Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

20 September   2021

Australian Opposition Supports Tamil Eelam?

‘Tamil Refuges and the situation in Sri Lanka   -   Senator the Hon. Kristina Keneally  - Deputy Labor Leader in the Senate, Shadow Minister for -  Home Affairs, Immigration and Citizenship and Government Accountability’ – said  the introductory note to the September 2021 meeting of Consortium of Tamil Associations, held via Zoom – yesterday.

The meeting began with paying our respects to the victims of Sri Lankan war, followed by special tribute to LTTE’s  Thileepan who is presented by Wikipedia as follows:

 

Parthipan joined the militant Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) prior to the 1983 Black July anti-Tamil riots. He was given the nom de guerre Thileepan. Injured in the stomach in May 1987 during the Vadamarachchi Operation (Operation Liberation), he became the LTTE's political leader for Jaffna peninsula.

As hostilities increased in northern Sri Lanka, the LTTE handed over a letter to the Indian High Commissioner on 13 September 1987 making five demands: the release of all political prisoners held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and emergency regulations; cessation of Sinhalese colonisation of Tamil areas under the guise of "rehabilitation"; cessation of all "rehabilitation" activities until the establishment of the Interim Administrative Council; cessation of construction of police stations in the Northern and Eastern provinces; and the disarmament of Home Guards and withdrawal of the army/police from schools and colleges. The demands were aimed at the Indian rather than the Sri Lankan government because the LTTE believed that Indians could force the Sri Lankans to comply. The LTTE gave the Indians 24 hours to respond but no response, or even an acknowledgement, was received.

Determined to make the Indians meet the demands, Thileepan began a hunger strike on 15 September 1987 in front of Nallur Kandaswamy Temple. Thileepan gave speeches which were broadcast on Nidharshanam, the LTTE's TV stations. People from all over Jaffna peninsula came to observe and participate in the hunger strike. On 22 September 1987 Indian High Commissioner J. N. Dixit arrived at Palaly Airport and was met by LTTE leader V. Prabhakaran who wanted Dixit to go and see Thileepan.  Dixit wanted a written guarantee from Prabhakaran that Thileepan would end his hunger strike if Dixit met with him but Prabhakaran couldn't give the guarantee. As his condition deteriorated, Thileepan stopped giving speeches. After refusing food or water for 12 days, Thileepan died on 26 September 1987. After a "martyr's funeral" in Jaffna, Thileepan's body was handed over to the University of Jaffna's medical faculty. Thileepan's death resulted in large anti-government and anti-Indian protests in northern Sri Lanka]

 

In addition to the above, the following facts are important in getting to the root of this:

1.     The Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord was signed on 29 July 1987.

2.      The Pondi Bazzar Shootout in 1982 and India’s stand on this

 

2.1       According to Tamilnet - TamilNet: 06.10.20 Poet Pulamaipithan who championed Tamil Eelam solidarity in Tamil Nadu turns 85:

[The interview reveals the contribution of M Kalyanasundaram, a member of the Indian parliament from Tamil Nadu (1980-1986) in convincing the then Indian PM Ms Indira Gandhi not to deport the Tamil militants involved in the Pondy Bazaar shoot-out citing the fate of Kuttimani and others handed over to the SL State earlier.
“I cannot support Tamil Eelam, but I won’t deport the boys,” Ms Gandhi had told Mr Kalyanasundaram, according to Pulavar Pulamaipithan.]

2.2       The above was stated in relation to militant leaders who fought  in Madras. https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/shootout-madras-when-ltte-prabhakarans-gunshots-rang-pondy-bazaar-49397

The fighting happened on 19 May 1982. I had just returned from Pondi Bazaar that day when I heard the news.

2.3       I was in Colombo on 19 May 2009 when I learnt about the demise of LTTE chief – reported as follows by Wikipedia:

[Fighting went on until 9:30 am 19 May 2009. The firing stopped as all LTTE fighters died in the battle. Troops started collecting bodies again. This time, Sergeant Muthu Banda, attached to Sri Lanka Army Task Force VIII, reported to Ravipriya that a body similar to Prabhakaran's had been found. After the body, which was floating among the mangroves, was brought ashore, Colonel Ravipriya positively identified it as that of the leader of the LTTE.

 

That was on the 27^th Anniversary of the Pondi Bazzar shootout on foreign soil.

As a Hindu, I believe in the way of Karma. As a democratic citizen, I believe that as juniors in a relationship – we have the right to Oppose as per our Belief – which is an exponential power and like Corona Virus – has its own mind. Hence yesterday, I paid my respects to those who died in the war – but was passive in the case of Thileepan. Hence when I go into what happened to Thileepan through my own experience as a Tamil – the facts I produce are – through my Affidavit are:

 

1.     Thileepan was already wounded in May 1987

2.     Majority Jaffna Tamils rejected LTTE  and other armed groups.

[Reasons -When Thileepan was made the LTTE's political leader for Jaffna peninsula – it was an Opposition position representing armed leadership – like the current government of Sri Lanka. As per my belief such a move would have brought the LTTE demotion in politics. ]

When Senator Kristina Keneally  - spoke yesterday, the identity with the essence of the above that the group represented – was missing. Senator Keneally  spoke as the candidate for Fowler in the upcoming elections. This was followed by her expressions of support for the Biola family that has difficulties with immigration. Fowler being a strong migrant electorate – with high percentage of first generation Australians - Senator Kristina Keneally  needed to demonstrate identity with experience of those migrants so they would integrate with Australian values and heal themselves. Instead, in effect, the lady supported Tamil Eelam Separation which was rejected by Indian leadership.

 

Now that Australian government is developing Nuclear power which is indicated to be to oppose China in South China Sea, developing relationships that are likely to be in favour of China and against India – does not make sense. Unresolved governance issues beyond their effective time are nuclear powers.