Tamils protest and demand Sri Lanka be referred to the International Criminal Court for committing a genocide (2017)
Almost 70 Tamil civil society organisations and individuals based in the North-East have released a statement that “totally rejects” the ‘Himalaya Declaration’, an initiative started by the Global Tamil Forum and a group of Sinhala Buddhist monks that has come under widespread criticism.
The joint statement, signed by religious leaders, civil society activists, and organisations said the initiative was an “attempt to sustain the politics of tyranny”.
“Sinhala Buddhism is the focal point of political power on the island of Sri Lanka,” it noted, stating that “government structures based on Sinhalese Buddhist hegemony and culture, and the resultant political and economic crisis, cannot be corrected by acts that are based on those very structures and bend over backwards to pander to them”.
“On the contrary, a solution to these difficulties should be approached from the point of view of the oppressed communities where their status is recognised,” it continued.
“The Tamil people, a community of oppressed people, are themselves a nation recognized as a race and make political arrangements based on it. We have been demanding our political rights through democratic and other means for over seven decades.”
“The Thimpu Principles form the basis of these demands,” it added, noting that “the price paid by the Tamil people for continuing the struggle that upheld these principles has been enormous”.
The organisations said the GTF agreement with Sinhala Buddhist monks “completely ignores the above and shows a lack of understanding of the issues, trying to portray them simply as a case of misunderstanding between peoples and an individual group-based human rights issue”.
“They attempt to delineate justice and politics from our people's problems, with designs instead only to prove tolerable to the Sinhala Buddhist hegemony.”
The statement went on to critique both the Sinhala Buddhist clergy, as well as the GTF.
“The SBSL hasn't expressed any joint regret at the great destruction caused to date through Sinhala Buddhist hegemonist concepts and the Sri Lanka governments acts,” it said. “Likewise, The Sangha for Better Sri Lanka (SBSL) maintains a heavy silence on matters on archeological work undertaken at present by Sinhalese Buddhist institutions, such as the Kurunthur Hill matter or the troubles in Mayilattamadu.”
“The GTF did not at any point take into account Tamil people's burning issues at the inception of this dialogue and ask the opposing party to make goodwill gestures in relation to these, such as the matter of the forcibly disappeared, incarceration of political prisoners, sustained use of the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the denial of our right to remember our dead.”
“Our people continue to be the subjects of destruction and oppression during the times of war and the subsequent 15 years so far. There is a need to give a voice for them and to enable the ground conditions for a solution for. Many diaspora organisations are doing good and honest work for this cause. But, the moral right to speak for the people of our homelands rests solely with a broad coalition of organisations based here, and here only.”
The Sri Lankan government-approved initiative has seen Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC) and Global Tamil Forum (GTF) members tour the island, following the signing of the agreementy. The so-called “Himalaya Declaration”, made up of six brief statements, has come under widespread criticism. In the North-East, Tamil families of the disappeared, women’s organisations, students and clergy rejected it, accusing it of “totally ignoring Tamil grievances and the pain and suffering Tamils have undergone since independence”. Elected Tamil parliamentarians refused to meet with them, whilst dozens of diaspora organisations denounced the initiative, accusing it of undermining calls for an international justice and accountability process.
Earlier this week, Tamil Canadians across the political spectrum, and the country, vented their frustration to the Tamil Guardian.
See the full list of signatories of the latest statement below.
Signed by:
Reverend Agathiyar adikal, Then Kaliyai Chapter, Trincomalee
Bishop of Trincomalee
SDP Selvan. Jaffna Chapter. Ceylon chamber of bishops. Colombo district
Rev PJ Jebaratnam, Jaffna Catholic Diocese
Old Semmalai Pillayar Temple
Vedukkunaari Aathilikeshwarar Temple
Akaram People's Centre
Adayalam Centre for Policy Research
Amparai District Civil Societies Alliance
Aran, Trinco
Aanaikkottai Mahajana Library
Aanaikkottai Women's Village Development Centre
Ceylon Teachers Union
United Women's Voice, Trinco
Rural Workers Union
Eastern University Tamil Students Union
Kumaran Community Centre and Sports Club
Voice of the Voiceless
Kurinji Kumaran Community Centre, Kupplilan
Kaithady Southeast Community Centre
Kaidhaty Southeast Women's Rural Development Centre
Kaithady Northwest Women's Rural Development Centre
Kaithady Navatkuli Selva Community Centre
Kaithady Public Interest Protection Trust
Coalition of Kaithady Women's Organisations
Santhirapuram Women's Development Union
Social Science Research Centre
Siththi Vinayagar Youth Centre, Aanaikottai
Suyampu - Arts and Cultural Enablement Centre, Jaffna
Independent Tamil Youth Organisation, Vavuniya
Sevakam Women's Centre
Forum for Tamils Legal Rights
Tamil Social Activists Federation
Tamil Lawyers Federation
Tamil Civil Societies Centre
Tamil National Rights Organisation
Thalam
Homeland Jananam Foundation
Thaavady North Women's Development Centre
National Fishmermen's Coorperative Network, Mullaitivu
Navasakthi Community Centre
Navali Women's Rural Development Centre
Navaaliyur Somasunthara Poet's Charitable Trust
Justice and Peace Commission, Jaffna
Hindu Priests and Bishops Group for Justice and Peace, North East
Centre for Peace and Change, Trinco
People's Forum, Mannar
Puluthi - Centre for Social Justice
Public Organisations Centre, Mannar
Batticaloa Media Centre
Mannar Social Economic Development Company
Minnoli Community Centre, Women's Development Centre and Sports Club
Mullaitivu Media Centre
Coalition of Fishermen's Cooperatives, Mullaitivu District
Muthur Hindu Youth Centre
Jaffna Press Centre
Jaffna District Association
Jaffna District Women's Society
Jaffna University Workers Union
Jaffna University Students Union
Jaffna Economists Union
Vadamaradchi East Citizens Groups Association
Union for the Forcibly Disappeared, North and East
Vavuniya Media Centre
Valarmathy Madduvil Community Centre
Vilichitty Community Centre
Prof K T Ganeshalingam, Dean of the Department of Politics, University of Jaffna
Dr A Saravanapavan, Senior Lecturer, University of Jaffna
Dr V Sritharan, Senior Lecturer, University of Jaffna
Mr S Sivakanthan, Senior Lecturer, University of Jaffna
Mr S Suriyakumar, Senior Lecturer, University of Jaffna
