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Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam

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Provisional Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam
நாடு கடந்த தமிழீழ அரச
Formation17 May 2010
PurposeThe creation of an independent state called Tamil Eelam
Official language
Tamil
Coordinator
Visvanathan Rudrakumaran
Main organ
Transnational Constituent Assembly of Tamil Eelam
Websitegovtamileelam.org

The Provisional Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (PTGTE) is an organization formed by remnants of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Tamil Tigers) with the support of ethnic Tamils settled abroad [1] which aims to create an independent Tamil state called Tamil Eelam in the north and east of Sri Lanka. The PTGTE and Tamil Eelam have no official status or recognition by any state or authority. The PTGTE has been called a "ploy to perpetuate terrorism" by the government of Sri Lanka.[2] For its part, the PTGTE has maintained that it is a democratic organization, and intends to use soft power and not military power to its end.[3].

Formed following the defeat of the Tamil Tigers and the end of the Sri Lankan Civil War, the PTGTE is based internationally, including in the USA, Canada, Norway and the UK. Its chairman is Visvanathan Rudrakumaran.[4][5] Global elections were amongst Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora communities in May 2010 to elect members to the first Transnational Constituent Assembly of Tamil Eelam, the first step towards the formation of the PTGTE.

Background

Main articles: Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism and Sri Lankan Civil War

Policies adopted by the Sinhalese dominated government of Sri Lanka following independence from Britain in 1948 resulted in the growth of Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism and demand for autonomy for the Tamils.[6] The failure to achieve this demand resulted in the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), the main political party representing the Tamils, calling for "an independent sovereign, secular, socialist State of Tamil Eelam" in its 1977 election manifesto. This was endorsed the Tamil people who voted overwhelmingly for the TULF. However, the failure of the Tamil political parties to achieve autonomy resulted in some Tamils forming militant groups such as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Tamil Tigers). By 1983 full scale civil war had broken out between the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan government. Over the next three decades the Sri Lankan civil war became one of the deadliest and most brutal in the world. The civil war came to an end in May 2009 when the Sri Lankan military defeated the Tamil Tigers. Up to 100,000 people had been killed and many hundreds of thousands made refugees abroad and at home.[7]

After the end of the war the international community[who?] urged the Sri Lankan government to address "the legitimate concerns and aspirations of the Tamil people".[8] A year after the end of the civil war the Sri Lankan government has made little effort to address the Tamil grievances, choosing instead to pursue economic development.[9][10]

In March 2010 the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the successor to the TULF, dropped its demands for an independent Tamil Eelam but continues to demand greater autonomy through federalism.[11] The TNA's change of policy is believed to be a pragmatic one based on the reality of the political situation in Sri Lanka: the Tamil Tigers have been defeated, the Sri Lankan government/military have the support of the regional super powers (China, India and Pakistan), there is no international support for independence and it is illegal in Sri Lanka to support separatism.[11][12] However, the TNA's watered down demands are still a lot more than what the Sri Lankan government is prepared to give.[11]

PTGTE

After the end of the civil war the concept of a Provisional Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam was proposed as a non-violent political mechanism to fulfil the aspirations of many Tamils living abroad and in Sri Lanka. Initially it was Selvarasa Pathmanathan, who had become leader of the Tamil Tigers after Velupillai Prabhakaran had been killed by the Sri Lankan Army, who proposed that a government in exile be established.

Advisory Committee

In June 2009 an Advisory Committee on the Formation of a Provisional Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam was established "to explore the modalities for the establishment of a Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam, and to recommend the objectives that should be achieved by such a Transnational Government".

The advisory committee consisted of many experts from different countries.

  • Muthucumaraswamy Sornarajah[13], Ph.D./LL.D. (University of London, UK)
  • Francis Boyle[14], Ph.D./J.D. (Harvard University, USA), Professor of International Law, USA
  • P. Ramasamy, (Malaysia)
  • A.J.C Chandrakanthan, (Canada)
  • Nadarajah Sriskandarajah, Ph.D. (University of Sydney, Australia), Professor of Environmental Communication, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden
  • Murugar Gunasingham, Ph.D.
  • Sivanendran Seevanayagam
  • A.L. Vasanthakumar
  • Karen Parker
  • Nagalingam Jeyalingam, M.D. (USA)
  • Selva Sivarajah
  • Paul Williams
  • Peter Schalk[15], Ph.D. Lund University (Religion)/University Gothenburg (Indology), Professor of History of Religion, Uppsala University, Sweden

The advisory committee published its final report in March 2010.

Transnational Constituent Assembly of Tamil Eelam

Further information: Transnational Constituent Assembly of Tamil Eelam election 2010

One of the main recommendations of the advisory committee was that a Transnational Constituent Assembly of Tamil Eelam be formed consisting of 135 members. Of these, 115 would be elected and the remaining 20 shall consist of delegates selected by the elected assembly to represent regions where elections aren't feasible.

The distribution of the 115 elected representatives is: Australia 10; Benelux 3; Canada 25; Denmark 3; Finland 1; France 10; Germany 10; Ireland 1; Italy 3; New Zealand 2; Norway 3; South Africa 3; Sweden 1; Switzerland 10; UK 20; and USA 10.

