Tamil Diplomat

The de-proscription of some Tamil organizations is a ‘divide and conquer tactics’ of the Singala government: ICET

Harshly criticising the Sri Lankan government’s recent  act of de-proscribing some of Tamil diaspora groups and some individuals as a ‘divide and conquer tactics’, the International Council of Eelam Tamils (ICET), one of the largest Tamil diaspora organisations, has called on all Tamil people not to fall prey for the perks and crumbs and get entangled in the web of deceit laid by the Sri Lankan government and urged them to unite together to fight for justice and rights.   

ICET“In an attempt to eliminate the fight for justice mounted by the Tamil diaspora, the de-proscription of some organizations and individuals is being used as a weapon to cause confusion and weaken the diaspora.  If the Sinhala government is serious about peace and reconciliation, it should have de-proscribed all organizations and individuals.  The selective de-proscription is nothing but a ploy to divide and conquer” ICET said in a media release issued today.  

The full text of the media release is as follows:  

While many Tamil organizations and individuals in the diaspora were proscribed based on the accusation that they maintained ties to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the Sinhala government using its divide and rule tactics de-proscribed some of them recently. 

While the previous Ranil Wickremasinghe government participated in the peace negotiations it simultaneously attempted to divide and weaken the LTTE. When the LTTE became militarily strong with the support of the Tamil diaspora, the Sinhala government could not defeat it in the military and diplomatic fronts.  By attempting to divide the LTTE, it shut the door on peace talks and unleashed a genocidal war on the Eelam Tamils.  

Since the re-election of Ranil Wickremasinghe, he has been attempting to weaken the Tamil diaspora organizations that have been fighting for justice on behalf of the Eelam Tamils. The recent meeting in London of Mangala Samaraweera with Sumanthiran and some Tamil diaspora organizations and activists is an extension of the attempt to weaken the Tamil diaspora.  The seeds for the denial of justice for the Eelam Tamils at the March 2015 UNHRC meeting in Geneva were sown at the treacherous London meeting; akin to poking our own eyes using our own fingers.   

The Sinhala government has brought the local Tamil political vacuum under its control by grooming some Tamil politicians as traitors to the Eelam Tamil political aspirations. Now, de-proscription is being used as a tactic to divide the Tamil diaspora and bring them under its control.   

In an attempt to eliminate the fight for justice mounted by the Tamil diaspora, the de-proscription of some organizations and individuals is being used as a weapon to cause confusion and weaken the diaspora.  If the Sinhala government is serious about peace and reconciliation, it should have de-proscribed all organizations and individuals.  The selective de-proscription is nothing but a ploy to divide and conquer.  

After the Mullivaaikkaal massacre many powers rejoiced thinking that the Eelam Tamils will cower and stop their fight for justice and liberation. However, the Tamil diaspora shattered the dreams of the powers by re-doubling their efforts in their fight for justice.  In this backdrop, the de-proscription of the Tamil Youth Organization (TYO) and the National Council of Canadian Tamils (NCCT), a constituent member of the ICET, both of which have been in the forefront in the fight for justice and national liberation, exposes the duplicitous nature of the Sinhala government. 

The de-proscription of TYO, NCCT, and some individuals is mainly aimed at dividing our united efforts to bring justice to Eelam Tamils rather than a red herring to coverup the de-proscription of some treacherous Tamil organizations and individuals.  This attempt should not be construed as reconciliation but as closing the door shut on peace.   

We all need to be united in our fight for justice for the victims of this genocidal war unleashed upon us.  We can never abandon the fight for justice and our rights for the crumbs thrown at us by the Sinhala government.   

Whenever the Sinhala government faces political, economic, or diplomatic set backs it tries to protect itself by attempting to divide and weaken us.  We sincerely ask our kin The need of the hour is to unite in our fight for justice and rights.