Wednesday, September 30, 2009

1st transnational government (TNG) for Eezham Tamils.

Norwegian (TNG) for Eezham Tamils is the first of many and will become a proud member of the Global Tamil Forum
GTF

Melting pot of Eezham-Tamil democratic politics
While the idea of transnational government (TNG) is captivating the minds of Eezham Tamils, their public opinion should be watchful for political moves not slipping in concepts and terminologies and the organisation process maintaining absolute financial independence.
Democratically elected country councils widen, strengthen and secure the democratic structure of TNG and help it to evolve from bottom to top. The nation needs to explore models of structurally integrating country councils and bodies such as GTF in the apex body of TNG. Conducive atmosphere has to be created for wider participation of the society, youth and women. The trauma Eezham Tamils undergo, can be conquered by them only by innovatively engaging in action – this time democratic action – and by demonstrating their spirit unconquered.
It is heartening to notice how the paradigm of democratic politics and transnational governance has captivated the minds of Eezham Tamils especially in the diaspora, where the much-needed space deprived in Sri Lanka is available for innovation and rejuvenation.
Quite typical of any democratic exercise, as ideas pour in, debates take place and moves originate in a short span of hard-pressed time, it is not only common folk but even keen activists are confused. The widely felt concern is that such confusion should not pave way for manipulation and hijack of the cause by motley of forces tacitly united in nullifying identity, independence, sovereignty and national liberation of Eezham Tamils.
It is of paramount importance that the various global moves originating from the Eezham Tamil diaspora in political organization, economy, society and culture need to be perceived, orientated and coordinated coherently to produce desired results.
The following are put forward to the consideration of especially the diaspora, the public opinion of which is actually the guardian in setting the course of its current global process of democratic politics.

1. Not slipping in terminologies outlining the cause:
Independence, sovereignty, nation state, nation, homeland, self-determination, autonomy, federal, confederation, self-rule etc are terms of specific meaning in the international system. They cannot be replaced by one another. Mere phrases such as Tamil Eelam or government cannot be taken for their face value, unless specified with appropriate technical terms.
Eezham Tamil public needs to carefully scrutinize the terminologies and their Tamil equivalents used by various political moves approaching them.
‘Independence and sovereignty’ can be translated into Tamil either as ‘suthanthiramum I’raimaiyum’ or as ’thannaathikkamum i’raimaiyum.’
What negotiation could achieve is another matter. But the democratic freedom of a nation to tell what it deservingly aspires is of supreme importance and it is for the diaspora public opinion to take care if there is any slip.

2. Financial independence in political organization:
Political organization is absolutely a matter of concerned people. They have to conceive and do it on their own, from their own resources and through their own will power, if they want their political organization to be true to them.
‘Democratisation’ of politics of a people may be a ‘development’ agenda for others and they may treat it a matter for funding. But for a people struggling for liberation it is not so. Diaspora needs to be watchful that evolving its political organization is done by motivating the masses and never through getting outside funds.

3. Widening the democratic structure:
In the given circumstances, when independent political organisation of Eezham Tamils is threatened by Sri Lanka and is likely to be sabotaged by forces abetting the ‘unity’ of Sri Lanka, the more the democratic structures are widened and integrated, the more the political organisation is secured. Otherwise, just by handling a few at the top, the entire politics could be crippled.
Needless to say that Eezham Tamils should have well-knitted multiplicity of grass root organisations and their politics have to be built form bottom to top and not vice versa.
The constitution announced by the move for Norwegian Council of Eelam Tamils has touched some of these aspects by proposing to conduct elections regionally and nationally in Norway; by having a second chamber and by accommodating elected representatives from institutions of Eezham Tamils in the second chamber.
More attention need to be paid in this respect in the diaspora in encouraging more elected bodies, co-operative bodies and in integrating and orientating them and other grass root organisations such as village associations, alumni associations etc towards democratic transnational polity.

