CaTpad rejects Rudrakumaran’s claim

We Canadian Tamils for Peace and Democracy (CaTpad) totally rejects the claim by the Mr.V.Rudrakumaran of so called Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE), as “ Thamil Eelam was the Thirst of Tamils” but was the thirst of LTTE. Until 2002 ceasefire agreement, the slogan of the LTTE is “Pulikalin Thaakam Thamil Eelath Thaayakam” (Thamil Eelam is the Thirst of Tigers). In the ceasefire LTTE agreed to abandoned their separate state claim and accepted the united Srilanka Constitution, they were forced to give up this slogan when its was questioned by Srilankan officials at various meetings and occasion that LTTE still promoting the ideology of separatism as its official position, LTTE was compelled to abandon this slogan and changed to “Thamilarin Thaakam Tamil Eelath Thaayakam” (Tamil Eelam is the Thirst of Tamils) to convince its hard core supporters and hard core Tamil Nationalist in the fear of loosing its image as a savior of Tamil Nation.

In the 1st parah of his statement Mr.V.Rudrakumaran says Tamils killed in violation of article 2(a) of the Genocide Convention. The same convention does not segregate the Terrorist from poor civilians and from the oldest history of war to modern day warfare, it’s the poor civilians were the affected ones at all times. To the contrary Tamil civilians were used as human shields by the LTTE against the same International conventions and this same Tamil Diaspora has failed to request the LTTE to release the Tamil civilians kept as human shields mainly to protect the leadership of the LTTE. Even the Government of Srilanka (GOSL) announced a safe area ( No fire Zone) for the fleeing civilians was utilized by the Terrorist to safeguard themselves from Government firing endangering the life of Tamil civilians. LTTE went further to fire artillery towards the government forces hiding themselves in the safe zone making more casualties for fleeing civilians and knowingly to create such situation will aggravate the emotions of the Tamils living abroad will help them to protest throughout the world to come for their rescue. So the argument of Mr.Rudrakumaran has no valid claims. Furthermore, does the Tamil Diaspora controlled by LTTE have any morale right to say Srilankan forces are the only killers? What about Sinhalese civilians killed and their leaders by LTTE? What happened to their own Tamils civilians killed in thousands and their political opponents by LTTE itself? Has the Tamil Diaspora have opened its mouth once to condemn these killings? Instead it supported and encouraged the LTTE to carry on with its Terrorist activities by means of Political and monetary support. Therefore the Tamil Diaspora carries the equal responsibility for the destructions and loss of lives in the separatist war.

In the 2nd parah Mr. V.Rudrakumaran talks about destruction of Tamil Nation and violation of fundamental human rights. There was only one Nation that existed and that was called Srilanka and will exist forever. There are political aspirations for the Tamils in Srilanka and which has to be within the united Srilanka and have to be negotiated politically by both sides. He also mentioned a few things such as freedom of speech, freedom of conscience and freedom of assembly. Does the same existed or practiced in Vanni, during the de facto government of Tamil Eelam under Pirabaharan? Can a Top level leader itself open his mouth against any act of Pirabaharan or its Terrorist leaders? If then what would be the situation of ordinary civilians? Knowingly or unknowingly, Mr.Rudrakumaran admits there was no political space for Tamils and must be mentioning during the Pirabaharan era. He should be knowing that LTTE political wing leader Yogi was dumped as a physical trainer by Pirabaharan. But one thing has become very clear that the destruction of de facto government of Terrorist has given a breathing space along with a political space for Tamils living in Srilanka and outside to decide their political path under no pressure. It will help particularly the younger generation of Tamils living in North and East, not to be carried away by emotions and false slogans but to correct their ways learned from past history.

Tamil Diaspora not only failing to take the morale responsibility for the distraction it brought on their own people but denying the responsibility to help to rebuild the lives of its community which paid a heavy price for the fault of the Diaspora, is once again creating the very same situation by creating a Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam to alienate the Tamils living in Srilanka and to stop the Tamil community to come to an political understanding with the Sinhala community. At the conclusion, by mentioning Velepillai Pirabaharan as their great national leader, TGTE has very clearly identified itself with LTTE and nothing but a LTTE organization, which is banned in several countries. Even after the defeat of LTTE, India has extended its ban and many of the countries may follow the same. LTTE being a Terrorist organization and many of its trained cadres and leaders still live in all parts of the world will become part of the TGTE only to renew its ideology. This will not help the Tamils living in Srilanka in any way but to renew the doubts of the majority community suspects of a separatist threat to Srilanka, which will hinder the political process and that’s what the LTTE wants. But the majority community very well understands the cruel plan of the LTTE and also know the pulse of common Tamil civilians whom are eager to join the main stream politics and like to live peacefully in Srilanka with their Sinhala brothers. Any plan to thwart out the emerging relations between both the Tamil and Sinhala communities will be fatally defeated by both communities in Srilanka.

