With a heavy heart our party Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra kazhagam (MDMK), a registered regional political outfit of Tamilnadu is presenting this memorandum to the consul general of United States of America, in the consulate in Chennai.
I am Vaiko, the General Secretary of MDMK Party, invited by the Federal Government of USA as a Member of the International Visitor Programme in the year 1998 and I got the privilege to meet the Governor of Pennsylvania, Mr. Tom Ridge and Senators belonging both the Democratic and Republican Party, to whom I have explained the serious ethnic problem of Eelam Tamil nationals in the island of Sri Lanka.
When I visited USA in the year 2008, I got the privilege of meeting Mr. Barack Obama at Sheraton Hotel in Chicago on 12th July 2008 and I presented the book penned by me under the caption ‘Yes We can’, which narrates the political biography of Mr Barack Obama and also the history of emancipation of blacks in USA and South Africa.
I am a great admirer of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy for their valuable contribution to champion the cause of human rights and democracy.
The statement made by Nishi Desai Biswal, an American citizen of Indian origin, Assistant Secretary of the State dealing the affairs of South Asia has made ruthless unjustifiable arrogant statement about the ethnic problem of Tamils in the island of Sri Lanka that the issue of war crimes will be subjected to domestic investigation by the Sri Lankan itself and the Government of USA will be engaged with Sri Lankan Government to deal the issue of governance of Sri Lanka.
If this version of Nishi Biswal is the official version of the Government of USA, it will be the worst somersault ever committed by the USA Government in the matter of foreign affairs. The very same US Government took a position in March 2014, when the serious matter of war crimes committed by the Government of Sri Lanka was deliberated in the Human Rights Council. USA alongwith other four countries moved a resolution that the grave issue of war crimes and violation of human rights in the island of Sri Lanka, committed by the Sri Lankan Government will be investigated by an independent international body.
That resolution was adopted with the support of many countries, despite the fact that India and Pakistan abstained in the voting.
We, 75 million Tamils in the state of Tamilnadu, India, and 25 million Tamils all over the world, heaved a sigh of relief with the confidence that the Sri Lankan Government who committed the barbarous crime of genocide massacring hundreds of thousands of innocent Tamils including children and women will be put in the dock of International Criminal Court and punished by the international community.
We did hope that the Tamils of the North and East of the island, the original inhabitants would be able to live in dignity and honour ending the days of oppression and torture.
To put it in a nutshell about the genesis of the ethnic problem, the past history of the Tamils has to be taken note off.
The Tamils of the North and East of the island of Sri Lanka, had their own, independent, sovereign nation for thousands of years with a glorious civilisation. Only after the arrival of the Portuguese, Dutch and then the British, the Tamil race was subjugated alongwith the Sinhalese, both were brought together under one umbrella for administrative convenience. When the British left on 4th February 1948, the Tamils were tied under the rule of Sinhalese. One million Tamils of Indian origin, who brought prosperity to the island with their sweat of brow in the 18th and 19th centuries, were disenfranchised and thrown as stateless people, never happened anywhere in the world,
The Tamils of the North and East were discriminated in education, employment and almost in every walk of life by the Government of Sri Lanka.
The Tamils under the dynamic leadership of Thanthai Selva, who was called Gandhi of Eelam, launched peaceful agitation to get justice for Tamils who could live in dignity and honour. But, that was suppressed by the bayonets and bullets of Police and Army of Sri Lankan Government.
Two pacts were entered between the Sri Lankan Government and Thanthai Selva, which were unilaterally abrogated and thrown into the dust bin by the Sri Lankan Government.
The places of worship of Tamils, temples and churches were desecrated and destroyed by the Sinhalese thugs supported by the army.
Under these circumstances, the great Tamil leader Selva, convened all the Tamil outfits in a conference at Vaddukkottai on 14th May 1976and declared adopting the famous ‘Vaddukkottai Resolution’ echoeing the sentiments of Philadelphia declaration that the Tamils of the North and East will constitute a sovereign, independent, secular nation and he gave a clarion call to the Tamil youths to spearhead the fight for independant Eelam nation.
Under these circumstances, the Tamil youth under the ebullient leadership of Velupillai Prabakaran, resorted to armed struggle, a phenomenon witnessed in the liberation of many nations.
The preamble of the universal declaration of human rights adopted on 10th December 1948, clearly states as follows,
Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and opperession, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,
(Pinanku prakadanam..)
Rape, murder plunder by the Sri Lankan armed forces was the order of the day. The great Tamil library in Jaffna was burnt to ashes by the Sinhala forces in the year 1981.
