BETRAYAL OF MALAYAGA THAMIZHARGAL BY THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA.

UPROOTING MILLIONS OF TAMILS AND THE OPINION MAKERS OF TAMILNADU

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[People from Europe went to America and they are citizens of America today. People from India went to Ceylon, Burma and other colonies of British and French. Naturally they should have become citizens of the soil where they toiled for few centuries. But it is not so. The bureaucracy in India, especially in foreign office has neither vision nor brains. By their foolishness they created Stateless citizens especially in Ceylon. Anna in his speech made in December 1964 at Rajya Sabha [Upper House of Indian Parliament] questions the negation of human dignity which involved uprooting 3 lakhs of people irrespective of their wishes, people to whom Ceylon was homeland for generations. We reproduce his speech to provoke fresh thinking on past blunders...... N.Nandhivarman]

ANNA's SPEECH

Mr.Vice Chairman, the Minister of External Affairs has given us a fairly full picture of the present international situation. I have the fullest sympathy towards the Minister for External Affairs when he is called upon to solve problems bristling with difficulties and confounding the best brains of the present day world. Though the field is very alluring, I do not propose, due to embarrassing time factor, to enter into the very alluring grounds covered by the Minister for External Affairs.

I propose to be nearer home and deal with only one problem, the so called Indo-Ceylon pact. In dealing with that problem I may request the Minister for External Affairs to take my speech to convey the feeling of remorse and agony by millions of people over this Indo-Ceylon pact.

The Minister has been telling us how politicians and statesmen all over the world are trying to enthrone justice and equity, are trying to find out how best human dignity can be safeguarded. I am going to measure the Indo-Ceylon Pact by that rod of human dignity, international justice and common sense. Measuring it with such a rod, I find that this pact means a gross betrayal of millions of people whose one sin has been looking towards this country and this government for solace.

The Indo-Ceylon Pact, the very name I would say Mr. Vice Chairman, the very name is a misnomer. There is no problem at all between two sovereign countries like India and Ceylon. The main problem is between millions of people settled for generations together in Ceylon and the Ceylonese government in matter of treatment meted out to them. The only part that we could have played and the legitimate part we should have played is by stressing the human aspect of the problem.

All along, it has been stated that we are not going to look at this problem as other than a problem of human interest. The persistent, the consistent and the logical policy being followed by the previous government, to be more correct, by the late lamented Prime Minister of this country has been given a go by, without an iota of remorse. He has been stressing that the problems of millions of people who have been unfortunately termed as stateless is a problem that has to be tackled mainly and solely by the Ceylonese Government. The Indian Government enters the picture only to guide the Ceylonese government when it needs guidance.

A point has been raised in this House, whether the sovereignty of one country can be abridged by the actions and consultations of another country. Various views on sovereignty there have been, and the present trend is that even sovereignty is to come under the aegis and under the guidance of the eternal principles of justice and fairplay.

If this is merely the sovereign right of the Ceylon Government, Mr.Kotewala, Mr.Dudley Senanayake, after that Mr.Bandaranaike and now Srimavo Bandaranaike need not have, and would not have, and could not have, come to this country for consultations.

The very fact that successive Prime Ministers of Ceylon have come to this country for consultations on this problem means that this not purely a problem wherein the sovereignty of a country is at issue. This is a problem wherein the whole world has an interest. The fact of the matter is that millions of people who are called people of Indian origin are settled in Ceylon, not for a decade or two decades, but centuries together.

It has been stated that only the Indians there are people of Indian origin. May I ask the Minister of External Affairs to delve deep into the annals of Ceylon? It may give him an insight into the fact that the so called Sinhalese are people of Indian origin who went to Ceylon during the reign of King Vijaya and the millions of people who were now dubbed as people of Indian origin have gone there later. Therefore to call the people of Indian origin aliens to Ceylon is a travesty of fact. The Government ought to have countenanced such barefaced injustice. The main burden ought to have been on the Ceylon government to come to this country or before the bar of the world and they ought to have stated in what way they are treating, they have been treating and they are going to treat people who have settled there permanently.

Most of the people today who are called men of Indian origin have no connection, no hovels, no homes, no relations in this unfortunate part of our country, Tamil Nadu. The only affinity between those people and people of Tamil Nadu is the affinity of language. If the Ceylon government turns around and says this is your problem, what prompted the Government of India to accept that version of the Ceylon Government's proposals? What is that they have surrendered to? Is it to temptation? Is it to pressure? Is it to various other extraneous circumstances? Why they have surrendered to the temptation of taking this problem as their problem? Even after taking that false stand, did the Government of India or the present Ministry follow the best tenets of democratic principles? What did that Prime Ministers of Ceylon do? When Dr.Dudley Senanayake came here, when Mr. Kotelawala came here and when Mrs.Bandaranaike came here, they took into their confidence; they consulted the important leaders of the opposition in their own country?

I remember when Mr.Dudley Senanaike as Prime Minister came to this country, he brought along with him as one of the members of the delegation, and the late lamented Mr.Bandaranaike. Why is that when a small country like Ceylon maintains and works along the best democratic tenets, you have not taken care to consult the opinion of any opposition parties? Why is it that the Ceylon government when it came here came fully armed with the unanimity of opinion of all political parties functioning in Ceylon and even of the Communist party which is called the Lanka Sama samaj Party. Why you are presenting to this House and to this country, a fait accompli. Why has the Minister stated in the other House that he was constantly in consultation with the leaders of opinion in Tamil Nadu ?

May I ask the Minister of External affairs to inform this House if he has taken to care to consult any one of the leaders of major political parties in Tamil nadu ? No. He can turn around and say that the Chief Minister of Madras has given his blessings or consent and another Minister who was deputed here- Hon.Ramiah- had given the consent. What else can they do? Can they expose the Government of India? They cannot. Their loyalty to the party and to the Government stands in the way of opening their hearts to say what they feel. Even after accepting the Indo-Ceylon Pact, speaking if I remember correctly at Baroda, the Chief Minister of Madras stated that he would have been happier if a smaller number of people had been asked to come. What does it mean?

It means there is a volcanic eruption though in mild form, in the mind of the Chief Minister of Madras. He is not happy over this Pact though he cannot, as a loyal congressman, as a loyal state Chief Minister, question the propriety of the Central Government. Therefore to cite the support given by the Chief Minister of Madras or his Deputy is merely burking the issue. Why have you deviated from the path followed by the late lamented Prime Minister? What did he say on the floor of this house, on the floor of the other house, on many occasions? He had very correctly stated that he would take any number of people coming to this country, if they come voluntarily.

What is this Pact? This is not voluntary repatriation. You have assured the Sinhalese that you would take 5 lakhs or more that will be coming and you have persuaded after much difficulty- I can understand the difficulties-Ceylon to retain 3 lakhs of people. You have left without taking into consideration, for the present only I hope, 1, 50.000 people. Well. When a similar problem confronted Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Mr.Kotelawala, what were the terms?

