political alternatives.

Shenali D Waduge

http://www.sangam.org/FB_HIST_DOCS/vaddukod.htm - Vadukoddai Resolution 1976

http://www.sangam.org/FB_HIST_DOCS/TULFManifesto77.htm - TULF General Election manifesto 1977

http://www.tamilnet.com/img/publish/2010/03/TNA_Election_Manifesto_2001.pdf - TNA manifesto 2001

https://www.tamilnet.com/img/publish/2010/03/TNA_Election_Manifesto_2004pdf.pdf– TNA manifesto 2004

http://transcurrents.com/tc/2010/03/full_text_general_election_201.html - TNA manifesto 2010

https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/full-text-tnas-northern-provincial-council-election-manifesto-2013/ - TNA manifesto for 2013 NPC elections

https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/tna-manifesto-full-text/ - TNA manifesto 2015

https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/the-struggle-for-the-political-rights-of-the-tamil-nation-has-now-entered-an-entirely-new-chapter/ - Sambanthan speech at 14^th ITAK Convention 2012

http://www.tamilcanadian.com/article/6255 - ITAK Convention 2012

https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/full-text-of-the-itak-15-resolutions-including-merger-of-the-north-and-east-provinces/ - ITAK Convention 2014

Global Tamil Forum - http://www.globaltamilforum.org/about-us.aspx