TNA was formed by LTTE & contested December 2004 elections

 

 

In 2004, TNA manifesto boasted of securing a Tamil Nation for self-determinationled “under the generalship of the Tigers’ leader Hon. Pirapaharan”.It truly presented who TNA is and what their line of thinking is. It was as a result of the ISGA proposals collapsing and the President taking over the Ministries of Defense, Interior & Information that necessitated elections on 4 April 2004. The TNA manifesto reveals TNA to be nothing but Tiger Nominated Agents.

 

In 2004 too TNA refers to ‘our resolve for self-determination’ a ‘Tamil Nation’and claims that it had its own ‘traditional homeland, sovereignty & rule’.These are mere rhetoric that cannot be substantiated with facts. If it was lost after arrival of European aggressors, just like the British signed the Kandyan Convention with the Sinhale Nation, if the so-called Tamil Nation was independent, why didn’t the British sign a Convention similar to the Kandyan Convention with this supposed “independent Tamil Nation”?

 

The ITAK was formed in 1949 months after Sri Lanka became a dominion republic in 1948. The ITAK aim & objective for a Tamil State has no foundation for grievance because the island had been under rule of foreign powers since 1505. Colonial suppression & discrimination was mostly against the majority not the minorities. These are historically well documented too. Why was ITAK formed in 1949 with aim for a Tamil Nation? Who encouraged this barely months after independence?

 

It is interesting that at no time during colonial rule did the Tamil political parties demand a Tamil Nation or self-determination from even the British.

The 50-50 demand was a disproportionate demand which the British rejected.

At the time of independence, there were far more Indian laborers living in Sri Lanka than the nomenclature of Ceylon Tamils coined in 1911. Census statistics will prove this.

 

The TNA refers to 1957 – this was the Social Disabilities Act which enabled low caste Tamils for the first time to enter school and obtain education which they had been denied by the high castes because of the rigid caste system.

 

In fact, the Tamil high class/caste objected to the 1957 Social Disabilities Act far more than the 1956 Official language Act. This is proved by the fact that Tamil leaders travelled by ship braving rough seas to UK to beg the Privy Council to annul the Social Disabilities Act. They did no such tour against the 1956 official language act. So the Tamil leaders opposed their own people gaining education because they were low caste more than opposing the official language act. This clearly highlights hypocrisies of these Tamil leaders.

 

TNA refrains from mentioning Vaddukoddai Resolution in its 2004 manifesto but only refers to the signing of this Pact on 14 May 1976 calling to ‘establish a sovereign independent Tamil Eelam based on our inalienable right to self-determination’.

It was with this slogan that the TULF went to elections in 1977 and won with an overwhelming support. This very bluntly admits to the final objective of the TNA as well.

 

Can TNA present examples of ‘genocidal attacks on the Tamil people’It is time TNA was challenged to provide evidence.

TNA must also explain if genocide is taking place how is the Tamil population increasing & not reducing?

TNA must be subject to penal code violation for defamatory rhetoric dividing communities.

 

TNA justifies LTTE militancy in its 2004 manifesto

“in order to safeguard the life and liberty of the Tamil race and to establish its birthright for self-determination, the Tamil Nation having been pushed to the unavoidable state of armed conflict as the only way, the war not only broadened but advanced under the generalship of the Tigers’ leader Hon. Pirapaharan”

 

TNA admits to links with LTTE in its 2004 manifesto

“our people have demonstrated such determination and sacrifice for the ideals in the face of numerous hardships and the loss of nearly one lakh of lives and because of the legendary bravery, sacrifices and exploits of our heroes and fighters”– obviously this is referring to LTTE dead which TNA wishes to continuously mourn and not Tamils killed by LTTE.

 

TNA & 2001 Cease Fire Agreement brokered by Norway

The CFA was signed on 22 February 2002.

TNA mentions in its 2004 manifesto that LTTE approved the CFA.

 

TNA & Secretariat for Immediate Humanitarian & Rehabilitation Needs (SIHRN)

TNA 2004 manifesto says SIHRN was a failure and justified LTTE’s proposal for the ISGA – Interim Self-Governing Authority which was submitted on 31 October 2003.

It is self-evident that TNA and LTTE agreed on its clauses & demands.

 

When TNA 2004 manifesto states

‘LTTE requested the Sri Lankan government to appoint a date for the commencement of talks on these proposals”this question where TNA stood vis a vis these talks?

Was TNA part of LTTE or simply allowing LTTE to do the negotiations on behalf of them?

 

TNA refers to LTTE’s ‘determination to pursue the course of peace’– What Peace!

Since signing of the CFA in February 2002, LTTE killed over 50 military intelligence informants/officers, carried out recruitment including that of child soldiers and used the ‘peace’ to regroup – re-equip and re-structure itself.

 

TNA mention that “LTTE not only has fully 70 regions in the Tamil people’s traditional homeland under its complete control and is managing an administrative set up with characteristic features of a state government but also has a functioning government”.

