History of two nationsIn the island of

Srilanka Part 2 0f 2

SINHALATAMIL

Entire Tamil Nation rallied behind LTTE and carry out armed struggle for independence.

75,000 civilians died: 97% of them were Tamils, killed by the Sri Lankan armed forces.

Tamils sacrifice 18,000 youths to regain our lost sovereignty from Sri Lanka.

LTTE becomes a formidable Tamil military force and the sole-representatives of the Tamil people, regains control of significant areas of the North- East, and establishes civil administration services.

1983 – 2002

Tamil Nation behind LTTE

TAMIL NATIONAL MILITARY(LTTE)

a Conventional Tamil Armed Force.a Conventional Tamil Armed Force.(Ground Forces, Naval Force, Air Force, Police, Intelligence Service)(Ground Forces, Naval Force, Air Force, Police, Intelligence Service)

2002Norwegian-mediated ceasefire2002 February - Government and Tamil Tiger rebels

sign a Norwegian-mediated ceasefire. De-commissioning of weapons begins; the road

linking the Jaffna peninsula with the rest of Sri Lanka reopens after 12 years;

passenger flights to Jaffna resume. Government lifts ban on Tamil Tigers. Rebels drop demand for separate state.

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

20022002CeasefireCeasefire

Monitored by Scandinavian CountriesMonitored by Scandinavian Countries(Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission - SLMM)(Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission - SLMM)

Direct DialogueDirect Dialogue

Facilitated By the Royal Norwegian GovernmentFacilitated By the Royal Norwegian Government

22 February 2002 ceasefire agreement Signed between GOSL & LTTE

…forward defence localities (borders) have been established, the Sri Lankan armed forces and the Liberation Tigers’ fighting formations shall hold their ground positions…

…Neither Party shall engage in any offensive military operation nor shall move munitions, explosives or military equipment into the area controlled by the other Party.

“

”LTTE Northern Com. Col. Theepan &LTTE Northern Com. Col. Theepan &

SL Northern Com. Maj. Gen. Fonseka SL Northern Com. Maj. Gen. Fonseka

[at the northern FDL February 2002][at the northern FDL February 2002]

25 November 2002 THE OSLO DECLARATION:Signed between GOSL & LTTE

‘…the parties have agreed to explore a political solution founded on the principle of internal self-determination in areas of historical habitation of the Tamil-speaking people, based on a federal structure within a

united Sri Lanka.’

the following diplomats were at the ceremonythe following diplomats were at the ceremony

US Deputy Sec. of State Mr. Richard Armitage, US Deputy Sec. of State Mr. Richard Armitage, NorwegianNorwegian Foreign Minister Mr. Jan Petersen, Foreign Minister Mr. Jan Petersen, UK UK Sec. of State Ms. Claire short, Sec. of State Ms. Claire short, Japan Japan Special Envoy Mr.Yasusi AkashiSpecial Envoy Mr.Yasusi Akashi

LTTE’s Dr. Anton Balasingham,LTTE’s Dr. Anton Balasingham,GOSL’s Prof. G.L.eiris,GOSL’s Prof. G.L.eiris,

at the Oslo Conference, 25 Novemberat the Oslo Conference, 25 November 2002 2002

2002-2005BROKEN AGREEMENTS

1. Dissolving High Security Zones – Withdrawing military from Houses, School, Worshiping places (February 2002)

2. Sub-Committee for Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Needs in the North and East (SIHRN) (February 2002)

3. North East Reconstruction Fund (NERF) (November 2002)

4. Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) (31 October 2003)

5. Post Tsunami Operational Management Structure (PTOMS) (June 2005)

November 2005Election of President Rajapakse

Campaign promises:Campaign promises: NoNo recognition of Tamil Homeland or right to Self-Rule. recognition of Tamil Homeland or right to Self-Rule.

NoNo to Federal Solution to Federal Solution

NoNo to International Mediation to International Mediation

Rajapaksa was elected as President by the Majority of Sinhala people.