Mr.V.Rudrakumaran has brought out a very valid thought as the Diaspora Tamil’s physical existence, their social and cultural interactions are predominantly transnational, and so he emphasis for a Transnational government. We strongly deny this argument and say the failure of the Tamil Diaspora is that it does not integrated itself with the Transnational community nor the leaders of the LTTE controlled Diaspora allowed the Tamils living abroad to associate with the Transnational community. If the Tamils would have been allowed, their way of thinking and approach would have been different. Even the so called educated Tamils and who are living abroad had the very similar thinking of a common Tamil or even worst for the simple reason being they were a much closed conservative society. All through its history, the Srilankan Tamil community remained always a conservative community and strictly adhered to its own old conservative thinking which never adapted to new changes. But the so called educated community never became moderate or progressive in huge numbers except few. Tamil leaders like Sir Ponnambalam, Chelvanayagam, and Amirthalingam, etc, etc though educated remained a strong Tamil Nationalist instead of leading the community for a moderate approach. It was one of the reasons the community as a whole were not allowed or able to adopt for a change in general. But we should firmly say that LTTE transformed itself into a Transnational Terrorist and Criminal organization became one the beneficiary of globalization took advantage of trade, investments, money transfers, telecommunications, computer links and purchase of sophisticated weapons (Including creating a Air force, modernizing its naval force, purchasing Heavy artillery) well positioned itself by the support of the Tamil Diaspora, which the TGTE may like to continue. It may be the strategy of the surviving LTTE leaders abroad to control the LTTE wealth and investments to control under the banner of a political entity called TGTE rather than in their old name which will come under the scrutiny of the intelligence community in each and every part of the globe.

The very significant thing which has to be looked very seriously in by all the Democratic Governments and by the International Intelligence Agencies and Counter Terrorism Units is that so called Prime Minister of so called Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) formed by the LTTE, quote that he received email stating “Was very inspired by the news and development of the Transnational Government. Hope this could be a significant and groundbreaking international instrument that can resolve not only the Tamil’s challenges, but to assist the Kurds, Palestinians and many others” This can be taken as TGTE will not only look into the affairs of the Tamils, but will also assist the other Terrorist and armed groups such as Hamas, PKK, Taliban and Al Qaeda. It means LTTE in other words TGTE will not stick on only in Asia but will expand its operations to Middle East and other parts of the globe. As the LTTE has the enormous capacity of transporting weapons, explosives, significant knowledge in using improvised explosive devises (I.E.D), sophisticated weapons, landmines and manufacture special suicide kids according to the needs (ex- specially made for children and pregnant women. In the case of suicide bomber to kill Mr. Douglas Devananda, a young woman with small breast was exclusively selected to place the explosive kid within breast area to escape search). The Vanni regime’s intelligent network spread throughout the globe and its modern communication knowledge used for intelligence and warfare is much advanced than some of the countries in the world. If these capabilities are transferred to Hamas, Taliban and Al Qaeda by LTTE, imagine the destructions that would bring. Already LTTE has trained pilots and vessels which can be used against any government in exchange for place to operate which were previously done by People Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) a coup orchestrated against Maldives, thwarted out by Indian navy. There were also confirmed reports that LTTE has trained ULFA armed Terrorist in Assam, Nagaland and People war group (PWG) in India.

The second most important thing to be taken into consideration of the TGTE’s, articulation of Non –State existence. The TGTE’s great National leader Pirabaharan as called by them himself had run a de facto government in Vanni which was described as a most ruthless and barbaric regime in the modern and civilized world. If the TGTE is going to follow and sure it will follow his footsteps of its great national leader, what type of model of governance TGTE talks about? In that case if the TGTE is taking LTTE”s Vanni regime as its role model, needless to say, what type of innovative governance it will be? On the other hand if TGTE which calls Pirabaharan as its great National leader cannot go against his type of model, which will be contradictory to their own. Therefore the TGTE has to accept Pirabaharan way of running a government, which will be against all democratic norms and humanity. Mr. Rudrakumaran also point out the International institutions such as United Nations are clearly biased towards existing states and no room for subjugated nations and people in this International system. Therefore he says that he does not trust the United Nation which is the most powerful International body. If TGTE does not trust the UN, how does it will work along with its member states and the International community? So TGTE will form its own subjugated groups to fight against the will of the UN which represents all the countries or in other word it will go against the will of the International community, is that right? He mentions the existing armed conflicts in various parts of the world are a testimony of the failure of the current international system. Henceforth TGTE will not be part of the current system that failed and it says it will create a powerful civil movement of Transnational Governments. So TGTE along with other groups which may include Hamas, PKK, Al Qaeda and Taliban might build a strong powerful movement to go against International community. The long standing friendship of LTTE with rogue nation such as N.Korea and some of the countries like Iran, Syria and Libya might give them a morale and financial support to achieve their goals or will use them as machineries.

