Press Release

CANADIAN TAMILS FOR PEACE AND DEMOCRACY URGES THE TAMIL DIASPORA TO REJECT K.P'S WING OF LTTE'S CALL FOR A PROVISIONAL TRANSNATIONAL GOVERNMENT.

Toronto- 15 July 2009

Canadian Tamils for Peace and Democracy calls on the Tamil Diaspora throughout the world to reject and oppose the idea of a Provisional Transnational Government proposed by the underground K.P's wing of the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam (LTTE).

While Tamils have been killed, wounded or displaced, the K.P's wing of LTTE is eager to form a government in exile to support and prepare for another civil war. Throughout the years, the LTTE has used the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as a fundraising tool selling their misery to the world and raising funds in the tune of tens of millions of dollars but have never spent a penny actually helping the people of North and East, including those who live in the camps.

Although it is history now, the false dream of Eelam espoused by the LTTE has not only caused misery to the Tamils but has also destroyed their own organization and generations of young men and women who followed it blindly. The Tamil Diaspora which was controlled by the LTTE has collected millions of dollars and channeled these funds only to buy heavy weapons and ammunitions at the end to be used against their own family and relatives by the LTTE. The Diaspora, wittingly or unwittingly has contributed to the death of theirs own kiths and kin.

The brutal war waged in the name of Tamil Eelam by the LTTE only resulted in the indiscriminate killing of a large number of unarmed civilians, destruction of their homes and property, and the displacement and dislocation of hundreds of thousands of helpless men, women, children, youth, and the elderly of the North and Eastern provinces. The Canadian Tamils for Peace and Democracy strongly condemns this crime committed by the LTTE, and considers this as a crime against its own Tamil people.

The Liberation Tigers military oligarchs have used the enormous financial resources accrued from the Tamil expatriate community to amass huge financial fortunes for themselves and their relatives while the Tamil civilians in the North and East have been condemned to a life of poverty and misery. To add to the misery of these people, the LTTE abducted their children for military training and the civilians themselves for combat.
Knowing or unknowingly the Tamil Diaspora to this day has provided financial, political, and propaganda support to racist efforts, supposedly because of concerns for "Tamil rights." This is the same LTTE that is directly responsible for the denial of rights to its own Tamil people and for the death of thousands Sri Lankans and Tamils in particular.
Tamils have been fooled repeatedly by the LTTE giving false hopes of negotiating a political settlement with the Government of Sri Lanka, but did not deliver anything good. While pretending to negotiate with every successive government that came into power the LTTE marked time to strengthen its own rank and file to continue the war against the state of Sri Lanka. Further, the LTTE wiped out alternative Tamil leadership, as they wanted to be the sole representatives of the Tamil people leaving no room for peace or a negotiated settlement. People familiar with the North and East situation are aware that the LTTE does not have any credibility. Their promises and pledges have only brought destruction. In this context, how will their promises and pledges be viewed by the international community when it is unable to convince its own Tamil people?

The demonization campaigns carried out by the LTTE against other Tamil political parties and their leaders did not stop at being just media exercises. Over the past three decades, such campaigns have proceeded from brutal elimination of political leaders, extortion to abduction and recruiting of child soldiers and targeting of innocent civilians.
We also oppose the campaign of disinformation targeting the Government's efforts to promote peace and development in Sri Lanka. The timing of the campaign is linked to the development in the North and the East and the negotiations for a political solution to the aspirations of Tamil people within the frame of the Sri Lankan Constitution. The real motivation behind the anti-Sri Lanka campaign has nothing to do with human rights or liberation, but with the LTTE's agenda to prolong the conflict.

We Canadian Tamils for Peace and Democracy call for an end to the dissemination of false information against the people and the Government of Sri Lanka. Any attempt by the LTTE for a global campaign for a Provisional Transnational Government will only complicate and endanger the process for a political solution.

It is not for a single group or a few individuals living underground to decide the fate of the entire Tamil community living in Sri Lanka. It is the right of the Tamils living amidst other communities in Sri Lanka to decide for themselves as to what should be the political solution in consultation with their political representatives.

The time is opportune for the Tamil community in Sri Lanka to work in unison with their leaders to find an amicable solution to their aspirations within a democratic framework without resorting to violence.

We Canadian Tamils for Peace and Democracy call upon the Government of Sri Lanka to protect the Tamils from Terrorists and safeguard their rights, ensure development in the North and the East and rehabilitate the Internally Displaced.

We Canadian Tamils for Peace and Democracy invite the Tamil Diaspora to actively participate and engage in a dialogue with the Government of Sri Lanka to open a door for a meaningful political solution, for the aspirations of the Tamils living in Sri Lanka.