TNA is virtually endorsing LTTE’s defacto terrorist rule!

 

The TNA continuously refers to‘Sinhala chauvinist parties’– the best way to respond to this is to refer the elections department list of registered political parties – 16 of these 70 registered parties are Tamil while only 2 parties have a Sinhala name.

 

TNA makes 3 mention of ‘Sinhala Nation’ and 4 mention of ‘Sinhala chauvinist’ in their 2004 manifesto, which is far from the truth. Every government that has been elected to power has had minority representation. It is only parties like TNA that contest on behalf of ONLY Tamils but do not even look into the needs of all Tamils as can be deduced from their performance in the Northern Provincial Council from 2013 onwards.

 

TNA in 2004 places 4 resolutions as a platform to seeking Tamil mandate

 

1. A Political Solution to the Tamil National problem based onthe acceptance of the fundamental proposals regarding Tamil Nation’s Tamil Homeland, Tamil Nation, Tamil’s right to self-government (autonomy)– basically seeking a sovereign state

 

2. TNA’s position on the political solution to the Tamil national problem vis a vis Muslims as Muslims speak Tamil as mother tongue and says ISGA proposals by LTTE takes cognizance of Muslim security, culture & economy. TNA says that LTTE in its ISGA proposal includes Muslim members to the NorthEast (how soon Muslims have forgotten how LTTE killed Muslims)

 

3. TNA says “the Sinhala Nation should accept the ideas developed in the ISGA document put forward by the LTTE which contains excellent proposals ……. on their welfare, respecting human rights and conforming to the rule of law, and proceed to hold talks with the LTTE and set up the ISGA committee”(TNA virtually endorses LTTE’s ISGA proposals)

 

4. TNA demands removal of ‘high security zones and armed forces camps which are located in areas populated by Tamils disregarding their welfare”…TNA says, “priority is given to strategic interests of warfare”should be removed and “arrangements made for the Tamil people to return & settle in their places of residence”

 

5. TNA demands that the “armed forces’ interdiction and oppression imposed must be lifted comprehensively to enable the Tamil people to carry on the activities needed for their livelihood and to move freely in their homeland”

 

6. TNA seeks international communityto ‘step forward and directly assist in the pressing humanitarian needs, and economic development schemes and improve the economic life of the Tamil nation’.

 

7. TNA demands release of ‘political prisoners unreasonably held in jail for years’(implication to release LTTE detainees)

 

8. TNA demands an ‘international judicial inquiry’ to ‘deliver justice to our people and to the relatives who are burdened with the unbearable sorrow of not knowing the fate of those innocents who disappeared after having been arrested by the armed forces and police in our homeland’

 

9. TNA demands ‘all provisions of the Cease-Fire Agreements must be completely fulfilled and peace and normalcy should prevail in our homeland”

 

10. TNA says the“LTTE has for the past two years put up with the violent, surly behavior of the armed forces without impairing the conditions for peace & observing the ceasefire and acting steadfastly and firmly towards the path of peace”. Oh yes, LTTE were angels who killed over 50 intelligence officers, recruited Tamil children and under cover of peace regrouped and re-equipped. TNA appeals to the international community to ‘create the environment by removing restrictions put in place by certain countries on the LTTE, the authentic sole representative of the Tamil people, so that they could with authority, dignity and with equal status conduct talks with the government of Sri Lanka.”What else can the TNA say.

 

This is what the TNA says of the LTTE in the tail of its 2004 manifesto

 

• TNA accepts “LTTE leadership as the National leadership of the Tamil Eelam Tamils”

 

• TNA accepts “LTTE as the sole and authentic representative of the Tamil people”

 

• TNA says it will “devote our full cooperation for the ideals of the Liberation Tigers’ struggle with honesty and steadfastness”.

 

• TNA implores Tamils to come together ‘collectively as one group, one nation, one country, transcending race & religious differences, under the leadership of the LTTE for a life of liberty, honor and justice for the Tamil people”(TNA were living in Colombo scared to travel to North under LTTE defacto rule)

 

• TNA says “let us work side by side with the LTTE who are fighting for the protection and autonomous life of the Tamil speaking people”(when did LTTE fight for Muslims)

 

This was how TNA sought mandate from the Tamils and asked them to vote for ITAK contesting under the house symbol for a ‘Tamil Nation’.

https://www.tamilnet.com/img/publish/2010/03/TNA_Election_Manifesto_2004pdf.pdf

 

In 2004, TNA received 633,203 votes obtaining 6.84%. This was the highest % and votes received by the TNA in all of the general elections it has contested since 2001.

In 2020, TNA received 327,168 votes – just 2.82%.

 

In 16 years TNA has lost 306,035 Tamil votes and that says much and should tell the diplomats lining up to meet TNA that they are going behind a political party that Tamils are also rejecting.

 

 

 

Shenali D Waduge