What were the terms of the Indo-Ceylon Pact of 1953-54? The main terms, the soul of the Pact, was that repatriation of the people ought to be voluntary. The people in Ceylon should be given the option to opt for India or remain in Ceylon and the Ceylonese Government at that time went a step further and said that it was working upon a scheme of inducement, that they are going to induce the Indian residents there, as they called them, to go to India by offering temptation of cash bonus. Even that has been given up or given a go-by in this Pact.

After the 1954 Pact did the Minister of External Affairs or even the Prime Minister look into the aspect of how that Pact has worked? It has been stated and it has not been repudiated by the Ceylonese Government, that when more than 8 lakhs of people applied for registration of citizenship in Ceylon, merely 1, 25,000 people were registered. It has been said by Senators and Members of the House of Representatives in Ceylon itself that the 1953-54 Pact was not implemented in just manner. Even the present Cabinet Minister there, who has now resigned Mr.Felix Bandaranaike, stated on the floor of the House of Parliament in Ceylon, that the Pact has not been worked out equitably and justly.

When a Government, after having entered into a Pact with this Government has not worked the Pact correctly and justly, why you have walked into that parlour and signed on the dotted line? That is why millions of people today think that the so called Indo-Ceylon Pact is a betrayal of the interests of millions of people. Hon. Members here have stated and particularly Mr.Chengalvaroyan has said “What alternative is there?” Well what alternative is there when you sit tight over the fate of our country and these people? When you do not mete out justice what alternative is there? That alternative will be found out by the people at large. If you are going to solve every problem with this condition" what alternative ", we can solve the Chinese problem very easily. Already I find a trend from the speech of the Hon.Mr.Sapru and another Hon.member that they are thinking along the line of “what alternative “What alternative?” should not or ought not to be the argument of a potent Government. What alternative has the Ceylonese Government if we refuse to sign this Pact?

If we refuse to take those 5 lakhs into this country, what is the alternative open to the Ceylon Government? Have they got the guts to keep these millions of people in a Belsen camp? Have they the power to defy world opinion by shooting them down? No. Even the Ceylon Government cannot go so far. When many Hon. Members addressed the Minister of External affairs as the Foreign Minister, I at first was irritated and then I thought he is really a Foreign Minister and that is why he has left it to the discretion of a foreign government to settle the fate of millions of people. Mr.G.G.Ponnambalam, who held the Ministry of industry in Ceylonese Government said when resigning his post on the floor of the House of the Representative:

" The Indian and Ceylonese citizenship Act as enforced and implemented, as to render it utterly oppressive with the deliberate objective of denying to several hundreds of thousands of Tamils who call no country other than Ceylon their own and owe no allegiance to any other country, their inalienable right to be part of the permanent population of this country "

Ceylon has not implemented the Citizenship Act of 1953-54. When the Ceylon Government has not implemented the Indo-Ceylon Pact of 1953-54, how can we believe that this Pact is going to solve the problem? and when a Member of my party in the Loksabha put a very pertinent question to the Minister of External affairs, he wanted a definite, categorical answer from the External affairs Minister, my friend there, Mr.Sezhiyan wanted a clarification from the Minister, as to whether this repatriation will be voluntary or compulsory, The Minister of External affairs- I have come to realize that he is adept in the art of by-passing straight questions-said, " why should we take a hypothetical stand?” Two labour organizations of Ceylon one led by Mr.Aziz and other by Mr.Thondaiman, both have declared their repudiation of this Pact. They have said that they are not going to opt for India. Therefore this is not a hypothetical question. When the people of Ceylon refuse to opt for India, what are you going to do? Are you going to take them in shifts and get the 5 lakhs of people here, whether they are willing or not and dump them on India?

Another member said that we have no jurisdiction. I find from reports that a Professor of Delhi university- I do not remember his name at the moment- has stated, in one seminars conducted by Delhi university, that the Ceylon government has got an obligation, according to the United Nations charter on Human rights, to confer citizenship on those lakhs of people there. Instead of taking into consideration all these aspects, The External affairs Minister, good man that he is, has signed this Pact, or is it the Prime Minister ? I do not know-which is a betrayal of the human dignity of lakhs of stateless people there. It is only to register my protest against this attitude, that I have taken part in today’s discussions.

ANNA's SPEECH GIVES AN INSIGHT OF THE BETRAYAL OF MALAYAGA THAMIZHARGAL BY THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA.

[Sinhalese imagine them to be Aryans and the North Indians who also imagine them to be Aryans forgetting they too are of Dravidian stock are extending support to Sinhalese at the cost of Tamils. In Chennai media so-called opinion makers with leanings towards a dead language Sanskrit are anti-Tamil for centuries and they use any opportunity to betray Tamils be it Ealam or Malayagam or even in Tamil Nadu and their games stands exposed even in those days by few lines of Anna's speech...... K.Kamaraj used a bus owner money bag Nataraja Mudaliar to defeat Aringnar Anna in 1962 Tamilnadu assembly polls at Kanchipuram. Then he was sent to Rajya Sabha where he spoke. The game of Kamaraj resulted in his defeat in 1967 Assembly polls by DMK Student Leader P.Srinivasan. Tit for Tat. N.N]

மலேசியத் தமிழ்க் குயில் கலியபெருமாளின் உலகத் தமிழர் பண்பாட்டுக் களஞ்சியத்தில் நந்திவர்மன்

திராவிட முன்னேற்றக் கழகம் என் மதம் ..... திராவிடப் பேரவை என் கட்சி .......நந்திவர்மன் -2010

தோழர் ஜார்ஜ் பெர்னாண்டஸ் பேசுகிறார் நூல் எழுப்பிய நினைவலைகள்

THE RIGHTS OF THE TAMILS LIVING ON THE ISLAND OF SRI LANKA UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW AND PRACTICE

Boyle, Fein charge Sri Lanka of Genocide 

in Chennai seminar

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 June 2009, 02:20 GMT]

Francis Boyle, Professor of International Law at the University of Illinois College of Law, and Bruce Fein, a Washington D.C. Attorney, speaking at a seminar in Chennai organized by the International Tamil Center Monday, reiterated charges of Genocide against the Sri Lanka Government alleging massacre of more than 50,000 Tamil civilians, sources attending the event said. While Prof. Boyle urged India to file charges in International Court against Sri Lanka for violating Geneva conventions, and to stop Colombo "to cease and desist from all acts of genocide against Tamils," Fein stressed the urgent need for the Tamils to reach a "consensus on their political aspirations." The event was organized by Dr Panchadcharam, a consultant physician from New York.

Full text of draft of Prof. Boyle's talk at the seminar follows:

THE RIGHTS OF THE TAMILS LIVING ON THE ISLAND OF SRI LANKA UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW AND PRACTICE

Introduction

There are two basic points I want to make: First, the Tamils living on Sri Lanka have been the victims of genocide. Second, the Tamils living on Sri Lanka have the right to self-determination under international law and practice, including the right to establish their own independent state if they so desire. And the fact that the Tamils living on Sri Lanka have been victims of genocide only strengthens and reinforces their right to self-determination, including establishing their own independent State if that is their desire.