4. GTF and other such bodies:
The impression one gets from the draft constitution of the Global Tamil Forum is that it will be functioning as a global body of professionals and something like a multinational corporation of Eezham Tamils. This is a welcome move and Eezham Tamils will need such bodies to run banks, universities etc.
Such bodies should be integrated in the second chamber of the apex transnational government. However, it is important that GTF and other such bodies have to make clear themselves in specific terms of their commitment to independence and sovereignty of Eezham Tamils.

5. Importance of country councils:
Elected councils of Eezham Tamils in various countries are the real roots of transnational government. They make transnational government secure, widen the democratic structure by acting as federal units, make the implementation of the mandates of transnational government in a particular country much easier and help negotiating local situations arising from differing political systems of the various countries, as these councils are ‘national councils’ of those countries.
The move in Norway is a pioneering major step and the entire diaspora watches it with much expectation.

6. Transnational government as apex body:
Transnational government as conceived by Eezham Tamils is a novel and hitherto unseen experiment of human civilisation. Only a nation like that of Eezham Tamils that was brutally and unjustly crushed by entire establishments of the world joining together could conceive such alternative governance for them. This is sure to serve an inspiration to future world polity and to many oppressed peoples of the world.
In the exercise of evolving a democratic transnational government, whether the Eezham Tamils are fully aware of the importance of what they are doing is a crucial matter.
While the alternative world will welcome the challenging concept, the establishments will obviously try to either blunt it or hijack it.
Therefore, the apex body has to be formed with tremendous will power of people, with a strong foundation and with structural security.
It is perhaps advisable to structure transnational government after securely forming democratically elected councils at least in countries having bulk of the diaspora.
Country councils and transnational government should be structurally integrated so that they don't operate concurrently within a country.
It is of utmost importance that the apex body operating in the diaspora should not abandon independence and sovereignty of Tamil Eelam, even though that should not preclude it from engaging in negotiations, development etc.
TNG is a body of the diaspora and it has to continue for the identity, culture and development of the diaspora, even after Tamil Eelam is achieved.

7. Probable models of forming transnational government:
While direct election among the diaspora held across the world is a model, probably a feasible model at this juncture is holding elections for country councils, and either electing representatives from them, or making them as electoral colleges to elect members from a global list of candidates, or a combination of both. A second chamber could be having elected representatives from defined diaspora institutions.
Models are inexhaustible and we have to be judicious in deciding what suits better under given conditions to serve the purpose.
The first elected TNG may have to function as constitutional assembly as well in bringing out a mandated constitution.

8. Social participation:
A Tamil exppert recently sent a lengthy note on the importance of right personalities from various walks of life coming forward to take responsibilities in the polity of Eezham Tamils, when it is needed the most perhaps in the whole history of them.
It is our earnest hope that a right atmosphere will be created through public opinion for right personalities to come to politics.
An atmosphere has also to be created for people of various political shades and affiliations to develop whole-hearted belongingness in the new process and to contribute their best to the society.
The transnational governance of our context demands not merely politicians and negotiators, but economists, educationalists, culture personalities, people of letters and so on. Again, we need the right atmosphere for such personalities to come into politics.

9. Participation of youth and women:
A healthy sign for the Eezham Tamil nation today is the diaspora youth coming forward to take ownership of the struggle. Young diaspora women taking part in the politics of various countries and getting elected to public bodies is another encouraging feature we see today. This generation should come forward in participating and leading the democratic process of Tamil politics too. The success of transnational governance in the long run lies in the youth participation in it.

10. Mindset:
All liberation begins from mindset.
It is time Eezham Tamils come out of their mindset of colonial legacy to boldly look at themselves through their own eyes.
It is always suffering people who come out with innovations for them as well as for humanity
The trauma Eezham Tamils undergo is understandable only by them.
As we see from what is happening, no one else will help us to overcome it. The trauma and depression can be conquered only by innovatively engaging in action – this time democratic action – and by demonstrating our spirit unconquered.