The most shocking massacre took place in 1983 when the 53 tamil prisoners of Velikadai Prison were slaughtered and thousands of Tamils were killed and the dead bodies were thrown in the road side.
In this background, it would be very appropriate to submit the unanimous resolution adopted by the Massachusettes Commonwealth of USA in the year 1981, the declaration of the Governor of the state May 22, 1979 as Eelam Day.
The Resolution:
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
In The Year of One Thousand Nine Hundred and Seventy Nine
Resolution Memorialising the President and the Congress to Recognize the Right of Self Determination by the Tamil people of Tamil Eelam
Whereas, the Tamils of Eelam, who number three million Hindus, Christians and Moslems occupy eight thousand square miles live as an oppressed minority in Sri Lanka where the majority is composed of ten million Sinhalese, most of whom are Buddhists, and
Whereas, from ancient times two nations the Sinhalese and the Tamils possessed distinct languages, religions, cultures and clearly demarcated geographic territories until the British who were characteristically oblivious to the differences between these two separate nations, imposed one rule for the purpose of colonial administrative unification, and
Whereas, as was to be expected in 1948 when the British left the island and two unwilling nations were consequently left under a unitary governmental structure, the majority Sinhalese faction subverted democratic principles to become the new masters of the Tamil - speaking people, and
Whereas, in 1956 the Government passed the Official Language Act which made the Sinhalese dialect the only oficial Language throughout the island, thereby causing severe hardships to several thousand Tamils public servants and migration to foreign lands, and effectively excluding otherwise qualified Tamils from the public service; and
Whereas, one million Tamils on the tea and rubber plantations, who prior to independence and enjoyed rights similar to those possessed by other ceylonese, were disenfranchised and made stateless, and
Whereas, although the plantation Tamils were the descendants of Indians who were brought to ceylon more than one hundred years ago by the seemingly ubiquitous British planters, and as such were mostly native sri lankans who possessed no relationship with the india from which their ancestors sailed, in 1964 the government inhumanely and callously determined to repatriate compulsorily these Tamils, ordering them to depart the land of their birth, and
Whereas, in 1975 foreign-owned estates were Nationalized, compelling scores of evicted Tamil workers to become beggars; and
Whereas, Nationalizing schools in 1960-61. the Government directed its discriminatory polices against non-Buddhist education as well as the Tamils, for most of the educational institutions in Tamils areas were owned by the Roman Catholic Chruch and the missionaries of sundry protestant denominations; and
Whereas, manu Tamils medium schools in Sinhalese majority districts were closed and reopened as Sinhalese institutions, thereby forcing Tamils missionaries of sundry protestant denominations; and
Whereas, Many Tamil medium schools in Sinhalese Majority districts were closed and reopened as Sinhalese institutions, thereby forcing Tamils to study in the Sinhalese medium; and
Whereas, in 1971 a system of standardization of grades was introduced by the Govenrmnent to provide preferential treatment for Sinhalese students and to exclude Tamils mediaum scholars, a prejudicial scheme which was deliberately concocted to denymerits as the criterion for University admissions; and
Whereas, successive Sinhala governments have been guilty of racism and acts of racial discrimination against the Tamils in the fields of education, employment, religion, politics, economic development and trade, and
Whereas, from time to time violence is used it the Sinhala governments, army and the police against the Tamils without provocation as a political weapon in order to obtain subservience and
Whereas, in 1972 the representatives of the Sinhala and Tamil nation met together and peacefully overthrew British sovereignty and thereby each nation resuscitated, and reverted to, its own sovereignty, and
Whereas, a new constitution, which reiterated that foremost place should be accorded to the buddhist religion and the Sinhalese language. was unilaterally adopted without the cooperation or consultation with the majority of the Tamil representatives in parliament, and
Whereas, the Tamil nation of Eelam at the general election of may 1977 gave a clear mandate for the restoration and reconstitution of the separate sovereign state of Tamil Eelam by winning 18 out of 19 Tamil seats in Tamil Eelam, and
Whereas, the Tamil people were again not a party to the constitution of 1978 which replaced its predecessor of 1972, and
Whereas, the Tamil nation of Eelam opposed the two constitutions as illegal impositions on them and their territory and asserted their right of self determination and sovereignty by non violent agitations, and
Whereas, the Sinhala government of Sri Lanka has occupied the territory of Tamil Eelam with its armed forces and security services and are denying the right of self-determination and sovereignty of the Tamil nation by the use of force on Tamil people, and
Whereas, the Tamil United Liberation Front which received the mandate of the Tamil people at the may 1977 general election for the separate sovereign Tamil state is continuing the struggle for freedom by non-violent ways preached and practised by Mahatma Gandhi and by the late leader of Tamil nation, S.J.V. Chelvanayagam,
Therefore
Resolved, that the Massachusetts House of Representatives hereby urges the President and the Congress of the United States to support the struggle for freedom by the Tamil nation for the restoration and reconstitution the separate sovereign state of Tamil Eelam and to recognize publicly the right of self determination by the Tamil people of Tamil Eelam, and be it further resolved,
that copies of these resolutions be forwarded to the President of the United States, to the Presiding Officer of each branch of Congress, to the members thereof from this Commonwealth, to the Secretary of State, to the Director of the World Bank and to the Secretary General of the United Nations.