Genocide

Article I of the 1948 Genocide Convention requires all 140 states parties to immediately act in order “to prevent” the ongoing GOSL genocide against the Tamils. One of the most important steps the 140 contracting states parties to the Genocide Convention must take in order to fulfill their obligation under Article I is to sue Sri Lanka at the International Court of Justice in The Hague (the so-called World Court) for violating the 1948 Genocide Convention on the basis of Article IX thereto: “Disputes between the Contracting Parties relating to the interpretation, application or fulfillment of the present Convention, including those relating to the responsibility of a State for genocide or for any of the other acts enumerated in Article III, shall be submitted to the International Court of Justice at the request of any of the parties to the dispute.”Any one or more of the 140 states parties to the Genocide Convention (1) must immediately sue Sri Lanka at the International Court of Justice in The Hague; (2) must demand an Emergency Hearing by the World Court; and (3) must request an Order indicating provisional measures of protection against Sri Lanka to cease and desist from committing all acts of genocide against the 300,000 Tamils in Vanni. Such a World Court Order is the international equivalent to a domestic temporary restraining order and permanent injunction.

Once issued by the World Court, this Order would be immediately transmitted to the United Nations Security Council for enforcement under U.N. Charter article 94(2). So far the member states of the United Nations Security Council have failed and refused to act in order to do anything to stop the GOSL’s genocide against the Tamils (1) despite the fact that the situation in Vanni constitutes a “threat to the peace” that requires Security Council action under article 39 of the United Nations Charter and (2) despite the fact that they are all obligated “to prevent” Sri Lanka’s genocide against the Tamils under article I of the Genocide Convention. This World Court Order will put the matter on the Agenda of the Security Council and force the Security Council to take action in order “to prevent” the ongoing genocide against the Tamils by Sri Lanka. Article II of the Genocide Convention defines the international crime of genocide in relevant part as follows:In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group such as:(a) Killing members of the group;(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; Certainly the Sinhala-Buddhist Sri Lanka and its legal predecessor Ceylon have committed genocide against the Hindu/Christian Tamils that actually started on or about 1948 and has continued apace until today and is now accelerating in Vanni in violation of Genocide Convention Articles II(a), (b), and(c). 

For the past six decades, the Sinhala-Buddhist Ceylon/Sri Lanka has implemented a systematic and comprehensive military, political, and economic campaign with the intent to destroy in substantial part the different national, ethnical, racial, and religious group constituting the Hindu/Christian Tamils. This Sinhala-Buddhist Ceylon/Sri Lanka campaign has consisted of killing members of the Hindu/Christian Tamils in violation of Genocide Convention Article II(a). This Sinhala-Buddhist Ceylon/Sri Lanka campaign has also caused serious bodily and mental harm to the Hindu/Christian Tamils in violation of Genocide Convention Article II(b). This Sinhala-Buddhist Ceylon/Sri Lanka campaign has also deliberately inflicted on the Hindu/Christian Tamils conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction in substantial part in violation of Article II(c) of the Genocide Convention. Since 1983 the Sinhala-Buddhist Sri Lanka have exterminated approximately 100,000 Hindu/Christian Tamils. The Sinhala-Buddhist Sri Lanka have now added another 300,000 Hindu/Christian Tamils in Vanni to their genocidal death list. Humanity needs one state party to the Genocide Convention to fulfill its obligation under article I thereof to immediately sue Sri Lanka at the World Court in order to save the 300,000 Tamils in Vanni from further extermination.

 Self-determination

This gets into the second point that I want to make concerning the Tamils as a group of people living on the Island of Sri Lanka – their right to self-determination under international law and practice. And here I wanted to quote from an international treaty to which the government of Sri Lanka is a party, thus explicitly recognizing that the Tamils living on the Island of Sri Lanka have a right of self-determination. This is from the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the government of Sri Lanka is a party. They are bound by their own treaty, which says quite clearly in Article One: “All peoples have the right of self-determination.”

And clearly, the Tamils living on the Island of Sri Lanka are a “people.” The Tamils on Sri Lanka have a separate language, race, ethnicity, and religions, from the GOSL. The Tamils see themselves as a separate group of “people” and they are perceived to be such by the GOSL. For that precise reason the GOSL has attempted to exterminate the Tamils and ethnically cleanse their Homeland. So no better proof is needed than that. Both the objective criteria and the subjective criteria for establishing a “people” with a right of self-determination under international law and practice have been fulfilled by the Tamils living on Sri Lanka.Let me continue enumerating a few more of the most basic self-determination rights of the Tamils living on Sri Lanka under international law that are recognized by this International Covenant that the GOSL is a party to: “By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.” Those are rights that the Tamils living on Sri Lanka have today even as recognized by the government of Sri Lanka. Those are group rights and not just individual rights. And those are group rights that must be protected because the government of Sri Lanka has attacked the Tamils as a group, not just as individuals. So, since Tamils have been victims as a group, they must be protected as a group. And one of the most basic rights of all that the Tamils have to protect themselves is this right of self-determination including determining their political status and pursuing their own economic, social and cultural development, as well as the establishment of an independent state of their own if that is what the Tamils decide is required for them to accomplish these objectives. Another component of this right of self-determination for the Tamils living on Sri Lanka is set forth in paragraph (2) of this Article One of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the government of Sri Lanka is a party. Notice here I am only using the treaties the GOSL itself is a party to, including the Genocide Convention. I am not citing any principles of international law that the GOSL has not already recognized and indeed violated grievously with respect to the Tamils living on Sri Lanka: “All peoples may, for their own ends, freely dispose of their natural wealth and resources without prejudice to any obligations arising out of international economic cooperation, based upon the principle of mutual benefit, and international law. In no case may the people be deprived of its own means of subsistence.”

Yet we all know for a fact that the GOSL has done everything humanly possible to deprive the Tamil people of their own means of subsistence to a level that now constitutes genocide, in violation of that provision I quoted before from the Genocide Convention prohibiting inflicting on a group conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction in whole or in part. Notice these economic and political rights are related to each other. Both elements of the right to self-determination must protect the Tamils since they have been victims of genocide. We must protect their political rights as well as their economic rights, to freely dispose of their natural wealth and resources. The Tamil people, not the GOSL, must control their traditional Homeland in the North and the East of the Island, their farms, their mines, their plantations, their forests, their waters, their beaches etc. This is critical. Yet today we know that the GOSL is currently in the process of stealing, destroying and negating all these economic and political rights of the Tamils in their traditional Homeland in the North and the East of the Island of Sri Lanka. The GOSL is currently inflicting ethnic cleansing on the Tamils living there. I have already established that the Tamil people living on Sri Lanka have a right of self-determination, even in accordance with the GOSL’s own treaties themselves. What are some of the other political consequences of their right of self-determination? These are set forth in what is known as the Declaration on Principles of International Law Concerning Friendly Relations and Co-operation Among States in Accordance with the Charter of the United Nations (1971). The government of Sri Lanka approved this Declaration in the United Nations General Assembly -- so I am not quoting here any provision of law that the GOSL has not already approved. And from the Declaration let me state what are the political alternatives that are open to the Tamil people, and they are set forth as follows: “[1] The establishment of a sovereign and independent State, [2] the free association or integration with an independent State, or [3] the emergence into any other political status freely determined by a people constitute the modes of implementing the right of self-determination by that people.”

