SOCIALIST
INTERNATIONAL
Maritime
House,
Old Town
Clapham,
London
SW40JW, UK
Respected
Secretary General
Socialist
International had brought all the socialists under one umbrella, and we Indian
Tamils appeal to Socialist International and its constituent parties and
leaders of those parties to urge United Nations to follow its own precedent of East Timor example and to hold a referendum to allow
Eelam Tamils to decide about their own destiny. In the aftermath of world
nations feeling the throb to come to the
rescue of Srilankan Tamils bleeding under the brutal campaign of genocide
unleashed by the Srilankan Government headed by Mr.Mahinda Rajapakshe, we a
South Indian political party appeal to Socialist International to mobilize
world opinion ,
a]
To hold plebiscite or referendum under UN auspices in North East Provinces of
Srilanka, and
b]
To initiate same actions Security Council and UN [through International Court
of Criminal Justice] are initiating with regard to Sudan in the genocide of Srilanka
too.
Though
men with conscience among many nations are doing their best within United
Nations their efforts are checkmated by one power or other. Hence Dravida
Peravai, the South Indian political party decided to knock the doors of
Socialist International and leaders of Socialist parties who are in power or in
opposition seeking their moral and vocal support to mobilize world opinion
against Srilanka and its genocidal civil war.
The
Economist of UK labels Sri
Lanka a "flawed democracy" in its
2006 rankings. This is because there is a minority – the Tamils – who will
always be at a significant disadvantage electorally.
If Scotland
wanted to leave the United
Kingdom, and voted to do so, they would not
be stopped by the rest of the British people. Perhaps the very fact that they
could leave if they wished to has meant that their minority rights have always
been protected in the UK,
and is probably the reason that Scotland
do not actually want to leave the union. The British Government wanted to step
in and mediate but the Srilankan war mongers rejected its offer. This is
because Britain with its own
Scotland
memories could have offered meaningful solutions to resolve the conflict, which
Srilanka wanted to scuttle at all costs.
A
Conservative Party politician in the United
Kingdom, Dr. Rachel Joyce, apologized recently for
blunder committed by Colonial Britain in making a unitary Ceylon out of
two nations, the Tamils and the Sinhalese. “The Tamil people have lived on the
island currently called Sri
Lanka for millennia - in their own
contiguous, distinct, geographical territory. They lay claim only to the
territory they have historically lived in. In fact, the 3 million Tamils of the
island constituted a self governing nation until invaded and occupied by
Colonial powers – in particular Britain, who amalgamated them with the Sinhala
nation purely for convenience. In retrospect, this cultural naivety was a
mistake that has caused problems since independence,” she said in a meeting
held at Harrow recently. This is enough to
tell in a nutshell the crux of the problem.
Tamils
for Obama, a non-governmental organization in USA had recently urged for United
Nations Transitional Administration in Tamil Eelam, which is the most sensible
solution at this juncture. The demand for United Nations Transitional
Administration for Tamil Eelam is based on the precedent of the U.N. Transitional
Administration in East Timor. We appeal to all members of Socialist
International to urge the United Nations to emulate its own precedent and end
the genocidal war in Srilanka. By referendum people’s will would be
ascertained, and that democratic option may be resisted by certain people in
India, who hate the word plebiscite, because there is an UN resolution calling
for a plebiscite which these people consider as bitter pill forgetting that in
democracy it is the best way.
7
March 2009, The Santa Clara County Democratic Party Central Committee, had
passed a resolution asking "U.S. Congress and the Federal Administration
to immediately persuade the government of Sri
Lanka and the UN to conduct a UN monitored referendum in
the Tamil region of Sri
Lanka to determine if the people wish the
autonomy or the complete independence." The organizers of the resolution
said they will be mounting a campaign to urge other Democratic Party branches
in different counties to adopt similar resolutions to raise Sri Lanka as a
key policy issue within the Democratic Party. All these meaningful voices
emanating from diverse sources must activate the conscience of the world, and
it is here socialists have their historical mission to accomplish.