The distribution of the 20 appointed delegates is: Caribbean & South America 1; India 5; Malaysia 3; Mauritius 1; Middle East 2; Oceania 1; Rest of Africa 1; Rest of Asia 1; Rest of Europe 1; Singapore 2; and South Africa 2.

Working groups were established in countries with significant diaspora communities to organise elections. Elections were held in May 2010 and the following were elected:

  • Australia - Janani Balachandran; Dominic Savio Santhiapillai; Eliyathamby Selvanathan; Thuraisingam Shanmugananthakumar; and Apiramy Visuvanathan.
  • Canada - Joe Antony; Pon Balarajan; M. K. Eelaventhan; Sivasothy Jeyamathy; Nagendra Katpana; Esan Kulasekaram; Suren Mahendran; Mokanasingham Markandu; Bhuvan-Endra Nadarajah; Niruthan Nagalingam; Maharajah Nanthakumar; Tharani Prapaharan; Vanitha Rajendram; Suresh Ratnabalan; Muthukumarasamy Ratna; Balan Ratnarajah; Sam Sangarasivam; Iyampillai Shanmuganathan; Ram Sivalingam; Luxan Sivapragasapillai; Sothinathan Sumughan; Kanthiah Theiventhiran; Thiru S. Thiruchelvam; Waran Vaithilingam; and Mariampillai Anjalo Yogendran.
  • Denmark - Sukenthini Nimalanathan; Maheswaran Ponnampalam; and Remmon Washington.
  • France - Subashini Kuruparanathan; Balachandran Nagalingam; Sasikumar Saravanamuththu; and Krishanth Tharmendran.
  • Germany - Rajaratnam Jeyachandran; Vithiya Jeyasangar; and Renuga Logeswaran.
  • New Zealand - K. S. Naguleswaran and Theva Rajan.
  • Norway - Jeyasri Balasubramaniam; Murali Sivanandan; and Sivakanesan Thillaiampalam.
  • Switzerland - Thayananth Alvaipillai; Baskaralingam Mahalingam; Sukinthan Murugaiah; Suganya Puthirasigamani; Mahenthirampillai Sellathurai; Jeyam Selvarajah; Rajinithevi Sinnathamby; Balan Sivapatham; Srisajeetha Sivarajah; and Suntharalingam Virakathi.
  • United Kingdom - Arththy Arumugam; Jeyavani Atchuthan; Senathirajah Jeyanandamoorthy; Shanmuganathan Kaviraj; Sasithar Maheswaran; Nicholas Manoranjan; Deluxon Morris; Balambigai Murugadas; Karan Murugavel; Lalithasorubiny Pratheeparaj; Janarthanan Pulenthiran; and Selvarajah Sellathurai.
  • United States of America - Alex Doss; Gerard Francis; Jeyaprakash Jeyalingam; Prabharan Ponnuthurai; Visvanathan Rudrakumaran; Siva Sangary; Ranjan Selva; Shan Sundaram; Suba Suntharalingam; and Thave Thavendrarajah.

The inaugural assembly is to meet between 17 May 2010 and 19 May 2010 at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, USA.

See also

References

  • "A Booklet on the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam" (PDF). Committee for the Formation of a Provisional Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam. 15 September 2009.
  • "Formation of a Provisional Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam: Final report based on the study by the Advisory Committee" (PDF). Committee for the Formation of a Provisional Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam. 15 March 2010.
  1. ^ http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/srilanka/Lanka-asks-Europe-not-to-support-LTTE-remnants/Article1-544056.aspx
  2. ^ "Transnational Eelam Govt ploy to perpetuate terrorism". The Nation, Sri Lanka. 16 May 2010.
  3. ^ Advisory Committee Report on Formation of PTGTE (PDF) (Report). {{cite report}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  4. ^ Haviland, Charles (15 September 2009). "Tamil exiles to form 'government'". BBC News.
  5. ^ "Tamils proposed Provisional "Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (PTGTE)"". UKTamilNews.com. 20 September 2009.
  6. ^ "Sri Lanka country profile". BBC News.
  7. ^ "Up to 100,000 killed in Sri Lanka's civil war: UN". ABC Australia. 20 May 2009.
  8. ^ "Geneva, 19 May 2009 - Joint Press Conference held by UN Secretary-General and World Health Organization Director-General, Margaret Chan". United Nations. 19 May 2009.
  9. ^ Burke, Jason (4 April 2010). "Tamils want an end to Sri Lanka discrimination after election". The Guardian.
  10. ^ Dayasri, Gomin (16 February 2010). "Tamil Grievances –Untouched & Unattended". Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka).
  11. ^ a b c Burke, Jason (14 March 2010). "Sri Lankan Tamils drop demand for separate independent homeland". The Guardian, UK.
  12. ^ Haviland, Charles (13 March 2010). "Sri Lanka Tamil party drops statehood demand". BBC News. Retrieved 23 March 2010.
  13. ^ http://law.nus.edu.sg/faculty/staff/staffcv/sornarajahcv2009.pdf
  14. ^ http://www.law.uiuc.edu/faculty-admin/documents/vitae/boyle.pdf
  15. ^ http://w1.182.telia.com/~u18211204/
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