The Global Sri Lanka Forum (GSLF)

October 26, 2016, 9:23 pm

The Global Sri Lanka Forum (GSLF) has said that it believes that the racist comments made by the Northern Province Chief Minister CV Vigneswaran at the recent Ezhuka Tamil (Tamils Arise) rally in Jaffna represent a much wider separatist agenda that threatens the unitary status and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.

It said “The Ezhuka Tamil campaign, which calls for a ‘sovereign federal unit through recognizing the Tamil people of the North and East as a distinct nation, while also acknowledging and respecting their right to self- determination’, follows the same theme as the LTTE’s ‘Pongu Tamil’ (Tamil Resurgence) events which also incited hatred among the Tamils, in particular the youth, towards the Sinhala population.

While unreservedly condemning Vigneswaran’s call for an ethnically cleansed Northern Province, devoid of Sinhala people and Buddhist places of worship, the GSLF also notes that he is an aggressive mouthpiece for a common ideology shared with other Tamil separatists and the pro LTTE Tamil diaspora.

In fact, Vigneswaran’s actions are completely in line with the objectives of the TNA/ITAK (‘Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi’ or ‘Lanka Tamil State Party) which adopted the infamous ‘Vaddukoddai Resolution’ of 1976 calling for the ‘Tamil Nation in general and the Tamil youth in particular to come forward to throw themselves fully into the sacred fight for freedom and to flinch not till the goal of a sovereign state of Tamil Eelam is reached’.

It is apparent that the Tamil separatist movement has become increasingly aggressive due to the weak commitment of the Yahapalana government towards the unitary status and the national security of Sri Lanka. The Vigneswaran led Northern Provincial Council passed the infamous ‘Tamil Genocide’ resolution in February 2015, just over one month after the election of the new President of Sri Lanka and the appointment of the current Prime Minister. The expulsion of Sinhala Students from the Jaffna University, the destruction of Buddhist places of worship in the North and the assault of the Sri Lankan High Commissioner in Malaysia by Tamil goons are further examples of this new found arrogance.

Regardless of these provocative actions, the current regime has continued to follow a pattern of appeasement in the name of reconciliation. This includes the co-sponsorship of the UNHCR Geneva Resolution that is clearly hostile to the nation’s security forces, the closing down of strategic defence establishments in the North and East, the releasing of hard-core LTTE cadres, the de-proscription of foreign LTTE front-organisations.

In contrast, some of those who led the campaign to free Sri Lanka from the LTTE reign of terror are being hounded by the current regime. The former Defence Secretary and several military officers including three Navy Commanders have been hauled up before the courts using dubious charges while a number of intelligence officers have been incarcerated without trial for many months.

At the same time, several leading figures in the Yahapalana camp are acting as strong advocates for federalism and apologist for Tamil separatism. This ‘appeasement group’ has a shameful record on national security and are responsible for the infamous P-TOMS proposals, the one-sided Cease Fire Agreement which nearly led to a LTTE controlled terrorist state within Sri Lanka, the Sudu Nelum movement which discouraged defence force recruitment, the exposure of the Sri Lanka Army’s elite LRRP Unit at Athurugiriya and the supply of high-tech satellite communication equipment to the LTTE.

In conclusion, the Global Sri Lanka Forum (GSLF) calls on the following.

The President of Sri Lanka to use his executive powers to dismiss Chief Minister Vigneswaran and dissolve the Northern Provincial Council if it continues to foster Tamil separatism and hatred towards the other Sri Lankans.

All patriotic members of the Sri Lankan Parliament to prevent any legislative or constitutional changes that dilute the unitary status of Sri Lanka.

The people of Sri Lanka to overwhelmingly reject any constitutional changes that facilitate federalism at a future Referendum”.