26 comments:

  1. Massive ethnic cleansing is occurring; the Human Rights Council should act for the Tamils

    UN Human Rights Council at its session in Geneva expressed concern about the situation in internment camps for 300 000 internally displaced persons in the north of Sri Lanka.
    Sri Lanka, the Government resisted any purview of accountability, and was still prosecuting the war against the Tamil people. The only remedy for the latter was to submit to ever-harsher oppression and abuse. The international community had not looked into the underlying causes of the Sinhala-Tamil war for many years. The people were in detention camps because they were Tamil, not because they were civilians. The whole issue of this war was because the Tamil people had sought their right to self-determination, among other rights, and the Government had refused them. Massive ethnic cleansing was occurring, and the Council should act for the Tamils.

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  3. A funny take on deteriorating freedoms in Sri Lanka

    First they banned the sale of meat,
    and I didn’t speak up, because I was a vegetarian.
    Then they banned the sale of alcohol,
    and I didn’t speak up, because I was a teetotaler.
    When they shut down movie theatres,
    I didn’t speak up, because I had a DVD at home.
    When they censored television and blocked the internet,
    I didn’t speak up, because I didn’t watch T.V. or browse the web.
    When they killed the ‘Leader,’
    I didn’t speak up, because I read the ‘Daily Noise.’
    When they imprisoned Tamils on suspicion of being terrorists,
    I didn’t speak up, because I was not a Tamil.
    When they shooed away the beggars and bashed up the gays,
    I didn’t speak up, because I was neither gay nor a beggar.
    When they put away the prostitutes,
    I didn’t speak up, because I was a married man who stayed cloistered at home.
    I didn’t raise my voice, I didn’t make a fuss.
    It’s funny that there was no one left to notice, when they came for me!

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  4. Thamil
    Dear fellow Thamils, if we don't take care about ourselves no one else will. Trust me we should not follow what our forefathers said when it comes to deal with our enemies. No broadminded approach or magnanimous attitude. Our armed resistance is the ONLY thing that put the lankan government to its knees and talk, nothing else didn't and never will. Forget about India or any other country all will try to use Thamil people will never help us by any means!

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  5. Sinha God
    Dear Thamil, from better green pastures , why are you hiding outside SL and talking about armed struggle. Someone from Sri Lanka has to fight for you while you and your family stay safely far away and enjoy the life. Why can't you and/or your family go and start the armed struggle again instead of preaching and misguiding innocent people.

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  6. Thamil
    And so Thamils are to be regarded as less than human, since they are not entitled to human rights, according to the "Aryan" EU and the winnable Aryan Sinhalese. We live in a world where all principles are subject to political expedience.

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  7. BNR
    what this proves is that VP was right. The lesson for eelam Tamils is to not depend on any outside forces. What we should now concentrate by pooling our recourses is to 1) intensify the boycott sri lankan products campaign.2) Discourage tourism from the west by targeting the consumers 3) Use our best legal minds to build a case against the war criminals which can be used to make sure they will never be welcome as diplomats in any western country.4) Collect information in a methodical way to ensure they answer for their crimes one day.

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  8. Jaffna Boy

    No one give a damn about the Tamils.

    Our leader Prabakaran did, however we the Diaspora didn’t support him, just provided lip service only.

    t is up to us now to realize the dream.

    I fully agree BNR collectively we need to pool our resources as one.

    My worry is that whether our arrogance, ego will allow us work as one.

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  9. BNR

    It goes to show that the sword is mightier than the pen in world politics, they (IC) gave a damn when Tigers were stronger but now Tamils are relegated to the bottom of the garbage dump. Let’s not repeat our mistakes but learn from them, hit them hard and repeatedly, not a once a year operation. Screw Norway, EU, UN, UK & USA they don't care about us. Destabilize India, SL & perhaps Pak and we can then enjoy freedom.

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  10. Krishna
    Please protest against SIX SENSES company. They are making a huge investment in Sri Lanka and making Sri Lanka's first six star hotel:

    http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=929960

    It is time to be proactive and show SIX SENSES what the genocidal, Tamil-killing, murderous, barbaric Sri Lankan government is doing and has done. Not only boycotts of Sri Lankan goods, but action like this must happen.