So again, it is not for the GOSL to determine what might be the ultimate political outcome here. It is for the Tamil people living on Sri Lanka to determine which of those three options they desire. I also want to make it clear that it is not for me to tell the Tamils on Sri Lanka which of these three options they should choose. Moreover, it is not for the Tamils of India to tell the Tamils on Sri Lanka which of these three options they should choose. This is for them to decide pursuant to their right of self-determination under international law and practice. However I do want to note that historically the only way a people that has been subjected to genocide like the Tamils on Sri Lanka have been able to protect themselves from further extermination has been the creation of an independent state of their own. Indeed as the world saw for the last several months the government of Sri Lanka wantonly, openly, shamelessly, and gratuitously exterminated over 50,000 Tamils in Vanni; yet not one state in the entire world rose to protect them or defend them or help them as required by Article I of the 1948 Genocide Convention. Hence the need for the Tamils on Sri Lanka to have their own independent state in order to protect themselves from further annihilation by the GOSL. International law and practice establish that an independent state of their own is the only effective remedy as well as the only appropriate reparation for a people who have been the victims of genocide.Now the Indian government has basically argued that if it were to recognize the right of the Tamils on Sri Lanka to self-determination and an independent state of their own, then the 60 million Tamils in Tamil Nadu would also assert that same right and proceed to secede from India. I submit this is a false dichotomy under international law and practice. It must not be used as an excuse for inaction by the government of India when it comes to protecting the Tamils living on Sri Lanka.

In this regard, let me return to the Declaration on Principles of International Law Concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation Among States that was approved by both India and Sri Lanka and sets forth rules of customary international law interpreting the terms of the United Nations Charter itself as determined by the International Court of Justice in the Nicaragua case (1986). In particular let me draw to your attention the following language: “Nothing in the foregoing paragraphs shall be construed as authorizing or encouraging any action which would dismember or impair, totally or in part, the territorial integrity or political unity of sovereign and independent States conducting themselves in compliance with the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples as described above and thus possessed of a government representing the whole people belonging to the territory without distinction as to race, creed or colour.”This paragraph of the Declaration sets forth the rules of customary international law when it comes to the right of a people to secede from another state by means of exercising their right of self-determination. As you can see from the above language secession is permitted only when a government does not conduct itself “in compliance with the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples” and thus does not represent “the whole people belonging to the territory without distinction as to race, creed or colour.”

From its very foundation in 1948 the government of Ceylon/Sri Lanka has never conducted itself “in compliance with the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples” with respect to the Tamils. Furthermore, the government of Ceylon/Sri Lanka has never represented “the whole people belonging to the territory without distinction as to race, creed or colour” with respect to the Tamils. In fact the government of Ceylon/Sri Lanka has always discriminated against and persecuted the Tamils on grounds of race, creed, colour, and language. This endemic pattern of criminal behavior by the Sinhala has now culminated in wholesale acts of genocide against the Tamils being inflicted by the government of Sri Lanka. So of course the Tamils have the right to secede from Sri Lanka under international law and practice and especially under the terms of this Declaration.

Conversely, the government of India does conduct itself “in compliance with the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples” with respect to the Tamils in Tamil Nadu and is thus “possessed of a government representing the whole people belonging to the territory without distinction as to race, creed or colour.” India just had elections where the Tamils in Tamil Nadu participated on a basis of full equality with everyone else. The Tamils in India have full legal equality with all other peoples in India and indeed have their own state here in Tamil Nadu. Therefore in my opinion, the 60 million Tamils in Tamil Nadu do not have a right of secession under international law and practice according to this Declaration, which sets forth the basic rules of customary international law on this subject.

Conversely, however, the Tamils living on Sri Lanka do have a right of secession under international law and practice including this Declaration for which both India and Sri Lanka voted. So with all due respect to the position of the Indian government, it is a false dichotomy for it to assert that recognition of the right of self-determination with an independent state of their own for the Tamils living on Sri Lanka would lead to the same for the Tamils in Tamil Nadu. There is no basis in international law for this conclusion.

Indeed, basic principles of international law including this Declaration would fully support the territorial integrity of India in the event the government of India were to recognize the right of the Tamils living on the Island of Sri Lanka to self-determination including an independent state of their own.

Conclusion

Be that as it may, even if out of an excess of caution the government of India is not prepared to go that far at this time, nevertheless at a minimum, since it is the original homeland for the Tamils, the government of India has the right, the obligation, and the standing under international law and practice to act as parens patriae for the Tamils living on Sri Lanka. Therefore, India must immediately sue the GOSL for genocide at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, demand an Emergency Hearing of the Court, and request that the World Court issue a Temporary Restraining Order against the GOSL to cease and desist from committing all acts of genocide against the Tamils living on Sri Lanka. The ghosts of Dachau, Auschwitz, Cambodia, Sabra and Shatilla, Srebrenica, Rwanda, Kosovo, and now Vanni demand no less!

DMK IS MY RELIGION : DRAVIDA PERAVAI IS MY PARTY : 2010

Our Long March in Anna's footsteps..

The first step in our march to sow the seeds of Tamil renaissance begins with saluting Aringnar Anna, founder of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. DMK is not a mere political movement. It marks the turning point in Tamil history during the life time of Aringnar Anna. Later it lost its glory, is another story.

1967 remains a watershed year when the Indian ruling party Indian National Congress lost power in many Indian states. In Bengal, the Bangla Congress led by Ajoy Mukerjee unseated Congress from citadel of power, but in that exercise permitted a Trojan horse to be in cabinet. That Trojan horse brought out the downfall of Bangla Congress and captured power, to occupy seats of power till date. Yes, the Communist Party of India [Marxist] led by Comrade Jyothi Basu, thus punctured the rising Bengali nationalism.

In East Pakistan few years’ later, Bengali nationalism reared its head under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who successfully founded a separate nation called Bangladesh. Of course India supported the inception of Bangladesh not out of love for Bengali nationalism, but to break Pakistan to take revenge for its partition of India.

In Tamilnadu, DMK nurtured Tamil nationalism and captured power in 1967 dethroning Congress, but Aringnar Anna, the crusader lived for hardly two years to accomplish all his dreams.