House of Representatives, adopted May 10, 1979
Speaker of the House
Clerk of the House
Representative Marie Elizabeth Howe
Edward J.King the Governor of the Common wealth of Massachusetts made a proclamation on 16th may 1979 declaring 22 nd May 1979 as EELAM TAMILS DAY as follows,
Whereas: The Tamils of Eelam live as an oppressed minority in Sri Lanka; and
Whereas: From ancient times Sri Lanka has had two nations. The Sinhalese and the Tamils with distinct language, religions, cultures and clearly demarcated geographic territories; and
Whereas: In 1948 the two nations were left under a unitary gorernmental structure; and
Whereas: Immediately after independence, one million Tamils in the tea and rubber plantation were disenfranchised and made stateless. These Tamils prior to independence had enjoyed similar rights as other Sri Lankans; and
Whereas: In 1956, the official language Act made Sinhalese the only offical language throughout the entire island, causing severe hardship to several thousands of Tamils public servants and migration to foreign lands; and
Whereas: In 1964 the Government decided to compulsorily repatriate plantation Tamils to India. These Tamils were the decendents of Indians, brought more than 100 years ago as plantation workers, most of whom were born in Sri Lanka and never had any relationship with India; and
Whereas: A new constitution was unilaterally adopted without any co-operation or consultation with the majority of the Tamil representatives in parliament; and
Whereas: The Tamil people were again not party to the constitution of 1978, which replace its predecessor of 1972;
Now, therefore, I Edward J.King, Governor of the commonwealth to take cognizance of this day and to participate fittingly in its obsevance.
Given the Executive Chamber in Boston, this sixteenth day of May, in the year of out Lord, one thousand nine hundred and seventy-nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America, the two hundred and third.
By the Excellency the Governor Edward J.king
Michael Joseph Connolly, Secretary of the Commonwealth.
The mayor of the city SOMERVILLE, Massachusetts, Eugene C.Brune. Brune proclamies May 22nd as Eelam Tamils day which is quoted as follows.
“Now therefore, I Eugene C.Brune, Mayor of the City of Somerville do hereby proclaim May, 22nd as Eelam Tamils Day in the City of Somerville and Urge all citizens to Island of Ceylon and the recognize the right of self-determination of the Tamils people of Tamils Eelam in the Island of Ceylon and the right of soverignity of the Tamils Nation over the territory of Tamils Eelam and urge the President and Congress of the United States to support the Struggle for freedom by the Tamil National for the restoration and reconstitution for the separate sovereign State of Tamil Eelam.”
In the year 1987, the Indian Government headed by Mr. Rajiv Gandhi, entered into an accord with Sri Lanka, which was thrust on the Tamils against their will.
The Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) was deployed in the island, which instead of protecting the Tamils, colluded with the Sinhalese forces to suppress the Tamils.
In 1990, when the National Front Government was formed in India, the IPKF was withdrawn. The Government of Sri Lanka, accumulated military weapons getting from many countries and launched the military attacks in Tamil areas in 1995.
Five hundereds thousands of Tamils were uprooted from Jaffna and had to flee towards the jungles. The then Pope John Paul -II of Vatican made an appeal to the international community to provide solace and succour to the suffering Tamils of Sri Lanka.
The then General Secretary of the United Nations, Mr Boutros Boutros Ghali, made a similar appeal.
Under the leadership of legendary Prabakaran, LTTE forces made glorious sacrifices and fought the Sri Lankan forces defeating them in important battles, particularly at Elephant Pass.