There
are independent nations which no other country had recognized. Nagorno-Karabakh Republic with its Capitol: Stepanakert
and 11,458 kilometers area with 1, 38,000 people has a President Mr.Bako
Sahakyan and Prime Minister Arayik Harutyunyan. A referendum was held on 10th
December 1991 and it proclaimed independence on 6th January 1992. It has
Armenian as official language. This is one of the two independent countries not
recognized by any other country. That does not mean it is not independent. The
referendum of Vattukottai in 1977 is enough to proclaim Tamil Eelam as
independent nation, then itself. The India
groomed puppet Mr.Varadaraja Perumal imposed as Chief Minister under Rajiv
Gandhi-Jayawardene accord while fleeing to India to take asylum unilaterally
had declared independence. By giving asylum India
had endorsed the unilateral declaration of Independence, Tamils can argue, and go ahead
with formation of Government to seek recognition. Nagora-Karabakh will
recognize Tamil Eelam and Tamil Eelam can recognize Nagora-Karabakh Republic.
If that is the only option left, this could happen.
Somaliland
proclaimed its independence on 16th May 1991.Constitutional Presidential
Republic of Somalia with a population of 3, 50,000 people and an area of 68,000
square kilometers has three official languages, namely Somali, Arabic and
English.
This
tiny nation has three official languages, and Indian Foreign Minister Mr.Pranab
Mukherjee can never make Srilanka accept two official languages.
When even this
could not be conceded, why India
aims to force Tamils to accept a unitary state, we are puzzled. Somaliland has Mr.Dahir Riyale Kahin as President. Let
any Tamil around whom people’s consensus emerges become the President,
declaring Tamil Eelam independence. This tiny country has its own currency, Somaliland
shilling, and it is not recognized by any other nation, but that does not deter
it to become independent, Tamil Eelam must take the cue from these two nations
not recognized by any other nation, and world nations must understand the
historical compulsions of Eelam Tamils in taking this extreme step.
Countries
recognized by non-UN Member states: There is Transnistiria recognized only by
Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and these two
countries are not members of United Nations. Transnistiria has three official
languages namely Moldovan because Moldovans constitute 31.9% of the population.
Russians are 30.4% and Ukrainians constitute 28.8% of the population. This
country which is under internationally unrecognized President Mr.Ignor Smimov
shows the way to Srilanka, which refuses to accept Tamil too as official
language. With 5,37,000 people in an area of 1607 square kilometers
Transnistiria could remain independent, why not Tamil Eelam, all Tamils must
ponder.
Abkhazia
is a unitary Republic under President Sergei Bagapsh having declared its
independence on 12th October 1999 and one UN member state recognized this
country only in 26th August 2008.These states significantly point out the
failure of the United Nations but at same time demonstrates that independence
is one that is obtained not at the mercy of others.
Governments
in Exile too had existed in history, but here that does not arise since Tamils
need only a United Nations Transitional Government, in immediate future. If at
all Tamils of Eelam are uprooted from their homeland Socialist International
must recall the past Governments in Exile that had operated from other
countries. The Free French Government headed by Charles de Gaulle during II nd
world War got the support of USA,
UK, Russia and regained France. Same support must be given
by super powers and other nations, if Eelam Tamils are compelled by historical
accidents to form a Government in exile.
Between
1795 and 1814 the Government of the Dutch
Republic in Exile lived in London following a French
Invasion led by William V, Prince of Orange. Ultimately they returned to create
the Kingdom of the Netherlands
in 1815. President Benito Juarez's
Government-in-Exile during the Empire of Maximilian in Mexico, from
1864 to 1867 is another example. Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea
based in Shanghai, China
and later in Chongqing.
It was created in 1919 for when Korea
gained independence from the Empire of Japan.