His successor compromised the anti-congress stance of DMK and aligned with Congress to reap electoral dividends close on the heels of Bangladesh war. But Congress engineered a split in the DMK thereby establishing its presence in Tamilnadu adopting the divide and rule tactics enunciated by the British. The rootless party sits on the shoulders of one or other splinter and thrives here. This fact is yet to open the eyes of the warring parties in Tamilnadu. Politics apart, the rationalism got diluted by Mr.Marudur Gopalamenon Ramachandran, an actor who hijacked the rationalist movement to pass the legacy to the sworn enemies of the very ideology on which the movement is built.

Dravidian Movement the first of its kind in Tamil history to spread rationalism and Tamil togetherness amongst Tamils across continents and countries originated in India but took its roots in Ceylon, Singapore and Malaysia. Wherever a Tamil went he took with him the ideals of Periyar EVR and Aringnar Anna.

The social reform movement almost brought Tamils together making them sink the caste and religious divide. After Aringnar Anna's demise, a drift to retain power for temporary gains took place with Dravidian movement being hijacked by money minded political aspirants who sacrificed everything at the altar of politics of power. Then the splits based on ego clashes further weakened its base. The vacuum is there with all caste based unprincipled politicians trying to grab space and cinema actors entering the fray to cash in on their screen charisma.

Devoid of ideology and drifting from the clean politics of Anna's days all those who want to make hay while it shines are trying to take Tamil Nadu back to divisive and irrational grounds which will wipe out the gains of a century old movement.

If 12 disciples of Jesus Christ could build a world religion, why not Anna's million brothers achieve global Tamil unity? Anna's death brought teeming millions to the sands of Marina beach at Chennai. Time had come for retrieving and regaining the spirit of the Dravidian Movement.

We are neither after power nor for comforts or benefits in life. With handful as torch bearers, sorry as candle bearers, we will try to keep the flame alive. We will uphold Anna's legacy at all costs laying our lives.

N.Nandhivarman, General Secretary, Dravida Peravai.

POLITICAL STRUGGLES: of DRAVIDA PERAVAI

POLITICAL STRUGGLES: The Political mafia of Pondicherry went on grabbing houses of French Nationals and Indian citizens with the help of fake documents and Dravida Peravai took the lead in writing to the French President Jacques Chirac(THE ASIAN AGE 10.10.98). 15 parties sat on a hunger strike demanding probe by Central Bureau of Investigation on December 1 1998. 12 parties went to Delhi and met Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on 17.12.98 and presented a 120 page memorandum. 7 parties staged agitation in front of Central Bureau of Investigation Office at Chennai on 3.5.99. CBI came to Pondicherry and began the probe on 8.5.99. Inspite of threats to life Dravida Peravai coordinated these all party efforts and led the struggle. THE WEEK(6 DECEMBER 1998), OUTLOOK(14.6.99)JUNIOR VIKATAN(11.11.98) etc, and numerous weeklies and dailies have carried plenty of writeups on Dravida Peravai's role in taming the mafia. Mr. Ira. Azhagiri, General Secretary of Gandhi Kamaraj National Congress was the Joint Co-ordinator in these struggles.

STRUGGLE FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES: In support of Tibetians at Delhi Jantar Mantar on the day of their 45th day of hungerstrike (24.4.1998) Dravida Peravai extended solidarity. Dravida Peravai wrote to the Karnataka Chief Minister J.H. Patel urging the release of 350 Tamils detained under Tada.(THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS 26.6.99) Dravida Peravai wrote to Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Shariff to secure the release of Tamilnadu fishermen detained in the prisons of Pakistan (THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS 9.8.99)Dravida Peravai volunteer corps agitated before Head Post Office demanding Indian Governments intervention (21.8.99 THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS)

STRUGGLE TO CLEANSE THE JUDICIARY: Dravida Peravai's struggle to ensure clean judiciary in Pondicherry state along with the Bar Association of Pondicherry is reported in Junior Vikatan 12.4.98.

STRUGGLE FOR FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS: Pondicherry parties cutting across party lines have enlisted bogus voters in house number 0. In every constituency approximately 200 voters were thus included. Dravida Peravai complained to Election Commission of India.(THE NEW INIDAN EXPRESS 7.7.99)

ISSUES PLACED BEFORE 99 PARLIAMENTARY POLLS: Dravida Peravai had been striving to make Indian governments accept the interlinking of Indian rivers to herald a green revolution in rural India. In 1998 election manifesto though DP did not contest this was given priority. Fortunately since Mr. GEORGE FERNANDES is the Coordinator of National Democratic Alliance this was taken up for discussion there and in a letter to Dravida Peravai he promised that interlinking of nation's rivers will be high on the agenda if a new government led by NDA is voted to power.

SOLIDARITY WITH EELAM STRUGGLES: 1978 to 1999

SOLIDARITY WITH EELAM STRUGGLES:

1. As a regular writer in the official organs of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam such as Murasoli, Namnadu, Kazhaga Kural, Tamil mani, Malai Mani and Vidhuthalai of Dravida Kazhagam particularly during the dark days of emergency imposed by Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the present General Secretary of Dravida Peravai had espoused the cause of Tamil EELAM. To cite few instance, the article, EZHA THAMIZHARUM KOZHAI THAMIZARUM written in the 5.2.1978 issue of NAMNADU, the official organ of DMK and edited by KALAIGNAR M. KARUNANTHI stands testimony of the consistent support extended to the Eelam struggle.

2. The strong letter written to Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on 26.10.1987 wherein N. Nandhivarman stated that "the scars of the full scale war to annihilate our race will remain for generations to come. The curse of the Tamil race will see the dawn of your doom." It should be noted that in these years N. Nandhivarman was undergoing a self imposed political exile beginning from 15.9.78.

3. An all party meeting convened by DRAVIDA ILAINGAR PERAVAI urged the United Nations Human Rights Commission to stop the genocidal war on Srilankan Tamilians and take steps to lift the economic blockade of the Tamil Areas. INDIAN EXPRESS(4.8.95) story under the heading HUMAN RIGHTS PANEL URGED TO STOP GENOCIDE IN LANKA, Dinamani" Ilangai Prechnai: Iy. Na. Manitha urimai Kuzhuvukku Pudhuvai ethir Katchigal thagaval, THE HINDU: UN body urged to end conflict in Sri Lanka etc, are few examples of newspaper titles.

4. Dravida Peravai wrote to Indian Defence Minister Mulayam Singh Yadhav urging him to stop Indian army from training Lankan army. (July 29/1996 INDIAN EXPRESS, Dinakaran and Daily Thanthi carried this news.

5. Dravida Peravai wrote to United Nations Secretary General Mr.Boutrous Boutrous Chali to intervene and save Eelam Tamils from genocide.(30.09.96)

6. Dravida Peravai participated in the Public meeting convened to condemn killings of Eelam Tamils on (9.1.97)

7. 7 parties coordinated by Dravida Peravai wrote to President Bill Clinton condemning the American army's green berets(hat commandos) training Lankan soldiers, (Dinamani 26.2.97 carried this news)

8. Dravida Peravai urged Amnesty International to intervene and secure the release of 9 Eelam Tamils illegally detained at Visakapatinam(29.3.97)

9. Dravida Peravai took up the above said detention issue with National Human Rights Commission (29.05.97)

10. In the EELAM CONFERENCE banned by Centre at Delhi on 14.12.97 and convened by GEORGE FERNANDES M.P, N. Nandhivarman spoke in English and presented a paper.