In the year 2000 after gaining spectacular victory at Elephant Pass, the LTTE unilaterally declared ceasefire for thirty days on 24th December, the eve of Christmas, which was extended again for thirty days. Then the Sri Lankan Government responded the ceasefire.
The Norwegian Government initiated the talks between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, which took place in Thailand, Geneva and Japan in the year 2003, which was sabotaged by the then President of Sri Lanka, Madam Chandrika Kumaratunge. Situation got darkened in the year 2004, when the UPA Government took charge in India, which provided all logistic military support to the racist Sinhala Government headed by Mahinda Rajapakse, since 2005.
Sri Lankan Air Force bombed the Tamil areas using chemical bombs banned by UN.
In the name of fighting the LTTE, innocent Tamils, men, women, children were mercilessly killed. International Press were not at all allowed to enter the island. Four Tamil members of Sri Lankan Parliament were shot dead in cold blood in the streets.
The editor of Sunday Observer, Lasantha Wickramatunge, a sinhalese, who exposed the crime of Tamil genocide by the Sri Lankan army was shot dead as he forewarned.
61 innocent girl children were slaughtered at the Chencholai orphanage by the straffing of Sri Lankan Air-force on 14th August 2006.
17 innocent Tamil volunteers, who served the French NGO to help the Sunami victims were shot dead at point-blank range on 8th August 2006.
Mr Joseph Pararajasingam, a Tamil Member of Parliament, was cruelly gunned down when he was offering prayers in the catholic church on the Christmas 24th December 2006.
Things worsened right from 1st January of 2009.
Getting military assistance from India, Pakistan, China, Iran and Israel, Sri Lankan armed forces defeated the LTTE and killed more than 150,000 innocent Tamils in the month of May 2009, particularly on 17th and 18th of May.
The urgent meeting of the Human Rights Council was held at Geneva, in the last week of May 2009 at the initiative of the Government of Germany. As a rude shock, the Council adopted a resolution, commending the role of the Rajapakse Government of Sri Lanka.
The atrocious resolution was engineered by Cuba and India to praise the killers.
In Tamilnadu, the southern state of India, 19 Tamil youths committed self immolation, sacrificing their lives to protect the Eelam Tamils to awaken the conscience of international community., to protect the Tamils and punish the guilty Sri Lankan Government.
The General Secretary of the United Nations, Mr. Ban-ki-Moon, constituted a three member panel to investigate the violations of human rights and war crimes in Sri Lanka in April 2010.
The three member panel headed by Marzuki Tarusman made a thorough investigation in Sri Lanka and submitted its report, which contains the evidence of slaughter and massacre of Tamils by the Sri Lankan armed forces.
We, Tamils have been demanding that there should be an independant international investigation about the crime of genocide of Tamils committed by the Sri Lankan armed forces.
We have demanded that the army deployed in the North and East of the island should be withdrawn; the forced sinhalese settlements in the traditional Tamil homeland should be vacated; the Tamils detained in prisons should be released.
The only genuine solution to the ethnic problem of Sri Lanka could be done by conducting referendum in the north and east on the question of sovereign Eelam nation, under the supervision of United Nations and also to conduct simultaneously referendum among the Tamil diaspora in the countries where do they live.
When referendum conducted in Scotland, why not in Eelam?
This is a genuine question to be answered by the international community.
When we Tamils have been fighting to get justice and also expecting justice in the Human Rights Council, the statement made by the Assistant Secretary of the USA has fallen as a thunderbolt on our heads.
After the resolution was adopted in 2014, an independant international investigating team was constituted as per the resolution. But, the Sri Lankan Government did not allow the team to enter the island of Sri Lanka, which was a slap on the face of the United Nations. But, the international community did not bother to implement the decision taken in the Human Rights Council.
Alas! This is the miserable destiny of Tamils in this world.
We would make an earnest appeal to the Government of United States of America to reconsider any such decision as stated by the Asst. Secretary and initiate measures in the ensuing Human Rights Council meeting to adopt meaningful resolution to more effetively conduct International Independent Investigation about the Crime of genocide of Tamils and render justice to the ill-fated Tamils of Sri Lanka and punish the Sri Lankan Government for the crime of genocide.
I have enclosed herewith a copy of the resolution adopted in the Massachusettes Parliament also the declaration of the Governor of Massachusetts and the proclamation of the Mayor of city of Samerville.