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  11. BNR

    With all the worst human iniquities under the sun SL hopes to raise big time equity to build super luxury villas! Same time they want to re-settle 300,000 Tamils presently in concentration camps before the end of the year! Where are the priorities? And where is the money to come from? Or, are these time wasting mental exercises to bide for time until the next elections?

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  12. Krishna
    I remember the M.P. Mr Kanagaratnam, who is now in detention by the GOSL, said, quoting official figures, that the population of Wanni was 470000 at the beginning of the war in North. Only 300000 are said to be in the camps and that figure also reduced by some to 250000. Is not GOSL accountable for the missing population?

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  15. The Sri Lanka (SL) Administration has been saying that it could not resettle 300 000 unlawfully imprisoned IDPs in Vavuniyaa camps as their villages in Vanni region are not completely de-mined.

    At that same the SL Regime t is issuing statements to the effect that it has launched several development projects in Ki’linochchi, Mannaar, Jaffna and Vavuniyaa including restoration of electricity supply under the title “Northern Spring “(Vaddakkin Vasantham).

    How could the government launch development projects in areas which are still sown with mines? Hence the Sri Lanka government’s stand on resettlement is contradictory.

    There are some areas in Vanni infested with mines, but vast areas without them. The SL Administration can resettle large numbers IDP families in these mine-free areas.

    Mmmmmm… interesting???

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  16. Thamil
    It is a systematic genocide going in Sri lanka, we cannot tolerate it or we cannot be a silence spectator.
    Mrs. Indra Gandhi Former Prime Minister of India in July 1983.

    I am not worried about the opinion of the Tamil people... now we cannot think of them, not about their lives or their opinion... the more you put pressure in the north, the happier the Sinhalese people will be here... Really if I starve the Tamils out, the Sinhalese people will be happy.
    J.R.Jayawardene, Former President of Sri Lanka - London Daily Telegraph, 11th July 1983

    The more brutish the Govt behaves towards the Tamils in the north, the more happier the south political electorates are - This is the proved Sri lankan version of democracy since Independence.

    Injustice to Tamils have been done systematically since independence to this day. When they tried reconciliation pacts with the party in power the opposition not only always opposed it but also kept the silence on crime against humanity. When they tried peaceful means they were crushed and militarisation of Northeast began in the 60s.The Govt seems determined to keep a hyper-militarized Sri Lanka on something of a bullish war footing.
    The message was: Tamils, you can't agitate for justice.
    All successive Colombo Govts were arrogantly dragged their feet with deaf year too long for the Tamil's political question, until today party in power haven't not implemented the agreed Amendments to the constitution happened 22 years ago.
    Ultimately, Tamil youth took up arms to fight for their beliefs, right or wrong, because they saw only continuously failed political processes.
    When the youth began armed violence: draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act was enacted, denied access to legal representation.and arrests and disappearances have been going on to this day. No genuine investigations except a few 'eyewash' investigations go on for so long that many Tamils don't even bother to file cases and in cases ''tried'' none will be prosecuted: Extra-judicial killings and disappearances are part of a terrible pattern of abuse in Sri Lanka,
    http://tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=79&artid=7375
    Terrorism stems from suppression of Human Rights and denying recognition of each culture as equals, and none of them above the law of the country.
    In 1972 when Buddhism was made official religion of Sri Lanka - meaning Buddhists were superior to Muslims, Christians and Hindus.
    "Discrimination on the basis of religion and language was further intensified by the burning of the great Tamil's cultural center in 1981 when the Sri Lankan armed securities in an act of petty and vicious vindictiveness put to flame the great repository of Tamil culture .
    And two years later, there was a program against Tamils in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo, orchestrated and directed by ruling politicians.
    This growing culture of impunity is the severe ill of the recalcitrant Colombo Govt.
    The Law of the country was miserably failed to protect the vulnerable Tamils. UN and Amnesty International archives will prove it. Many mass graves and Over Hundred thousands Tamils were died for the struggle for political justice, and still dying at hands of the Govt every day.
    Last May, UN once again failed and proved, it can't protect the vulnerable Tamils in the silver beach front apocalyptic massacre in Northern Sri lanka and nefariously now detaining more than 300,000 Tamil civilians and children are (Forcibly Displaced and Detained) in military supervised concentration camps as collective punishment .Unlawfully robing the sovereignty of the people.
    Recalcitrant Colombo is determined to write its own history and is brutal in its suppression of inconvenient facts.
    http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/09/22/sri-lanka-world-leaders-should-dem...