11. Dravida Peravai participatd in the Eelam Tamil Resurgence Conference convened by Mr. Pazha.Nedumaran at Madurai(7.3.99)

UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL URGED TO INITIATE PROBE ON TAMIL GENOCIDE

UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL URGED TO INITIATE PROBE ON TAMIL GENOCIDE                             

14.05.2009

The President

THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL and Member Nations

THE SECRETARY GENERAL,

UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATION

UN Head quarters

First Avenue @46th Street

NEW YORK NY 10017, USA

Respected President of the Security Council

Respected Secretary General

Respected Permanent Representative of the Member Nations

We are from India and we are Tamil kinsmen of the uprooted refugees scattered all over the globe and our ethnic group is facing genocide in Srilanka. We in India could only shed tears of blood but want to ask the international community one question: Are we not humans? We wonder where has the conscience of the world gone?

Today reports say some how overcoming the hurdles to arrive at consensus in the Security Council a unanimous resolution officially had been reached on the Tamils issue. We thank all members for this initiative and USA, UK, France behind this diplomatic breakthrough, though certain remarks on the freedom fighters makes us realize that Tamils have yet to diplomatically drive home our legitimate grievances.

During the battle of the Stalingrad, brave men and women of then Russia faced the siege of the Adolph Hitler’s army, but while whole townspeople got killed leaving very few  who withstood the siege eating even the human flesh of the dying ultimately defeating the Nazi army. It is unfortunate that such Russia remained soft towards the Neo-Nazi of 21st century Mr.Mahinda Rajapakshe till today the day of consensus. The Battle of Vanni when independent sources write is more or less the Battle of Stalingrad, our Russian people will understand in future.

The Communist Party of India which was in forefront of struggles against Srilanka in the Indian state of Tamilnadu remained totally silent. It could have appealed to Russian Communist party which would have brought a heart change of Russia, but conveniently forgot to do so.

China in view of its total support by way of arms to Srilanka backed Srilanka to hilt. The Communist Party of India [Marxist] owing allegiance to Chinese line since undivided Communist party split in India, was in selective amnesia, not caring to apprise Chinese Communist Party on its historical blunder to support Tamil genocide.

Even a state declared by USA as terrorist state, had been backing the Srilankan terrorist state, yet to be declared so  when the day world’s media  and UN agencies gets access to the theatre of war.

We still remain depressed over the inaction of the United Nations to come to the rescue of our kinsmen.

The UN could have arranged for airdropping of food to the besieged Tamil people. In history nowhere we have seen people made to starve and starvation to death had been used as weapon in war, while world’s conscience was watching helplessly.

 Francis Boyle, Professor of International Law at the University Of Illinois College Of Law said that under the Geneva Conventions and Protocol, an immediate humanitarian air-drop relief operation for the starving Tamil civilians within the so-called safety zone, who are suffering without adequate humanitarian supplies for weeks, is a must. But UN and its member nations are delaying a decision for too long, before it is too late to act.

We now urge the UN Security Council to understand that Srilankan President Mr.Mahinda Rajapakshe is resorting to starvation of civilians, as a method of warfare, which constitutes an act of genocide as defined by Article II (c) of the 1948 Genocide Convention.

 "Article 54(1) of Additional Protocol I to the Four Geneva Conventions of 1949 sets forth a rule of customary international humanitarian law that obligates every state in the world: "Starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is prohibited." Starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is a war crime. Every contracting party to the Geneva Conventions and Protocol has the obligation under Common Article 1 thereof "to respect" the Conventions and Protocol themselves and "to ensure respect" for the Conventions and Protocol "in all circumstances" by other contracting parties such as Sri Lanka.

 "Furthermore, starvation of civilians as a method of warfare can also constitute an act of genocide as defined by Article II (c) of the 1948 Genocide Convention: "Deliberately inflicting Tamils conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part." Every contracting state party to the Genocide Convention has the obligation "to prevent" genocide by Sri Lanka against the Tamils as required by Article I thereof.

 Therefore, every state party to the Geneva Conventions and Protocols as well as to the Genocide Convention has the solemn obligation to terminate Srilanka's starvation of Tamils as a method of warfare.

United Nation’s Peace Keeping Force must have been inducted before calling the freedom fighters to lay down weapons. Instead asking to surrender to the criminals sponsoring state terrorism is not natural justice, neither is it prudence.

We would like to draw the attention of the United Nations Security Council that it is wrong to place all its responsibilities on India, being a regional power. India could not halt the war. Further India had played active role in attempting to resolve the crisis in past and its efforts were in vain. The Indo-Srilanka agreement to establish peace and normalcy in Srilanka signed in July 1987 is a total failure. The Srilankan Government killed the spirit of the agreement before the ink got dried. To implement the accord, then Indian Prime Minister Mr.Rajiv Gandhi sent the Indian Peace Keeping Force. Simultaneously the LTTE agreed to cessation of hostilities and began to hand over weapons to IPKF. The first and irreparable crack in the accord opened when the Government of Srilanka violated the General Amnesty granted under the accord “to political prisoners now held in custody under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and other Emergency laws, and to combatants, as well as to those persons accused, charged and /or convicted under these laws” [ clause  2.11]

The Srilankan Government interpreted that the amnesty did not apply to persons who committed offences outside the north and eastern provinces of Srilanka and withheld amnesty to 1250 Tamil political prisoners. This made the LTTE suspend surrender of weapons. This past must be borne in mind, by President of United States Mr. Barrack Obama, who pleaded for general amnesty. Srilankan Government could never be trusted. Further then the IPKF which went as mediator handed over Tamils to Sinhalese for ceasefire violations, and those Tamils got killed, thereby the neutrality of IPKF became a question mark in Tamil minds resulting in clashes between IPKF and freedom fighters. The then Chief Minister of Indian State of Tamilnadu Dr.M.Karunanithi refused to receive the IPKF when it landed in Chennai, capital of Tamilnadu, registering the unhappiness of Indian Tamils over the failed mission where friends instead of saving Tamils from enemies turned towards the friends of India. In view of this UN Peace Keeping Force without Indian contingent alone will appear credible before the eyes of besieged freedom fighters of Tamil Eelam. If after sending UN Peace Keeping Force and if UN is in a position to guarantee the safety of those who surrender under General Amnesty, then UN can expect LTTE to comply with their request to surrender. Till such climate arrives mere lip service will not end Tamils agony.

 The European Union Parliament on 12th March 2009 passed a resolution, with a large majority, calling for immediate ceasefire between the Sri Lanka Army and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in order to allow the civilian population to leave the combat zone. Condemning all acts of violence against civilians in the safe zone and expressing serious concern for the plight of the people in the refugee camps run by the Sri Lankan government, the EU Parliament demanded full and unhindered access to international and national humanitarian organizations, as well as journalists to the combat zone and to the refugee camps.

