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| The Tamil United Liberation Front expresses its concern for the undue delay in finding a solution for the ethnic problem even after the loss of a couple of lakhs of lives and properties worth billions. The TULF strongly urges the government to work out a solution based on the Indian Model, if necessary with suitable modification. |
(September 25, Jaffna, Sri Lanka Guardian) Here is full text of the Resolution past at the annual general meeting of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) on 24.09.2011 in Jaffna
01) The Tamil United Liberation Front decided to give unconditional support for the candidates of the Tamil National Alliance who contested the recent Local Elections on the symbol of the federal party “the house”. We also gave the TNA a few candidates from the TULF to contest various local bodies to show our solidarity with the constituent partners of the Tamil National Alliances, as very much desired by the Tamil people. The TULF also won two Local Bodies for the TNA on the TULF ticket the “Rising sun”. The Tamil United Liberation Front re-affirms its solidarity with the TNA and assures to continue to work with them to promote the interest of our people and to ensure the unity of the Tamil Parties and the people.
02) The Tamil United Liberation Front re-iterates its commitment to non-violence and will endeavor to solve all the problems the minority communities face, by negotiations, persuasions and by peaceful means.
03) The TULF is determined to maintain good and cordial relationship with the Sinhalese, Muslims, Malays, burghers and all other ethnic and religious groups and at the same time demand from the government to treat all the People of Sri Lanka as equals, guaranteeing them their inalienable right to enjoy their democratic, humanitarian ,fundamental and all other rights.
04) The immense hardships the people of the North and the East under-went for a period of over 30 years, especially with the escalation of violence when the war was at its peak, cannot in anyway be compared with any other tragic event in our country. If the natural disaster “Tsunami” the country faced, touched the hearts of everyone including the Sinhala village elders who strictly live up to their religious beliefs and commitments to what extent they would have felt for the suffering the Tamils is beyond ones imagination. I recollect with a certain amount of pride as to how an elderly lady carried many food parcels on her head and walked several miles on badly washed off roads, to feed the hungry Tamil and Muslims Tsunami victims whom she never met. Like -wise there was a devoted Buddhist Priest who started a refugee camp to look after the victims all of whom were either Tamils or Muslims. This is the attitude of the village folks be they Tamils Muslims or Sinhalese. The TULF strongly urges the President to leave it to the ordinary masses who always look at a problem with the sympathy it deserves, to find a solution on equitable grounds. The village folks think justly and act justly too. Therefore it is not a bad idea to decide it at a referendum.
05) Even two years after the war ended and more than a year after a part of the displaced persons were re-settled, People have not yet settled properly. Some of them hardly have any means for proper living. Many had lost their bread winners, husbands, wives and children. Almost all the people had lost all their belongings and houses. The TULF therefore strongly demands a proper mechanism with local participation to ensure just settlement and rehabilitation efforts.
06) The TULF wants absolute peace in the country and in the war torn areas of the north and the east which can never be achieved in an un-contented society. The entire population of the north and the east had got displaced at one time or the other and some as much as 18 times. In the process they lost all their belongings and became paupers with hardly any means to live peacefully. In this pathetic situation most of their problems relate to lands. Many people have not yet identified their lands and the lands they had inherited, many owners of lands now live abroad, some of whom may be minors and some had lost their deeds. With many such problems the people face, is it necessary to compel people to register their land. The TULF lodges its strong protest against compelling people to register their lands which they are in possession of unless the Government has its own agenda. If the government wishes to give land for the landless, it should wait till the land matter is settled. If this is going to be done island wide the government can very well start the process in districts where people were not displaced. The TULF therefore strongly urge the government to abandon the scheme of collecting details of lands owned by the people. Furthermore many people who got killed during the war and before had left behind properties that cannot be traced or identified at this stage.
07) Several youths are detained as belonging to the LTTE cadre for several years without trial. Most of them are innocent. When hardcore LTTE cadre betrayed their leadership and volunteered to work with the army intelligence unit, it is very unfair to detain innocent youths who were either conscripted or detained by the LTTE to do odd jobs or for supplying food under compulsion. The TULF appeals to the government to release all such detainees. Ex cadre who are now working with the army intelligence give false information about youths to earn the favour of their bosses. It is very unfortunate if innocents youths are going to be punished based on the report of the ex LTTE cadre now acting as army intelligence officers.
08) The war apart from causing a lot of damage to persons and property has also brought depression to many especially the women, who run hysterically merely on the sight of the weapons. The tension and fear caused by the presence and activities of the grease yakka have made things worse. Women are confined to their homes from dusk to dawn, grown up girls have refrained from attending school, and men in their efforts to give protection to the women folks continue to keep watch during the day and night. As a result of this, their work is badly affected depriving them of their regular income. Unless the government takes serious action the consequences will be worse. Hence the TULF demands a presidential commission or a high powered team of officers be appointed to go fully in to this matter.
09) The Muslim people, who were sent out of their places of residence, have not yet been settled in their respective homes. They left their residences leaving behind all their possessions and with a little money. They should be sufficiently compensated for their losses and houses should be built for them at Government expense.
At the same time the black July of 1983 deprived large number of Tamils, all over the country of all their possessions. Many Tamils fled the country and are still living in welfare camps in Tamil Nadu, India. Offer of sufficient compensation may be an incentive for them to return to Sri Lanka provided their immovable properties are returned to them now held by unknown person.
The president had promised compensation for all what the IDPs lost. The TULF urges the government to pay compensation to all victims including those who claim to have lost their lands and moved to the south.
10) All the gold ceased by the army during the war belongs to the people. Some had pawned their jewelry with the LTTE. Apart from this each house hold had to give a specific quantity of gold to the LTTE’s save the soil fund for which receipts were given. The TULF urges the government to give back to the people the gold that is legally and morally due to them.
11) The people engaged in fishing face a lot of problem which they never faced earlier. Starting from Arugambe in Pottuvil up to Mayiliddy in Jaffna the local fishermen undergo untold hardships. There is no need for the fishermen to obtain passes from anybody to do fishing. The TULF strongly condemn this type of harassment given to the local fishermen and urges the government to leave them alone, so that they can do fishing freely as they did thirty years back.
12) The Tamil United Liberation Front while recognizing and appreciating the humanitarian services rendered by the forces, more particularly the female cadre among them, to the civilians especially women, children and elders during natural disasters and in refugee camps. The people are also aware of the atrocious behavior of the forces at times, the recent incident at Navaanthurai in which men and women were brutally assaulted, bears testimony to this. It is the atrocious behavior of the army in the late seventies and early eighties that compelled the youths to go underground and arm themselves. The TULF demands the government to withdraw the army leaving the very minimum number to man the camps that were in existence earlier, closing down the other ones. The people should be made to feel that they are back to the life they enjoyed in the good old days and not living under subjugation to anybody. The TULF re-iterates the fact that this is the only option the government has to bring back normalcy in the country.
13) The Tamil United Liberation Front expresses its concern for the undue delay in finding a solution for the ethnic problem even after the loss of a couple of lakhs of lives and properties worth billions. The TULF strongly urges the government to work out a solution based on the Indian Model, if necessary with suitable modification. The TULF is strongly of the opinion that the Indian Model will be widely acceptable to a majority of the people of Srilanka.
14) The TULF is very strongly of the view that the solution to the ethnic problem based on a Unitary Constitution will never bring peace or any settlement to the country’s problem.
15) At a time when the people are still mourning the death of their dear ones and they themselves are not properly settled, settling people in their midst will prove counterproductive, is the lession the TULF wants the Government to learn.
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