Tamils In Sri Lanka -- by Mathavakrishna(Marty) Gnanananthan
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Marty Gnanananthan [email protected]
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The June 23 rd Forum at the Activist Centre drew 30 people who listened to presentations from Marty Gnanananthan (Tamil Youth Organisation -- pictured left), Francis Xavier (Tamil community) and Dr Brian Senewiratne (longtime pro-Tamil activist, pictured below right) on the genesis of the situation in Sri lanka and what we could do about it here in Australia.What way forwardGnanananthan detailed the long history of the suppression of the Tamil in Sri Lanka since independence in 1948 and bought up the history the dire conditions faced by the popualtion in the north after the war.France Xavier explored the extent to which the Sr Lankan government had broken all human rights resolutions in its racist war on the Tamil minority.Brian Senewiratne, after reviewing the scale of the slaughter in Sri lanka and the dire situation now being faced by the Tamil population incarcerated in detention camps, went on to detail what sort of campaign we can mount internationally to support the Tamil population. He called for a boycott Sri Lanka campaign to be mounted across the community and inside the trade union movement that mirrored the sort of approach now being pursued in support of the Palestinian struggle.Book launchedThe forum was also an opportunity to present a new pamphlet on the Tamil struggle which has been written by Socialist Alliance members, Chris Slee and Dr Brian Senewiratne.Copies of this very useful pamphlet can be purchased for $5 from a Socialist Alliance street stall or from the Activist Centre.
Transcript of Tamils In Sri Lanka -- by Mathavakrishna(Marty) Gnanananthan
Sri Lanka quick facts
History of Sri Lanka
Present day situation
Humanitarian situation
South of India
20 million people◦ 70% Sinhala (Buddhist)
◦ 18% Tamil (Hindu, Christian)
Indian Tamils
◦ 8% Moors (Muslims)
3rd world country
Plantation Industrialised
Portuguese and Dutch 16 century
British Colonisation 1815
1948 Independence
1956 Sinhala Only Act
Race riots and Tamil nationalism
Civil War
Portuguese and Dutch used Sri Lanka as a trading port
Missionaries established particularly in the North and East
3 separate kingdoms (Sinhala, Kandyan and Tamil)
Unified under British Rule ◦ Tamil held top positions in British administration
Leading up to independence Sinhala\Bhuddist nationalist movement on the rise
1948 became independent British handed over a single country to the majority Sinhalese Citizenship Act – Indian Tamil plantation workers denied
citizenship 1956 Sinhala only act
◦ Sinhala official language ◦ Discrimination over university examination◦ Discrimination over administrative positions
1956 Race riot after Tamils protest legislation (150 dead) 1958 Pogrom against Tamils (300 dead)
◦ Suggestion to change administrative language in the north and east to Tamil
Successive discriminative laws in 1950’s and 1960’s marginalised Tamils
Frequent protests by Tamils demanding equal rights and equal opportunity
1977 Vaddukoddai resolution (300 dead)◦ General election on secession, north and east held
by Tamil politicians ◦ Riots ensued
1981 burning of Jaffna library by Sinhala mobs aided by police
1983 Black July pogrom - 3000
1983 war between Tamil Tigers and Sri Lankan Army
Continued for 30 years till 2009
Tamils Tigers fought for a separate state◦ Tamil Eelam
Mini state has school, courts, banks, vocational facilities
Freedom fighter vs. Terrorist (propaganda war)
20,000 civilians killed by Sri Lankan Army shelling
Hospitals targeted on 30 different occasions in final months of war
300,000 civilians in concentration camps◦ No freedom of movement, no communication◦ Lack of food, water, medicines and sanitary
facilities◦ Abductions of Tamil youth, torture◦ Forced separation of family members◦ Indefinite detention
No press freedom◦ Press banned from reporting on Sri Lankan war or
in refugee camps
◦ 18 journalists killed in last 18 months
Restrictions on Aid organisations◦ At its peak only Red cross allowed
White vans abduct opposition (mainly Tamils)◦ 2000 incidents estimated
Act Now◦ http://www.act-now.info/Site/HOME.html
Sri Lankan Crisis\ Fast Unto Action◦ http://fastuntoaction.wordpress.com/
Amnesty Internationl◦ http://www.amnesty.org/en/region/sri-lanka