The EU resolution calling for immediate ceasefire without any conditions and expressing concern not only for the plight of civilians in the safe zone, but also for the inmates of the internment camps run by Colombo was passed by 358 votes to 232. This took place in March. Even after European Parliament took first step, UN Security Council belatedly today i.e. in May 2009 only had arrived at a unanimous resolution, and those lives of Tamils killed by chemical weapons and other weapons of mass destruction had to be paid as a price to open the eyes of the United Nations.

We perused few resolutions of the United Nations Security Council Resolutions. Resolutions 1897 of 2009 on Western Sahara, 1870 being Secretary General’s Report on Sudan, 1869 on Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1868 on Afghanistan, 1867 on Timor-Leste, 1866 on Georgia, 1865 on Cote d l’ivorie, 1864 Secretary General report to President of Security Council, 1863 on Somalia, 1862 on peace and security in Africa, 1861 on Chad in Central African Republic and 1860 on Middle East i.e. Palestine. These resolutions in the time every minute our Tamils being killed and Tamils protesting all over the world have no space for Tamils. And now the Security Council had at last passed a resolution, we urge Security Council to urge the International Court of Criminal Justice to probe the crimes of genocide aimed at total annihilation of Tamils in Srilanka.

UN website reports:

The Lanka: Thousands Caught in Conflict 

5 May 2009: According to reports from those remaining inside the conflict zone, fighting has intensified with both light and heavy weapons being used, according to OCHA quoted during the daily noon briefing at UN Headquarters in New York. As of today, more than 188,000 people have crossed out of the conflict zone, with the vast majority accommodated in Internally Displaced Persons camps in Vavuniya.  Over 186,000 are in camps, and some 1,700 wounded and their caregivers are in hospitals. Some 50,000 or more people are still trapped in the conflict zone

In Vavuniya, there have been positive developments in addressing basic needs for the influx of IDPs. Among them, the World Food Programme has been able to accelerate food distribution in Vavuniya, and the Government of Sri Lanka has agreed that cooked meals should be provided at Omanthai screening point. In Jaffna, response in the camps has been stepped up in the area of health, including the treatment of chicken pox, the provision of toilets, hygiene kits, temporary teaching space and supplementary food. Also, work to protect civilians and to facilitate family reunifications is ongoing. Asked about reports of shelling, the UN Spokeswoman said that the United Nations was unable to confirm such reports independently, but added that it remains particularly concerned about the situation of the estimated 50,000 remaining civilians in the area, who are believed to be at serious risk. The United Nations also remains concerned about heavy fighting, she said.

Food, water and other basic supplies from United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations were en route on 30 April to help some 175,000 civilians, while 4,500 family-sized tents had been set up in the past four days by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, John Holmes during a 29 April press conference in New York.

Mr. Holmes also said he had met with President Mahinda Rajapaksa and key Government ministers in the nation’s capital, Colombo, on Monday to push for a “humanitarian pause” in the fighting and give United Nations and other aid laborers sufficient time to unload and distribute essential supplies.  However, Sri Lankan officials had rejected that request.

Under Chapter XV of the United Nations Charter, the U.N. Secretariat, headed-up by the U.N. Secretary General, is one of six independent organs of the United Nations Organization itself. As such the U.N. Secretary General is obligated to implement the "Purposes of the United Nations" set forth in Article 1 of the Charter. There have been statements from UN Secretary General on Tamils plight but Sir; we are hurt to term it lip-service. The Secretary General should have found time to visit Srilanka, unfortunately for Tamils he has no time to spare, our Tamils express in anguish...

Prof. Boyle of University of Illinois College of Law and an expert in International Law, points out that "Article 1(3) of the Charter provides that one of these "Purposes of the United Nations" is: "To achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion."

Boyle added, "In other words, the U.N. Secretary General has a U.N. Charter obligation "in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for" the Tamils in Sri Lanka. Consequently, the U.N. Secretary General has a Charter obligation to immediately visit Sri Lanka and do all in his power “to prevent" the Government's on-going genocide against the Tamils as required by the peremptory norm of international law set forth in Article I of the 1948 Genocide Convention.

We Tamils from India are now fully aware that over our catacombs the racist regime of Srilanka will hoist its victory flag after converting whole Tamil race that live in Srilanka, as slaves of 21 st century. UN as usual will act belatedly, as past track record shows. Hence we request you to send the case of Tamil genocide to the International Court of Criminal Justice.

We know that Srilanka and shamefully our India are not signatories to the Rome Statute. International Criminal Court of Justice is governed by the Rome Statute which has reached consensus on genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Since Srilanka is not a signatory to a statute signed by 120 countries, it had done that purposely since it has been pursuing genocide and war crimes from 1983, we urge the Security Council to refer our complaint to the Public Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court of Justice for investigating the Srilankan President Mahinda Rajapakshe’s genocidal war.

The Public Prosecutor through Rome Statute is conferred with proprio motu powers, but he cannot go ahead with a state that is not a signatory to the statute, hence we urge United Nations Security Council to ask the Public Prosecutor to start the investigations.

We are aware that crimes in Chad, Kenya, Afghanistan, Georgia, Columbia, and Palestine are being probed by the Public Prosecutor apart from Darfur and Sudan as directed by the Security Council under chapter VII of the United Nations charter. We Tamils are not being considered as human beings, we have started to arrive at this conclusion, because we only are singled out for genocide with impunity, with UN not coming to our rescue before it is too late.

We are aware that for crimes committed after 1st July 2002 The International Criminal Court of Justice can act, though the evidences we submit will involve crimes committed more than three decades.

Crimes against humanity

 Art. 7, Rome Statute of International Criminal Code describes these as: Murder, Extermination, persecution, enforced disappearances, torture, intentionally causing great hurt, great suffering, or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health, deportation or forcible transfer of population...

We wanted to compile complete list of criminal actions of Srilankan Government. Fortunately North East Secretariat on Human Rights had compiled a detailed list under the title: Lest we forgot: Massacres of Tamils 1956-2001.We are enclosing the PDF format of that genocide list up to 2001. In our subsequent mail by post we will be sending up to now along with the complaint to the Public Prosecutor of the International Court of Criminal Justice.

To substantiate the charges against Srilankan Government, instead of quoting Tamils who are inferior to animals as per the perception of Sinhalese, let me quote from a Sinhalese political leader. This is quoted to prove that Sinhalese governments have killed Sinhalese too in thousands in past, as told by the Sinhalese leader himself. State Terrorism is in their blood and veins, and for nations of the United Nations to forget this leads them to wrong conclusions. If probed in detail Srilanka can be branded as terrorist state. Their hatred for Tamils stands proven without an iota of doubt by their killing of hundreds of Indian Tamil fishermen over these years. The genocidal intent is proven here too. These Indian Tamils did not demand separate state. They were for centuries peacefully pursuing their professions. In the case of Pakistan if any Indian fishermen by accident stray into its waters, Pakistan arrests them and deports. But Srilankan trigger happy navy finds sadistic satisfaction in killing spree. We will submit these details to the Public Prosecutor of the International Court of Criminal Justice, later by mail.

