An Open Letter to the Co-Chairs of the Tokyo Donors Conference

By: Eelaththamilzan Courtesy: TamilCanadian - November 22, 2006 You have miserably failed the Tamil People in the island of Sri Lanka, in their will and desire to progress diligently and peacefully on the commitments and agreements reached between the GOSL and the Liberation Tigers of Thamil Eelam. The Statement Done it Again! The Co-Chairs have given their proven record of partisan diplomacy an added significance by completely ignoring the continuing Human Rights abuses and Humanitarian violations, now being inflicted upon the Tamil people particularly in the Northern homeland of Jaffna, in the Eastern homeland of Vaharai and also in the Capital Colombo. The Co-Chairs have extended their privy and shown more interest in addressing and welcoming the nefarious promises and trivial exercises of the Government of Sri Lanka in its efforts to hoodwink the entire international community, on their present vengeful and diabolical approach to the Tamil National Issue. Background to the Co-Chairs After certain early stages of the entry of Norway as the Peace Facilitator, it was considered to be important to have some major wealthy countries to give strong backing for their Peace initiative, and to give strength to their efforts in seeing the implementation of any agreements between the two Parties to the Conflict. As time progressed towards the requirement of very important and tough periods of diplomacy and incentives, the Tokyo Donors Conference took shape in the form of three countries, namely the United States, Japan and Norway together with the European Union, assuming the mantle of Co-Chairs of the Tokyo Donor Conference. Now, we all know how during the build-up to formulating the functions and agenda of this elite grouping, the Liberation Tigers of Thamil Eelam was sidelined and isolated by non other than the Host country of the latest meeting, in difference to the encouragement total involvement of the Government of Sri Lanka. Now and again, at regular intervals this Host country has actively indulged in wooing the Government of Sri Lanka through offering various methods of facilitating training and support to its armed forces and providing Aid through its less obvious channels set up for such purposes. It has consistently turned a blind eye to the reality of the sufferings of the Tamil people at the hands of these armed forces, the perpetrators of violence. It is glaringly obvious where this host country stands, when the person who presided over this latest meeting of the Co-Chairs, Mr Nicholas Burns himself had proclaimed, 21 October 2006, that the United States was signalling their strong support for the Government of Sri Lanka. He further reiterated, as if that was not enough endorsement, that they do not recognise or support the Liberation Tigers of Thamil Eelam. It was ironical that this was expressed on the eve of the Geneva talks. Where then, is the integrity and diplomatic credibility of a nation that calls itself the defender of Freedom, Justice and Liberty of people around the world, who are suppressed and marginalized under repressive regimes ? Is it not also then very clear, that there is little difference between this country?s stand and that of the paramilitary groups, the extremist JVP, the Buddhist Hela Urumaya and the marauding Sri Lanka Military ? The United States and the European Union stand guilty of practising double standards on the Tamil National Issue, and do not possess the true credentials to participate in a fair and just manner as Co-Chairs when addressing the Parties to the Conflict. This is an eye-opener for the Tamil people, in that here we see the drama of a very partisan exercise being enacted by the very same countries that is purported to bring the Parties to the Conflict to the negotiating table in an equal and equitable manner. You Have Failed The joint statement released by yourselves following your deliberations over two days as Co-Chairs on 21 November 2006 in Washington, would deem to have been read with Contempt by the entire Tamil population of Thamil Eelam. You have miserably failed, to neither address nor comment on the prevailing volatile military activities along the borders of the Tamil homeland, on the continuing aerial bombardment of the Tamil homeland, on the near starvation and open-prison conditions of the Tamil people in the northern Jaffna peninsula. Read more...