As of TGTE call its elections of May 2010 as a democracy and legitimate one, the number of people voted for it will show the Diaspora Tamils have rejected their proposal. It was seen as an attempt to show the world that LTTE is transforming itself towards democracy because it is very well known for is undemocratic way for example cutting the hand of a civilian in the Vanni for rejecting the call by LTTE not to vote in the parliamentary election. There were times that LTTE has rejected participating in election process including from the first Provincial elections of the North and East in 1988 and all the parliamentary elections. It has not nominated its LTTE members to participate in any of the parliament elections at any time but only allowed it puppets the TNA to contest. May be the TGTE wants to change the face of its parent organization since it has to deal with west, which will prohibit with its old face and trying to coming with a new mask called Democracy.

The TGTE was happy in having its first assembly convened in Philadelphia where the Declaration of Independence adopted. There is a great difference between the Declaration of Independence of United States of America by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. The unrest and strong protest against King George and the rule of England became strong by United States consisted of 13 colonies due to the Taxation without Representation. Colonies had no representation in the English Parliament and had no say in their own government. But in the case of Srilankan Tamils, there were elected members from the Tamil community, directly elected by their people and even had cabinet portfolios in all the government that ruled Srilanka. Even much before the Independence of Ceylon until this date, Srilankan Tamils have enjoyed the benefits of parliamentary democracy and representation and were never deprived of their rights, even during the height of Terrorist war and democratic movements against the State of Srilanka. So the comparison between the two has no reason and become invalid.

The so called elected Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam says in order to ensure TGTE represents the popular aspirations of the people and in order to ensure grass roots participation, they instituted the highest mode of democracy, namely, direct elections and the democratic credentials associated with TGTE endow it with the legitimacy to articulate the political aspirations of the Tamils. If it a democratic elections representing both the North and East Tamils, how many Eastern Tamils has been selected to the TGTE? There should be an equal number or at least substantial number of Eastern Tamils should be elected and represent the eastern region and must have ministerial birth in the cabinet announced by TGTE. If not TGTE is only for Northerners? Therefore TGTE does not represent the Tamils of all section but confined to Northerners of LTTE sympathizers and Tamil Nationalist. Has anyone from Anti-LTTE groups compromising EROS,EPRLF, PLOTE, TELO,ENDLF,EPDP, TULF and TMVP has contested in TGTE election or has won a seat. But in the vote taken after various changes to the draft which presented to the Congress on 4th July 1776, in Philadelphia, of the 13 colonies, 9 voted in favor of the Declaration, Pennsylvania and South Carolina voted against, Delaware was undecided and New York abstained. This is what real democracy is. Every province in Srilanka should have their participation and had their right to say yes or no. The Sinhalese living in the East should be also given their right to exercise as well as the Muslims from both Province. If not what type of Democracy TGTE talks about? Is that of LTTE democracy and of its great national leader? The Sinhalese haven’t deprived of their Tamil brothers allowing them to exercise their Democratic rights at any time. Its is not the building you choose to have your assembly meeting makes you proud TGTE, but the Policy, Principal, Democracy and the right way you choose that makes you proud and great.

About the TGTE constitution, they say they have incorporated a clause from Article 1 of the Post war Constitution of Federal Republic of Germany, but we could say this is all a gimmicks to cheat the International community but a product of the Vattukottai resolution of 14 May 1976 adopted by TULF. Whatever constitution the TGTE adopts to convince the International community, it will only create hardship for the Tamils living in Srilanka. Giving an opportunity the eligibility of voting rights to anybody connected to people from Eelam or identified as Eelam Tamil as said by TGTE, is only to broaden their money collections and to have a control over the community as did by the LTTE previously. Will the Muslims and Sinhalese who are born in North and East will have the similar rights? If not, what is the use of incorporating clause from any nations of the world? It is very nice of Mr. Rurakumaran to have a quote from Famous Tamil poet “Kaniyan Poonkunranar” as “Yaathum Ure Yaavarum Kelir” (Every country is my own, All the people are my Kinsmen” What a wonderful say. If TGTE members take Srilanka as their Country and their Sinhalese brothers as their Kinsmen, What a great different it would make! No war, No fight and no problems. Let TGTE follow the words of the great Tamil poet and make it come true. Let’s make our Srilanka a Paradise. Let the friendship, Unity and harmony between our communities’ flourishes and our bond strengthens.

(December 25, Toronto, Sri Lanka Guardian)