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  17. China and India’s support to Colombo Government is an atrocious crime. Tamils are undergoing unspeakable hardship, and the monstrosity is only matched by Nazis terror on Jews.
    Violence of LTTE is wrong. But the structural violence of successive governments are worse (systematic and slow rolling genocidal).
    There must be a mechanism whereby when states ill-treat their ethnic minorities, it can be arrested in early stages, and help them to avoid become failed state.
    In the last three years the whole of the heavily militarised Northeast has been nefariously cut off from the rest of the country and abduction-murders have run into thousands and no investigations!! Journalist after journalist was killed whenever they tried to question the government.
    Tamils are safe any longer from 'uniformed death squad thugs masquerading as officers of the law.
    ’There are now thousands of surrendered LTTE carders ,taken into torture camps ,denied them for registration and legal representation, finally enjoying in mercyless killing make them naked and blind folded .

    Probably to avoid this humiliative death LTTE carries and shallow Cyndie to save the dignity in their death.

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  18. It’s becoming a farce to hold so many people in concentration camps.

    You just can’t detain 300 000 innocent civilians for so many months because Sri Lanka Government thinks there may be some criminals amongst them.

    There may be many killers, pedophiles, thieves, robbers, pimps, etc., in Colombo– do you put a fence around it and let no one move until all the unsavory characters have been “weeded out” ?

    It is the most insane and preposterous attempt at so-called security measures the whole world has ever seen.

    If I happened to be in the vicinity and was imprisoned in a concentration camp for many, many long un-ending months because I was in the wrong part of the island, because it was my bad luck to be there, with no constitutional rights of free movement, unable to see my dear and near, living in the flimsy tents, queuing for days and days under scorching sun for food, water and other basic necessities and sharing a toilet with 1000 other victims – I would be extremely shocked!!!!!

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  19. The role of the Diaspora should be clearly understood before forming organisations of the Diaspora. The role of Diaspora is to assist the Eezham Tamils and not to lead them whether in the present tragic conditions or at the time of future struggles. Further a government is meaningful only when territory is controlled. Therefore transnational government does not have any relevance and only unwanted attention. While there could be an organisation to make preparations to assist future struggles without much advertisement (though democratic in functioning), there could be an open organisation democratically functioning to canvass public opinion and organise other activities like forming alliance with other oppressed nations and oppressed peoples in orger to restore normalcy to the people of Eezham and to advocate the recognition of their right of self determination as well as organising campaigns for BOYCOTTING not only Sri Lankan goods but also the
    government leaders. The Eezham Tamils can exercise the right of self determination and decide to establish a separate country or in whatever form they deem fit. The Diaspora need not goive any prescriptions and further democratic functioning is not necessarily non violent (armed resistance is a democratic right) though Diaspora has no scope for violence in the countries where they live. At the same time the Diaspora need not prescribe any form of struggle to the Eezham Tamils as the Government of Sri Lanka will impose that form as in the past and the Diaspora should not preempt the need to be prepared for the armed resistance when imposed by the state terrorism.

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  20. To-Anonymous said...
    Saturday, October 03, 2009 7:49:00 AM

    Thamil

    Mmmmmmmmm ...
    Very, interesting view on the role of Diaspora in Sri Lanka ?

    I’m wondering, what kind of action you would prescribe to the Eezham Tamils if all of your near and dear, your babies, your mother, your father, your wife (or husband), your brother and your sister were in the concentration camps in Sri Lanka?
    Sadly, your comments here do not paint the Tamils as human beings, worthless of pity, freedom and basic human rights. Can you not see that these PEOPLE are suffering, constantly marred by pain and desperation.