With regards,
Yours Sincerely,
(VAIKO)
Enclosure
1. The resolution adopted in the Common Wealth of Massachusetts Parliament
2. The declaration of the Governer of Massachusetts
3. The Proclamation of the Mayor of City of Somerville
Marumalarchi Micheal
Oman MDMK Internet Wing
I am Vaiko, the General Secretary of MDMK Party, invited by the Federal Government of USA as a Member of the International Visitor Programme in the year 1998 and I got the privilege to meet the Governor of Pennsylvania, Mr. Tom Ridge and Senators belonging both the Democratic and Republican Party, to whom I have explained the serious ethnic problem of Eelam Tamil nationals in the island of Sri Lanka.
When I visited USA in the year 2008, I got the privilege of meeting Mr. Barack Obama at Sheraton Hotel in Chicago on 12th July 2008 and I presented the book penned by me under the caption ‘Yes We can’, which narrates the political biography of Mr Barack Obama and also the history of emancipation of blacks in USA and South Africa.
I am a great admirer of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy for their valuable contribution to champion the cause of human rights and democracy.
The statement made by Nishi Desai Biswal, an American citizen of Indian origin, Assistant Secretary of the State dealing the affairs of South Asia has made ruthless unjustifiable arrogant statement about the ethnic problem of Tamils in the island of Sri Lanka that the issue of war crimes will be subjected to domestic investigation by the Sri Lankan itself and the Government of USA will be engaged with Sri Lankan Government to deal the issue of governance of Sri Lanka.
If this version of Nishi Biswal is the official version of the Government of USA, it will be the worst somersault ever committed by the USA Government in the matter of foreign affairs. The very same US Government took a position in March 2014, when the serious matter of war crimes committed by the Government of Sri Lanka was deliberated in the Human Rights Council. USA alongwith other four countries moved a resolution that the grave issue of war crimes and violation of human rights in the island of Sri Lanka, committed by the Sri Lankan Government will be investigated by an independent international body.
That resolution was adopted with the support of many countries, despite the fact that India and Pakistan abstained in the voting.
We, 75 million Tamils in the state of Tamilnadu, India, and 25 million Tamils all over the world, heaved a sigh of relief with the confidence that the Sri Lankan Government who committed the barbarous crime of genocide massacring hundreds of thousands of innocent Tamils including children and women will be put in the dock of International Criminal Court and punished by the international community.
We did hope that the Tamils of the North and East of the island, the original inhabitants would be able to live in dignity and honour ending the days of oppression and torture.
To put it in a nutshell about the genesis of the ethnic problem, the past history of the Tamils has to be taken note off.
The Tamils of the North and East of the island of Sri Lanka, had their own, independent, sovereign nation for thousands of years with a glorious civilisation. Only after the arrival of the Portuguese, Dutch and then the British, the Tamil race was subjugated alongwith the Sinhalese, both were brought together under one umbrella for administrative convenience. When the British left on 4th February 1948, the Tamils were tied under the rule of Sinhalese. One million Tamils of Indian origin, who brought prosperity to the island with their sweat of brow in the 18th and 19th centuries, were disenfranchised and thrown as stateless people, never happened anywhere in the world,
The Tamils of the North and East were discriminated in education, employment and almost in every walk of life by the Government of Sri Lanka.
The Tamils under the dynamic leadership of Thanthai Selva, who was called Gandhi of Eelam, launched peaceful agitation to get justice for Tamils who could live in dignity and honour. But, that was suppressed by the bayonets and bullets of Police and Army of Sri Lankan Government.
Two pacts were entered between the Sri Lankan Government and Thanthai Selva, which were unilaterally abrogated and thrown into the dust bin by the Sri Lankan Government.
The places of worship of Tamils, temples and churches were desecrated and destroyed by the Sinhalese thugs supported by the army.
Under these circumstances, the great Tamil leader Selva, convened all the Tamil outfits in a conference at Vaddukkottai on 14th May 1976and declared adopting the famous ‘Vaddukkottai Resolution’ echoeing the sentiments of Philadelphia declaration that the Tamils of the North and East will constitute a sovereign, independent, secular nation and he gave a clarion call to the Tamil youths to spearhead the fight for independant Eelam nation.
Under these circumstances, the Tamil youth under the ebullient leadership of Velupillai Prabakaran, resorted to armed struggle, a phenomenon witnessed in the liberation of many nations.
The preamble of the universal declaration of human rights adopted on 10th December 1948, clearly states as follows,
Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and opperession, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,
(Pinanku prakadanam..)
Rape, murder plunder by the Sri Lankan armed forces was the order of the day. The great Tamil library in Jaffna was burnt to ashes by the Sinhala forces in the year 1981.
