TNPF leader meets members of US Congress behind resolution imploring referendum for Eelam Tamils

A bi-partisan resolution mooted by the US Congress calling for a referendum for Eelam Tamils to be “democratically and equitably represented” as well as a “lasting peaceful political solution” is picking up momentum, Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) leader Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam told the Tamil Guardian as he met with politicians in Washington D C this week..

Ponnambalam met with Congressman Wiley Nickel, Congresswoman Deborah Ross, Congressman Jamie Raskin, and Congressman Danny K. Davis, as part of a visit to the USA this week. The parliamentarian also met with US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, US Congresswoman Summer Lee and US Congressman Don Davis.

“These individuals whom I met are have shown keen interest in the affairs of Tamils," he said. "Especially the first three congresspeople were instrumental in passing resolution 427 in the US Congress” continued the lawmaker, adding that the resolution stressed the need for accountability and good will.

"On that basis what we conveyed to them is that today, after the war has long ended, the plight of Tamils is far from over. Tamils are being treated far worse under the current Ranil Wickramasinghe government, compared to even the Rajapakse governments."

"The current Ranil government is on a mission, faster and more focussed than the Rajapakse regimes, to erase Tamil people's history, culture and heritage. They are intent on destroying the foundations of the Tamil nation. It is the insertion of Buddhism everywhere, Sinhala settlements being established on land seized from Tamils under the pretext of development, evicting Tamils from their lands in the name of creating towns, our fundamental rights such as free speech and freedom of expression being suppressed, the right to remember being crushed. The situation continues to worsen."

Speaking further he said that due to global competitiveness in Sri Lanka, Western countries are facing competition with China to gain influence on the island.

"Even if the problems of the Tamils have been aggravated, Western countries are acting only to adopt an attitude of control over China, without paying attention to those issues," he said. "Due to the current economic crisis in Sri Lanka, and in a situation where there is a great need for financial assistance, we have demanded that the government should be put under pressure.” 

He said that this can be done by exerting pressure on the government to find a solution to the ethnic issue based on the right of self-determination of the Tamils and to conduct an international criminal investigation.

“At the same time, we had asked for resolutions that emphasized the international criminal investigation of the Tamil massacre, and to insist on a referendum that could determine the political fate of the Tamils," he said.

More meetings will be held throughout the week, Ponnambalam added.

Last year the US Congress members introduced a resolution calling for a referendum for Eelam Tamils to be “democratically and equitably represented” as well as a “lasting peaceful political solution”. The resolution came as the Tamil nation marked 14 years since the genocide at Mullivaikkal where Sri Lanka’s forces killed tens of thousands of Tamils in the final weeks of the armed conflict. 

The resolution pointed out the Sri Lankan military’s continuing occupation and oppression of the Tamil homeland. It also highlighted the denial of freedom of expression implemented in the 6th Amendment that prevents Tamils from calling for their independence and quotes the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State in 2006 who advocated for Eelam Tamils’ rights in their traditional homeland “to rule their own destinies and to govern themselves in their homeland."