After
Japan’s
defeat in World War II President Syngman Rhee became the first president of the
First Republic of South Korea
The
Revolutionary Government of Angola in Exile founded in 1962 and based in
Kinshasa, Congo-Kinshasa, Socialist Republic Government of the Democratic
Republic of Georgia in Exile after the Soviet invasion of Georgia of 1921 and
based in Leuville-sur-Orge, France, Governments of the Ukrainian People’s
Republic in Exile after the Soviet invasion of Ukraine in 1920 are few more
precedents we have to recall in our minds if situation warrants. The Free Aceh
Movement, a government in exile for the Aceh special territory
of Indonesia, is headquartered in Sweden, which
had surrendered its separatist intentions and dissolved its armed wing
following the 2005 peace agreement with the Indonesian Government.
Such
precedents exist. If one country supports a Government in exile can be formed.
The struggle to gain recognition will take long time to succeed, but firm
foundation for Free Tamil Eelam will be laid, shutting all options for
compromising independence for Eelam Tamils.
Genocide: Action by International Court of Criminal
Justice: Sudan
and Srilanka:
We
from India appeal to all the
leaders in Socialist International to compare between Sudan and
Srilanka. We are also shattered in heart over the silence of those nations that
evince interest in pursuing Sudan
but remain indifferent towards similar and crueler crimes against humanity
carried out under total black out of media in Srilanka.
On
Wednesday March 4th 2009 The International Criminal Court issued its first ever
warrant against a sitting head of state, namely, President Omar al Bashir of Sudan for war
crimes and crimes against humanity. The 65 year old Bashir is to face five
counts of crimes against humanity and two of war crimes. The Chief prosecutor
Luis Moreno - Ocampo said that Sudan
is legally obliged to execute the warrant. The prosecution claims that Bashir
and other high level Sudanese political and military leaders have issued the
orders and therefore bore direct responsibility of killing, raping and forcibly
transferring a large number of civilians. The U.N. Secretary-General urged Sudan's
government to honor its obligation to protect civilians, aid workers and U.N.
personnel and property following the International Criminal Court's decision to
issue an arrest warrant for President Omar Al-Bashir on war crimes charges. But
as Ban Ki-moon made his appeal, several international aid groups in Sudan said the government revoked their licenses
and called for them to leave North Darfur
immediately. In a statement, the U.N. chief did not explicitly call for
President Bashir to surrender and cooperate with the ICC.
Instead he said he "trusts the government
of Sudan will address the
issues of peace and justice in a manner consistent with" the 2005 Security
Council resolution that referred the Darfur
issue to the court.
On
March 7th of 2009 China has
blocked a statement in UN Security Council which would have asked Sudan to
reverse its decision to expel over a dozen aid groups accused of cooperating
with International Criminal Court, which issued arrest warrants against its
President Omar Hassan al-Bashir on war crime charges. The issue over the
French-drafted statement left the 15-member Council sharply divided with the
several members, including China,
demanding that it ask the court to defer any action at least for one year to
give peace process a chance in Sudan,
a move that western nations like the United
States, Britain
and France
oppose.
The
African Union Commission Chairman Jean Ping has indicated that while they support
the fight against impunity and that the crime perpetrators should not go
unpunished, they are of the view that peace and justice should not collide.
Hence they would want the warrant to be deferred to facilitate the completion
of the implementation of the comprehensive peace agreement between Northern and
Southern Sudan and ensure the end of the Darfur
crisis. Sudan's
envoy to the AU called on African member states to withdraw from the Rome
Statute.
The
UN needs the ICC and the ICC needs the UN. It is this symbiotic relationship
that the organs of the UN, especially the Security Council need to enhance in a
constructive manner as soon as possible. The Court is to deal with issues such
as war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. For the purpose of this
Statute crimes against humanity means any of the following acts when committed
as part of a widespread or systematic attack against any civilian population,
with knowledge of the attack; that is, murder, extermination, enslavement,
deportation or forcible transfer of population, imprisonment or other severe
deprivation of physical liberty in violation of fundamental rules of
international law, torture, rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced
pregnancy or any sexual violence of comparable gravity persecution against any
identifiable group or collectively on political, racial, ethnic, cultural,
religious, gender or other grounds, enforced disappearance of persons, the
crime of apartheid.