Let the UN and members of Security Council know the peaceful Sinhalese mind also.Dr. Vickramabahu Karunaratne, General Secretary of the NSSP and the president of the Left Front in Sri Lanka, states:

The government, while discarding all appeals for a ceasefire is hell bent on finishing the LTTE. The LTTE cannot be finished as it is a movement in the hearts and minds of the Tamil people. It represents the strongest commitment to the Tamil right to self determination and Tamil freedom. Even those who disagree with the LTTE`s violent methods or with its political programme for Tamil liberation, still hail it as the most formidable opposition to Sinhala repression. So, it will be nonsense to think of eradicating the LTTE. UNP leaders led by the then Defense Minister thought of finishing the JVP by eliminating over fifty-thousand JVP suspects with the leadership. It is claimed that Wijeweera was burnt alive by a military group. But today modern dissidents of Wijeweera and other JVP leaders virtually run the government of Mahinda. The ghost of Wijeweera is behind the President at all times. Champika Ranawaka and Wimal Weerawansa today, represent the last political message of the Deshapremi Janatha Viyaparaya, the brainchild of Wijeweera. In that sense both Champika and Wimal are legitimate political children of Wijeweera. The rump JVP is left in the ditch without being able to go along with these two. It does not represent the JVP past or present. While howling for a better war it is barking at the government for repression! So we can count it out. But the real JVP represented by the chauvinist duo, Champika and Wimal, is doing great. So, the dream of the UNP leaders to eliminate the JVP has not been fulfilled.

Similarly the dream of Mahinda to eliminate the LTTE by brutal repression of all who are associated with the LTTE will be a void in the coming period. In the case of the LTTE, it represents the real anger of the Tamil people against discrimination, humiliation and oppression by Sinhala chauvinism. The JVP was correct to an extent. It protested about oppression of Sinhala society by the Anglo-Saxon Western upper classes. But it was and is wrong to the hilt in hating Tamil society for its demand for equality and self determination. Strangely enough it is the wrong side of the JVP that is flourishing today both inside and outside of the government. However the anger of the Tamil people over the ruthless attacks made by both the state and the pogroms cannot be dispersed by decimating the LTTE. The latter will enhance the hard feelings within Tamil society. It will pour out in the future not only in Lanka but also in India as a gigantic Dravidian movement.

After the economic crash in 1929, the capitalist system faced a massive crisis. Then the rise of Nazism and Hitler was for a purpose. Freud says in human history every crisis has demanded a human sacrifice and massive bloodletting. Taking the rule of Freud seriously one could say that the sacrifice made by the Tamils today is for the victory that will come in the future .Of course I am just speculating, but the truth is that Tamil consciousness in the world has expanded due to the repressive war of the Mahinda regime. The LTTE cannot be blamed for not surrendering to the Sinhala army of the chauvinist regime. If thousands die due to the attacks of the army the blame will squarely fall on the government and its masters.

So goes on a Sinhalese politician.

In the press conference on 13 th May 2009, Mr.Vikramabahu Kurunaratne said:

There is an international commotion about the blood bath and the human disaster in Lanka. It can lead eventually to an international intervention that could enslave every body. We called this press conference to make every body aware of the developing situation.

Government leaders claim that they have confined the LTTE activity to a very small area near Mulaitivu. It is said that the LTTE leadership and the last battalions are within the 15000 people caught in the Area. LTTE challenges these figures and say that around 120 000 are cornered in the limited area. UN says it is more than 50 000. Whatever it may be only access to food and other necessity for these people, is the ICRC shipment that supposed to arrive twice a week to this enclosure with the government permission. This shipment includes 25 metric tones of food and medicine, and the boat intake back is about 500 passengers. There are more than 2000 wounded and sick in the area waiting to go out but the government has not made any extra arrangement for that. While these people are confined to this hellhole the government is continuing its attacks. Shells and multi barrels are used day and nights. In the last few days over 2000 were killed and many more are injured.

 Government claims that LTTE is responsible for this misery and demands that Tigers should unconditionally surrender. But at the same time the government says that Tigers are criminals already convicted by Lankan and Indian courts. There for they will be punished accordingly. In that event there is no room for any discussion at all. Tigers are assumed to be just criminals and not even an indirect product of Tamil national problem. At the same time they have accepted that nearly 3000 LTTE cadres are in their custody. Burt nobody knows where they are. It is suspected that they are kept at some desolate place in Vanni. What is their fate is totally unknown. In the recent past many who were in state custody were killed by 'confrontations' made by the prisoners, when they were taken out of the place of imprisonment!  Among them some were LTTE suspects. In the past Wijeweera, a sinhala rebel was burned alive while he was in army custody. In that back ground if the LTTE leaders surrender their fate will be shameful humiliating death. It will be a severe discredit to the struggle and the Tamil people. In that reality we ask who has the right to demand the LTTE to surrender. We, the Left do not agree with the ferocious methods and the bourgeoisie politics of the Tigers. But they are Tamil liberation fighters and they have the right to be treated as such. Bogus demands of the government have no meaning. Government is demanding that the Tamil people be allowed to leave Tiger areas so that Tiger militants are left behind to be slaughtered by the army. Some lunatics blame Tigers for not agreeing to this demand! If these ladies and gentlemen are so committed to the innocent lives they should demand the government to agree to a genuine cease fire.

The people who have entered the Sinhala army zone are kept in military protected camps. These are open prisons without adequate facilities. No real information about the situation is available from independent sources. Those who divulge information obtained secretly, are punished or thrown out of the country. In such a situation there could be a large number of displaced Tamils who are willingly with the Tiger army. After all to a Tamil, misery under the Tamil army may be better than being a prisoner of the alien Sinhala forces. This tragic situation has developed in to an international uprising of the Tamil people, or more correctly a Dravidian universal protest. It is severely felt in India and spreading into the developed world. There are violent mass agitations every where. This could lead to an induction of foreign forces in Lanka.

 We must stop this debacle and blood letting. Sinhala soldiers are also killed and wounded in thousands. All of them are from poor peasant families. Misery spreads into all corner of the country. We demand that the government stop the war and go for a peace agreement now!

Time has come for world to realize that STATE TERRORISM, as practiced in brutal suppression of Sinhalese themselves in past is brought out to light by a Sinhalese politician.

If only international court of criminal justice initiates a probe all crimes against Srilankan civilians by Srilankan Government will come to light.

Hence we urge the United Nations Security Council to pass on our complaint to the International Court of Criminal Justice at Hague and urge the Public Prosecutor to initiate appropriate action.

Yours sincerely

N.Nandhivarman

General Secretary Dravida Peravai