2005 Mahinda Rajapaksa, elected president

2005 November - Mahinda Rajapaksa, prime minister at the time, wins presidential elections. Most Tamils in areas controlled by the Tamil Tigers do not vote.

On unitary form of government pledge

Supported by Extremist Buddhist Monks Party (JHU),view Srilanka as a Sinhala-Buddhist nation, Burning Norway Flag

Associated Press Photo November 2005

November 2005November 2005Election of President Rajapakse

After the Election of President Rajapakse ESCALATION OF VIOLENCEby the SL Armed Forces and Government sponsored Paramilitary..

47 humanitarian workers were kidnapped and killed.

5 Tamil Parliamentarians were assassinated.

Many leading Tamil Journalists were murdered.

Hundreds of Tamils were abducted for ransom & killed.

17 Humanitarian Workers of a French NGO (AFC)Murdered by SL Army in an execution style on 5 August 2006

AUG 2006Ceasefire Monitoring mission- EXPELLED

Chief of the Ceasefire Monitoring mission

Maj. Gen. Ulf Henricsson :

"I have experienced this in the Balkans before. When you're not let in,

it's a sign that there's something they want to hide". [ Reuters; 12 Aug 2006]

SL government de-merged the Tamil Homeland. (North-East)

Sri Lanka government officially unilaterally abrogated Ceasefire Agreement from January 16, 2008

Sri Lanka government is intensifying a full scale war on the Tamil Homeland to impose Military Solution & calling it “War on Terror”

No credible political solution is under discussion by SL government. Tamil civilians being targeted: Disappearances, Daily aerial bombings, Road-side bombs, Shelling,

Extra-judicial killing.

Over 5000 Tamils have been killed since election in November 2005 to 2008.

Average of 7 Tamils killed daily

After Election of President Rajapakse: 2005 - 2008

Violence after Election of President Rajapakse

Targeted Killing of Tamil Civilians

Mother raped and killed. Children brutalized and Hanged. Father forced to see all these, and shot dead. (Venkalai, 9 June 2006)

Violence after Election of President Rajapakse

Targeted Killing of Tamil Civilians

A Government minister acknowledged it, and argued, “There is nothing wrong in killing future child soldiers”.

• Sri Lankan jets Sri Lankan jets bombed a bombed a children's home in children's home in MullaithivuMullaithivu

• 67 schoolgirls 67 schoolgirls and 7 teachers and 7 teachers were killedwere killed

• 129 were 129 were wounded whenwounded when

(14 August 2006)(14 August 2006)

2006 -2007 east of srilanka re-occupied by Sinhala army

2006 August - Tamil Tiger rebels and government forces resume fighting in the north-east in worst clashes since 2002 ceasefire. Government steadily drives Tamil Tigers out of eastern strongholds over following year

June 2007 forced expulsion of Tamils from Colombo

2007 June - Police force hundreds of Tamils out of the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, citing security concerns. Tamils are herded into state owned buses in the early hours of a morning and deported to Tamil Eelam.

A court orders an end to the expulsions.

Sinhala government pulls out of the 6 year old ceasefire agreement

2008 January – Sinhala Government pulls out of 2002 ceasefire agreement.

Begins expelling foreign NGOs to remove independent witnesses to the atrocities.

March2008- international panel, monitoring human rights abuses, leaves

2008 March - International panel, invited by the government to monitor investigations into human rights abuses, announces that it is leaving the country. Panel member Sir Nigel Rodley says the authorities were hindering its work. Sinhala Government rejects the criticism.

January 2009-Sinhala government captures Kilinochchi 2009 January – Sinhala

Government troops re-occupy the northern town of Kilinochchi, the administrative capital of Tamil Eelam

President Mahinda Rajapakse calls it an unparalleled victory and urges the LTTE to surrender.