    I’m sure, you will be the first in line to advocate for the armed resistance against the state terrorism in Sri Lanka

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  21. Thamil
    A group of Indian protesters, who were demonstrating against the Sri Lankan state, attacked the Sri Lankan High Commission in New Delhi. The protesters were slanting slogans against the Rajapaksa government on Mahatma Gandhi's birthday. Indian Police said around 20 protesters broke through the barrier and caused damage to some property inside the high commission. Meanwhile, activists in Tamil Nadu staged widespread protests against the Sri Lankan government and the Indian government, which they alleged abetting the genocide in Sri Lanka.

    The activists of Hindu Makka'l Kadchi (HMK) were arrested in Coimbatore when they protested against the Union Home Minister P Chidambaram.

    A news report by the Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) on the attack on the Sri Lankan High Commission quoted the Additional Commissioner of Police in New Delhi, S. Dass, as saying that "it all happened in two minutes. Before the police could swing into action, they had fled. No one could be arrested.”

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  22. Siobhain McDonagh MP, Mictham & Morden, UK, during the Labor Party conference held Thursday appealed to the delegates, and to the millions of live TV viewers, to shoulder their own commitment on the Sri Lanka issue, urging that a boycott of goods and avoiding holidays in the unsavory state would ensure their money would not “prop up that government.” During the event, the sitting government party passed a resolution condemning the treatment of Tamils in the island by that government.

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  23. Recent news*is* totally baffling… something really does not add up.

    The security is extremely high. The barbed wire fences are even higher. The borders of the camp are patrolled by personnel with guns.

    So what really happened?

    1. How do they know that these people were LTTE cadres – I mean if they knew that they were, they would already have been taken away to the LTTE rehab or shot or tortured or whatever is done to suspects would have been done, would it not? They would surely have not been swanning around in the camps if they had been identified?!!!

    2. If they had already disappeared, how do they now know they were LTTE cadres? Sixth sense? Anjanang eliya? Crystal balls?

    3. What does “BREAK OUT” actually mean? Dug a tunnel and escaped? Got out under an invisibility cloak? Disguised themselves? Twenty thousand?? Were the guards sleeping? Drunk? Counting money they had recently acquired?

    4. The statement “Most [are] believed to be LTTE cadres”, translated can be a charming way of saying “we haven’t a clue who they are by god they better be LTTE”.

    5. If these were civilians (re-christened LTTE), how in heavens name have they got out? (If they have – hats off to them!)

    6. Or is this announcement another attempt to justify what is to come?

    This is a bit like the recent news item that states that a dr in Vavuniya was arrested but does not say why!

    I mean really, we are not morons! Please!

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  24. Thamil
    On Jan 20, 2009 Army chief Sarath Fonseka has said that the LTTE may only have 1,600 well-trained fighters left to defend the remaining rebel areas. (source The Hindu)

    On April first week, around 800 LTTE hardcore cadres killed in Anandapuram according to SL Army. So that leaves with about 800 cadres which surely would have been killed in the next month of brutal fight.

    So where exactly these 20000 LTTE cadres suddenly came from? From the sky or from the lie factory? Government played down the LTTE stregth during the war, now they are hyping up. Are we really that stupid to fall for it? Release those IDPs, weeding out is just an excuse to make more money and vote.

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  26. Thamil
    The master-slave scenario is played out with an alarming frequency in Sri Lanka. The Sinhalese Colonial Racist regime has announced its willingness to allow relatives to take in IDPs in the event the latter are willing to go to host families. This has yet to be expedited. There are reports that IDPs have been let out of the Menik Farm complex only to be relocated in other “transit” camps or better yet to dropped-down the pregnant mothers at a bus stop.. Sinhalese Colonial Masters are treating the Tamil Minority worse than animals
    124 internally displaced families including several pregnant mothers who were allowed to leave Menik Farm in Vavuniyaa to go to their places in Jaffna on September 29 are stranded in Vavuniyaa town without Sri Lanka Army (SLA) clearance to proceed to Jaffna. These IDPs were brought down from Menik Farm on September 29 and dropped at Vavuniyaa bus stand the same day midnight....... where they still are and waiting for yet another “ security clearance”

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