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Destruction of 2009 genocidal war and Sri Lanka's genocide against Tamils. Image courtesy TheworldSikhNews
Before any Investments in Sri Lanka, the Tamil Diaspora Demands a Political Solution and a Guarantee of Justice for Crimes of Genocide.
Tamil Diaspora is calling for a Nuremberg-like Tribunal to prosecute and hold prominent members of the political, military and economic leadership of Sri Lanka accountable for the crime of genocide” — Federation of Global Tamil Organizations (FGTO)TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, December 5, 2022 /einpresswire.com / -- Federation of Global Tamil Organizations (FGTO) released a statement: 'The Eelam Tamil diaspora is estimated to be more than one-million strong. We are spread across the globe and have been instrumental in seeking credible international independent justice mechanisms to investigate mass atrocities, in particular genocide, committed against Tamils by the Sri Lankan State during and after the war. Most of the Tamil diaspora are survivors of Sri Lanka's genocide against Tamils and escaped from torture, rape, and killing by the GOSL. Sinhala Buddhist extremism brought Sri Lanka to this state and Sinhala people also have started to realize it. We want them to be good neighbors and encourage them to govern their territory, not occupy Tamils' territory.'
BELOW, PLEASE FIND THE FULL STATEMENT:
1. Any foreign investments from the Tamil Diaspora for the bailout Sri Lanka should be strictly conditional on a signed agreement between Tamil representatives, and the government of Sri Lanka, for a political solution to the ongoing dispute between Tamil Eelam and Sri Lanka. A political solution consists of a referendum to decide the political status of the Eelam Tamil people, exercising our inherent right of self-determination under international law.
Unlike every other agreement between Tamils and Sri Lanka since Independence—which were negotiated and then broken by Sri Lanka unilaterally—this agreement must be legally enforceable at a neutral, external, and trustworthy venue, such as the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
2. In preparation for this referendum, we furthermore demand an interim governance structure, such as a federal solution similar to Quebec in Canada, Scotland in the UK, or the Swiss confederation, for the Tamil homeland (Tamil Eelam - North East of the Island of Sri Lanka) immediately.
3. We also condemn the delegates of the Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC) trying to collaborate with the Sri Lankan government on investments undermining justice and Tamil Eelam's sovereignty. Their initiative promises Tamil money to rescue Sri Lanka, without securing any form of justice or self-determination for Tamils. Since much of Sri Lanka's debt originates with its 26-year war on Tamils, this is simply agreeing to pay for our own genocide.
We call upon Tamil Canadians to condemn CTC and it will send a clear message to the Sri Lankan government. Sri Lanka is making yet another renewed attempt to hoodwink the Tamils and the International Community in order to wiggle out of its current economic predicament. Tamils are no longer prepared to be taken for a ride. CTC, through its deliberate hurtful action towards the Tamil community, has lost its credibility and legitimacy to lead community based initiatives such as Tamilfest and Tamil Chair at the University of Toronto
4. We also demand the International community implement the hybrid court mandated by UNHRC 30/1 resolution, refer Sri Lanka to ICC and respect the rights of Tamil Eelam's self-determination.
FGTO calls upon the Tamil diaspora not to fall into false promises.
On November 18, 2022, Tamil MP Gajandrakumar Ponnambalam stated that“any talks with Tamils in Eelam with the Sri Lankan government must be based on the condition of a federal system and there won't be any support for the existing unitary system” (translation of newspaper Namthesam). On August 10, 2022, Tamil MP CV Wigneswaran told“the [Sri Lankan] President that the Tamil people in this country expect the government to take speedy action to attend to their requests submitted by all Tamil National party leaders which included the release of political prisoners; action to trace the missing persons; stop the activities of various government departments to grab Tamil lands and stop persons trying to build Buddhist temples in Tamil homeland with the help of the Military.” On July 22, 2022, Tamil MP Shritharan Sivagnanam requested US elected representatives in a statement to pave the way to an independence referendum for Eelam Tamils. On March 15, 2022, prominent USA Tamil organizations requested the IMF to tie aid to Sri Lanka with compliance with international law and accountability for international crimes and human rights violations. Similar requests to world financial institutions were also made by the Tamil diaspora.
For a permanent political solution, we firmly believe in an internationally monitored referendum that will recognize the Tamil people's Sovereignty and Independence. An international Tribunal or referral to ICC or ICJ is necessary to investigate the genocide committed on Tamils by the Sri Lankan State, particularly by the Sri Lankan president Gothabaya Rajapaksa and others. Sri Lanka is in a deep financial crisis because the successive Sri Lankan governments – all of which have been controlled by the Sinhala Buddhist chauvinists – borrowed money from International Institutions and funded 70 years of genocidal war against the Tamils.
The changes in the demography of the Tamil homeland since 1948 through Sri Lankan government-sponsored colonization schemes have resulted in the loss of thousands of Tamils' property and land. After 2009, an overwhelming amount of evidence was presented to the UN, yet, the international community failed to deliver justice to the Tamil victims for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity committed by the government of Sri Lanka (GoSL). After the genocidal war ended, the whereabouts of Tamils who surrendered and were arrested by the Sri Lankan military is still not known. The Sri Lankan military still occupies Tamil's land in large numbers.
As a Tamil diaspora, we urge the international community to respect Tamils as sovereign and indigenous people of that land and set them free from Sri Lanka by exercising their rights to self-determination and protecting themselves from further genocide. When a humanitarian crisis unfolds in the future, the Tamil diaspora wants a direct channel to support their kith and kin as GoSL can never be trusted.
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Hon. Mr Gajendrakumar Ponambalam Parliament full speech on 28.11.22
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