Media reports on genocide The Associated Press23/02/09 Sri Lankans Who Escaped War

Zone Now Fenced In Sri Lankan civilians tell of

harrowing escapes from war zone, complain about government camps

By RAVI NESSMAN Associated Press WriterMANIK FARM, Sri Lanka February 23, 2009 (AP)

A Sri Lankan security personnel stands guard at a transit camp for ethnic Tamil civilians (AP)

BBC 02/03/09In a briefing to the UN Security Council a few days ago, its humanitarian chief, Sir John Holmes, said the restrictions on the movement of civilians into and out of the camps were unacceptable

Behind barbed wire

Canadian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs 05/03/09 The 37-year conflict raging in Sri Lanka was

borne out of "repressive" governments in Colombo, Canadian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs said Thursday.

"I am sure all Canadians share the government's revulsion at the continuing humanitarian catastrophe in Sri Lanka, a civil conflict born of a succession of repressive Sri Lankan governments, which in turn spawned the terrorist organization known as the Tamil Tigers," Kent told the House of Commons.

According to what the UN called credible sources, more than 2,800

civilians may have been killed and 7,000 others wounded in the fighting over the last two months.

Hundreds of children are believed to have died,

Ms Pillay said, and more than a

thousand have been injured.

genocidekillings and maiming , part of Sinhala Srilanka's strategy

reducing the population of Tamils is part of the Sinhala strategy

The conflict has killed an estimated 70,000 people, displaced thousands more and held back the growth and economic development of Tamil Eelam.

if this is not Genocide what is ?

Secretary Clinton calls president Rajapkse March 13 2009

Secretary Clinton called on President Rajapaksa to devise a political solution to the ongoing conflict.

urged the President to give international humanitarian relief organizations full access to the conflict area and displaced persons camps, including screening centers.

60 Years... The result: More than 100,000 Tamils Killed and Disappeared

More than 20,000 Tamil orphaned children

More than 35,000 Tamil widows

Hundreds of Thousands of schools, houses, hospitals, churches, temples, villages and livelihood destroyed.

More than 600,000 Tamils Internal Refugees

Nearly 1 Million Tamils made to flee the country

Fighting for Survival is NOT Terrorism…

If this is not ETHNIC CLEANSING, then what is?

BBC REPORT 13 March 2009

UN fears Sri Lanka 'war crimes'

UN High Commissioner of Human Rights Navi Pillay called on the two warring sides to suspend hostilities immediately in the island's north-east.

Describing the level of civilian deaths as "truly shocking", she warned it could reach "catastrophic" levels.

Kosovo & Tamil Eelam

What is good for Kosovo is good for Tamil Eelam

• When Portuguese took When Portuguese took possession of the island possession of the island in in 15051505 there were there were 3 3 KingdomsKingdoms

• Tamil KingdomTamil Kingdom in the in the North-East North-East - Tamil - Tamil Homeland - Homeland - (yellow) (yellow)

• Sinhalese KingdomsSinhalese Kingdoms in in the South-West (grey).the South-West (grey).

Reminding the History

Two nations in one island "Two different nations, from a very

ancient period, have divided between them the possession of the Island: the Sinhalese inhabiting the interior in its Southern and western parts from the river Wallouwe to Chilaw, and the Malabars (Tamils) who possess the Northern and Eastern Districts. These two nations differ entirely in their religion, language and manners."

Sir Hugh Cleghorn, British Colonial Secretary, June 1879

The Future… struggle?The conditions under which the Tamil nation agreed to live with the Sinhala nation under a

single constitution were unilaterally breached by the Sinhala nation using its majority. The Sinhala nation has time and again shown that it will continue to use its majority to oppress the Tamils and will expect the Tamils to accept what they thrust upon them.

As long as the Tamil Nation is occupied by the Sinhalese the Tamils will always be second class citizens in their own land. The Tamils refuse to be second class citizens in their our own land.

Tamils and Tamils alone will decide how we will be ruled.

We will fight until we win our freedom to rule ourselves by our own democratic will