The most shocking massacre took place in 1983 when the 53 tamil prisoners of Velikadai Prison were slaughtered and thousands of Tamils were killed and the dead bodies were thrown in the road side.
In this background, it would be very appropriate to submit the unanimous resolution adopted by the Massachusettes Commonwealth of USA in the year 1981, the declaration of the Governor of the state May 22, 1979 as Eelam Day.
The Resolution:
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
In The Year of One Thousand Nine Hundred and Seventy Nine
Resolution Memorialising the President and the Congress to Recognize the Right of Self Determination by the Tamil people of Tamil Eelam
Whereas, the Tamils of Eelam, who number three million Hindus, Christians and Moslems occupy eight thousand square miles live as an oppressed minority in Sri Lanka where the majority is composed of ten million Sinhalese, most of whom are Buddhists, and
Whereas, from ancient times two nations the Sinhalese and the Tamils possessed distinct languages, religions, cultures and clearly demarcated geographic territories until the British who were characteristically oblivious to the differences between these two separate nations, imposed one rule for the purpose of colonial administrative unification, and
Whereas, as was to be expected in 1948 when the British left the island and two unwilling nations were consequently left under a unitary governmental structure, the majority Sinhalese faction subverted democratic principles to become the new masters of the Tamil - speaking people, and
Whereas, in 1956 the Government passed the Official Language Act which made the Sinhalese dialect the only oficial Language throughout the island, thereby causing severe hardships to several thousand Tamils public servants and migration to foreign lands, and effectively excluding otherwise qualified Tamils from the public service; and
Whereas, one million Tamils on the tea and rubber plantations, who prior to independence and enjoyed rights similar to those possessed by other ceylonese, were disenfranchised and made stateless, and
Whereas, although the plantation Tamils were the descendants of Indians who were brought to ceylon more than one hundred years ago by the seemingly ubiquitous British planters, and as such were mostly native sri lankans who possessed no relationship with the india from which their ancestors sailed, in 1964 the government inhumanely and callously determined to repatriate compulsorily these Tamils, ordering them to depart the land of their birth, and
Whereas, in 1975 foreign-owned estates were Nationalized, compelling scores of evicted Tamil workers to become beggars; and
Whereas, Nationalizing schools in 1960-61. the Government directed its discriminatory polices against non-Buddhist education as well as the Tamils, for most of the educational institutions in Tamils areas were owned by the Roman Catholic Chruch and the missionaries of sundry protestant denominations; and
Whereas, manu Tamils medium schools in Sinhalese majority districts were closed and reopened as Sinhalese institutions, thereby forcing Tamils missionaries of sundry protestant denominations; and
Whereas, Many Tamil medium schools in Sinhalese Majority districts were closed and reopened as Sinhalese institutions, thereby forcing Tamils to study in the Sinhalese medium; and
Whereas, in 1971 a system of standardization of grades was introduced by the Govenrmnent to provide preferential treatment for Sinhalese students and to exclude Tamils mediaum scholars, a prejudicial scheme which was deliberately concocted to denymerits as the criterion for University admissions; and
Whereas, successive Sinhala governments have been guilty of racism and acts of racial discrimination against the Tamils in the fields of education, employment, religion, politics, economic development and trade, and
Whereas, from time to time violence is used it the Sinhala governments, army and the police against the Tamils without provocation as a political weapon in order to obtain subservience and
Whereas, in 1972 the representatives of the Sinhala and Tamil nation met together and peacefully overthrew British sovereignty and thereby each nation resuscitated, and reverted to, its own sovereignty, and
Whereas, a new constitution, which reiterated that foremost place should be accorded to the buddhist religion and the Sinhalese language. was unilaterally adopted without the cooperation or consultation with the majority of the Tamil representatives in parliament, and
Whereas, the Tamil nation of Eelam at the general election of may 1977 gave a clear mandate for the restoration and reconstitution of the separate sovereign state of Tamil Eelam by winning 18 out of 19 Tamil seats in Tamil Eelam, and
Whereas, the Tamil people were again not a party to the constitution of 1978 which replaced its predecessor of 1972, and
Whereas, the Tamil nation of Eelam opposed the two constitutions as illegal impositions on them and their territory and asserted their right of self determination and sovereignty by non violent agitations, and
Whereas, the Sinhala government of Sri Lanka has occupied the territory of Tamil Eelam with its armed forces and security services and are denying the right of self-determination and sovereignty of the Tamil nation by the use of force on Tamil people, and
Whereas, the Tamil United Liberation Front which received the mandate of the Tamil people at the may 1977 general election for the separate sovereign Tamil state is continuing the struggle for freedom by non-violent ways preached and practised by Mahatma Gandhi and by the late leader of Tamil nation, S.J.V. Chelvanayagam,
Therefore
Resolved, that the Massachusetts House of Representatives hereby urges the President and the Congress of the United States to support the struggle for freedom by the Tamil nation for the restoration and reconstitution the separate sovereign state of Tamil Eelam and to recognize publicly the right of self determination by the Tamil people of Tamil Eelam, and be it further resolved,
that copies of these resolutions be forwarded to the President of the United States, to the Presiding Officer of each branch of Congress, to the members thereof from this Commonwealth, to the Secretary of State, to the Director of the World Bank and to the Secretary General of the United Nations.
