Recognise the right of the people.
Today is the 3rd Anniversary of the Ceasefire Agreement between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the Government
of Sri Lanka. This ceasefire agreement, signed in good faith and expected to alleviate the suffering of all people, has
not resulted in achieving its goals. Although there has been no war, there has been no peace either.
Tamil people have not seen any substantial improvement in their war devasted life resulting from this CFA. They have
been denied their right to have a governing mechanism to initiate rehabilation, reconstruction and development
programmes as promised. They voted overwhelmingly for an interim administrative mechanism for rehabilitation and
development activities at the April 2004 elections. But the Sri Lankan Government has refused to respect this mandate.
Over 800 000 IDPs continue to languish in their temporary shelters where even the basic amenities have not been
provided. The basic needs and rights of children, women and other vulnerable sections of the people in the northeast,
have neither been considered nor provided by Sri Lanka.
On the contrary, covert killings of Tamil activists and provocations have escalated and the Agreement, expected to
proceed to a political solution has been stalled. During the past three years, more than 70 political activists of LTTE
were killed in Sri Lankan para-military operations. Furthermore, a new para-military group was announced under the name
of Karuna, threatening peace and stability in the eastern parts of the Island. This is a contravention to section 1.3 of
the CFA. The involvement of the Sri Lankan military in these killings has been clearly apparent. Threat of resumption of
war and violence against Tamil people and LTTE is now looming high. The military presence or occupation in north east
region is at a threatening level. In the Jaffna region, every street-corner has a bulky presence of gun-tooting military
forces.
The Sri Lankan establishment signed this CFA (feb.2002) due to pressure resulting from repeated failures in military
operations and catastrophic devastation of the country’s economy. But, the absence of war for nearly three years has
enabled the Sinhala forces to rebuild and look for alternatives other than peaceful means to end the conflict. It has
spent more than 150 billion rupees, during these three years, to build its armed forces. It has entered into military
pacts with China and has purchased military hardwares from USA, India, Pakistan, Iran and other military suppliers. The
visit of a high level Sri Lankan military committee to Iran for purchase of military hardware at the time of Tsunami
calamity, 10th of jan 2005 is noteworthy.
The Sri Lankan President dissolved the previous UNP government, which initiated the peace process. The President then
formed a hard line government of her own political party along with JVP, a known anti-Tamil racist party. This
government pursued military and covert diplomatic programmes to thwart the ceasefire agreement and to undermine the
status of the LTTE, the co-signatory to the Agreement.
It is sad to observe that even the devastation caused by the Tsunami calamity has failed to draw the sympathy of the Sri
Lankan Government towards the Tamils who were affected most. The Sri Lankan establishment denied fair and equitable aid
and international relief to the Tsunami hit north-eastern region. The refusal of the government to accommodate goodwill
visits of foreign dignitaries to the Tsunami affected areas in the northeast, is another manifestation of the ill will
and intent of the Sri Lankan state.
During the three years of cease-fire, one could observe the failure of the political and military establishment of Sri
Lanka to transform itself to a position of meeting the political aspirations of the Tamil people. Tamil National Leader
Mr.V.Pirabaharan, however, in his annual National Heroe’s Day speech, on the 27th of November 2004, reiterated his
concern and pointed out the Government’s failure to attend to the plight of the Tamil people whose life in the Tamil
areas has not returned to normality despite the three years of ceasefire.
/*
“.. if the Sinhala chauvinistic ruling elites continue to deny the rights of our people and oppose reconciliation and
if the conditions of oppression continue we have no alternative other than to secede and form an independent state
invoking the right to self-determination of our people..." - Mr V. Prabhakaran, Leader LTTE - 27 Nov. 2003
*/
Given this current situation, on behalf of the International Tamil Community;
# We call upon the international community to recognise the prevalence of suffering of the Tamil people and their
desperation for normal life in their homeland and also the inability and unwillingness of the Government of Sri Lanka to
meet the legitimate rights of the Tamil people;
# We urge the international community to recognise the right of the Tamil people to exercise their right to
self-determination, in order to prevent further neglect, deterioration, trauma and suffering under a callous state.