Dravida
Peravai appeals to Members of Socialist International to endorse the demand of
Tamils spread across countries and continents to initiate action against
Srilankan President Mahinda Rajapakshe through the International Court of
Criminal Justice.
In
another related development, CMAG, a body of nine ministers, which is mandated
to check persistent violations of the ‘Fundamental Values and Principles of the
Commonwealth,’ includes democracy and human rights states that “The government
of Sri Lanka
has adopted a consistent pattern of denying its responsibility to protect its
civilians. In recent years, Sri
Lanka has been facing a growing condition of
general impunity buttressed by numerous allegations of human rights violations
across the country. A string of disappearances, arrests, uninvestigated murders
and assaults involving dissenters, well known journalists and human rights
advocates, sometimes in full view of the public, sometimes within tightly
monitored high security zones operated by the government, are indicative of a
pattern of human rights violation, intolerance, suppression and impunity. By
not respecting the independence of its institutions, not allowing independent
observation and international organizations into the conflict area, it has
repeatedly used “fighting terrorism” as a justification for systematically
destroying fundamental freedoms in Sri Lanka, the CHRI statement said. Contrary
to the norm that limits each country to two-consecutive sittings, Sri Lanka is
currently serving its third consecutive two-year term. Sri Lanka‘s membership has
become particularly controversial as its own credentials as a guardian of these
values become increasingly questionable, read a statement from CHRI.
Hence
Dravida Peravai calls Commonwealth a Failure. How could for third time Srilanka
be there contrary to usual parameters, and when this is happening we have to
loose faith in Commonwealth and appeal to other bodies, to come to the rescue
of Tamils.
The
grave charges of genocide against Srilanka are well documented. In an invited
written testimony to the hearing on "Recent Developments in Sri
Lanka" before the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Middle East and Asia,
at the Dirksen Senate Building Tuesday, Bruce Fein, former U.S. associate
deputy attorney general, details the recent violence by the Sri Lanka Government
against Tamils civilians under "impenetrable media blackout and eviction
of all outside observers...has crossed the line into genocide, which justified
a criminal investigation under United States laws." Detailing the
structural aspects of the slow genocide Fein accuses Colombo of perpetrating
against Tamils, the testimony says: "All previous well-known genocides
which have occurred since the end of World War II have been characterized by a
massive number of murders in a small defined locality occurring in a short time
period and carried out by an actor seeking the total physical extermination of
a particular ethnic group. The post-1945 genocide cases often cited are: the
Holocaust, the Kurds in Iraq,
the Srebrenica massacre, and Rwanda.
By contrast, Sri Lanka’s
genocide against Tamils has taken place over a number of years and is more
characterized by widespread, prolonged displacement and destruction of the
community’s physical and cultural base than murder. For this and also wider
geopolitical reasons, the destruction of the Sri Lankan Tamils is less
well-understood in the world at large as a case of genocide," Fein says in
the testimony.
Describing
the latest violence on Tamils, Fein says "best estimates from neutral
persons in Sri Lanka
place the death toll of innocent Tamil civilians in the predominantly Tamil
northeast over the past two months at more than 2,000. The number of injured
probably exceeds 10,000. The number of displaced persons most likely
approximates 350,000. None of these figures, however, can be confirmed at
present with direct testimony," Fein says.
These
are just a brief introduction to the problems Tamils are facing, which are next
to what Jews faced under Nazis in last century. The socialist is one who fights
for right causes at right time, and as socialist party, we in Dravida Peravai,
hope that you will rise to the occasion and raise your voice against Genocide
of Eelam Tamils. We also hope that you will urge United Nations by refreshing
its memory on its own East Timor precedent, to
fulfill its historical duty to liberate Eelam Tamils from ethnic cleansing and
genocide.