House of Representatives, adopted May 10, 1979
Speaker of the House
Clerk of the House
Representative Marie Elizabeth Howe
Edward J.King the Governor of the Common wealth of Massachusetts made a proclamation on 16th may 1979 declaring 22 nd May 1979 as EELAM TAMILS DAY as follows,
Whereas: The Tamils of Eelam live as an oppressed minority in Sri Lanka; and
Whereas: From ancient times Sri Lanka has had two nations. The Sinhalese and the Tamils with distinct language, religions, cultures and clearly demarcated geographic territories; and
Whereas: In 1948 the two nations were left under a unitary gorernmental structure; and
Whereas: Immediately after independence, one million Tamils in the tea and rubber plantation were disenfranchised and made stateless. These Tamils prior to independence had enjoyed similar rights as other Sri Lankans; and
Whereas: In 1956, the official language Act made Sinhalese the only offical language throughout the entire island, causing severe hardship to several thousands of Tamils public servants and migration to foreign lands; and
Whereas: In 1964 the Government decided to compulsorily repatriate plantation Tamils to India. These Tamils were the decendents of Indians, brought more than 100 years ago as plantation workers, most of whom were born in Sri Lanka and never had any relationship with India; and
Whereas: A new constitution was unilaterally adopted without any co-operation or consultation with the majority of the Tamil representatives in parliament; and
Whereas: The Tamil people were again not party to the constitution of 1978, which replace its predecessor of 1972;
Now, therefore, I Edward J.King, Governor of the commonwealth to take cognizance of this day and to participate fittingly in its obsevance.
Given the Executive Chamber in Boston, this sixteenth day of May, in the year of out Lord, one thousand nine hundred and seventy-nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America, the two hundred and third.
By the Excellency the Governor Edward J.king
Michael Joseph Connolly, Secretary of the Commonwealth.
The mayor of the city SOMERVILLE, Massachusetts, Eugene C.Brune. Brune proclamies May 22nd as Eelam Tamils day which is quoted as follows.
“Now therefore, I Eugene C.Brune, Mayor of the City of Somerville do hereby proclaim May, 22nd as Eelam Tamils Day in the City of Somerville and Urge all citizens to Island of Ceylon and the recognize the right of self-determination of the Tamils people of Tamils Eelam in the Island of Ceylon and the right of soverignity of the Tamils Nation over the territory of Tamils Eelam and urge the President and Congress of the United States to support the Struggle for freedom by the Tamil National for the restoration and reconstitution for the separate sovereign State of Tamil Eelam.”
In the year 1987, the Indian Government headed by Mr. Rajiv Gandhi, entered into an accord with Sri Lanka, which was thrust on the Tamils against their will.
The Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) was deployed in the island, which instead of protecting the Tamils, colluded with the Sinhalese forces to suppress the Tamils.
In 1990, when the National Front Government was formed in India, the IPKF was withdrawn. The Government of Sri Lanka, accumulated military weapons getting from many countries and launched the military attacks in Tamil areas in 1995.
Five hundereds thousands of Tamils were uprooted from Jaffna and had to flee towards the jungles. The then Pope John Paul -II of Vatican made an appeal to the international community to provide solace and succour to the suffering Tamils of Sri Lanka.
The then General Secretary of the United Nations, Mr Boutros Boutros Ghali, made a similar appeal.
Under the leadership of legendary Prabakaran, LTTE forces made glorious sacrifices and fought the Sri Lankan forces defeating them in important battles, particularly at Elephant Pass.
In the year 2000 after gaining spectacular victory at Elephant Pass, the LTTE unilaterally declared ceasefire for thirty days on 24th December, the eve of Christmas, which was extended again for thirty days. Then the Sri Lankan Government responded the ceasefire.
The Norwegian Government initiated the talks between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, which took place in Thailand, Geneva and Japan in the year 2003, which was sabotaged by the then President of Sri Lanka, Madam Chandrika Kumaratunge. Situation got darkened in the year 2004, when the UPA Government took charge in India, which provided all logistic military support to the racist Sinhala Government headed by Mahinda Rajapakse, since 2005.
Sri Lankan Air Force bombed the Tamil areas using chemical bombs banned by UN.
In the name of fighting the LTTE, innocent Tamils, men, women, children were mercilessly killed. International Press were not at all allowed to enter the island. Four Tamil members of Sri Lankan Parliament were shot dead in cold blood in the streets.
The editor of Sunday Observer, Lasantha Wickramatunge, a sinhalese, who exposed the crime of Tamil genocide by the Sri Lankan army was shot dead as he forewarned.
61 innocent girl children were slaughtered at the Chencholai orphanage by the straffing of Sri Lankan Air-force on 14th August 2006.
17 innocent Tamil volunteers, who served the French NGO to help the Sunami victims were shot dead at point-blank range on 8th August 2006.
Mr Joseph Pararajasingam, a Tamil Member of Parliament, was cruelly gunned down when he was offering prayers in the catholic church on the Christmas 24th December 2006.
Things worsened right from 1st January of 2009.
Getting military assistance from India, Pakistan, China, Iran and Israel, Sri Lankan armed forces defeated the LTTE and killed more than 150,000 innocent Tamils in the month of May 2009, particularly on 17th and 18th of May.
The urgent meeting of the Human Rights Council was held at Geneva, in the last week of May 2009 at the initiative of the Government of Germany. As a rude shock, the Council adopted a resolution, commending the role of the Rajapakse Government of Sri Lanka.
The atrocious resolution was engineered by Cuba and India to praise the killers.
In Tamilnadu, the southern state of India, 19 Tamil youths committed self immolation, sacrificing their lives to protect the Eelam Tamils to awaken the conscience of international community., to protect the Tamils and punish the guilty Sri Lankan Government.
The General Secretary of the United Nations, Mr. Ban-ki-Moon, constituted a three member panel to investigate the violations of human rights and war crimes in Sri Lanka in April 2010.
The three member panel headed by Marzuki Tarusman made a thorough investigation in Sri Lanka and submitted its report, which contains the evidence of slaughter and massacre of Tamils by the Sri Lankan armed forces.
We, Tamils have been demanding that there should be an independant international investigation about the crime of genocide of Tamils committed by the Sri Lankan armed forces.
We have demanded that the army deployed in the North and East of the island should be withdrawn; the forced sinhalese settlements in the traditional Tamil homeland should be vacated; the Tamils detained in prisons should be released.
The only genuine solution to the ethnic problem of Sri Lanka could be done by conducting referendum in the north and east on the question of sovereign Eelam nation, under the supervision of United Nations and also to conduct simultaneously referendum among the Tamil diaspora in the countries where do they live.
When referendum conducted in Scotland, why not in Eelam?
This is a genuine question to be answered by the international community.
When we Tamils have been fighting to get justice and also expecting justice in the Human Rights Council, the statement made by the Assistant Secretary of the USA has fallen as a thunderbolt on our heads.
After the resolution was adopted in 2014, an independant international investigating team was constituted as per the resolution. But, the Sri Lankan Government did not allow the team to enter the island of Sri Lanka, which was a slap on the face of the United Nations. But, the international community did not bother to implement the decision taken in the Human Rights Council.
Alas! This is the miserable destiny of Tamils in this world.
We would make an earnest appeal to the Government of United States of America to reconsider any such decision as stated by the Asst. Secretary and initiate measures in the ensuing Human Rights Council meeting to adopt meaningful resolution to more effetively conduct International Independent Investigation about the Crime of genocide of Tamils and render justice to the ill-fated Tamils of Sri Lanka and punish the Sri Lankan Government for the crime of genocide.
I have enclosed herewith a copy of the resolution adopted in the Massachusettes Parliament also the declaration of the Governor of Massachusetts and the proclamation of the Mayor of city of Samerville.
With regards,
Yours Sincerely,
(VAIKO)
Enclosure
1. The resolution adopted in the Common Wealth of Massachusetts Parliament
2. The declaration of the Governer of Massachusetts
3. The Proclamation of the Mayor of City of Somerville
Marumalarchi Micheal
Oman MDMK Internet Wing
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