The election manifesto for Pakkiyaselvam Ariyanenthiran, the common Tamil candidate endorsed by a coalition of Tamil political parties and civil society, was launched in Jaffna on Tuesday.
The manifesto outlines the longstanding injustices faced by the Tamil people, which began even before the armed conflict, and states that the ethnic cleansing by the Sri Lankan state has persisted, often in more covert forms.
“The Tamil people fought non-violently and engaged in the armed struggle when the Sri Lankan government began its genocidal war with the intent of destroying the very existence and individuality of the Tamils,” the manifesto states. “This ongoing state of terror is aimed at the extermination and ethnic cleansing of the Tamils.”
The document highlights numerous reported issues, including the desecration of Tamil places of worship, the Sinhalization of the East with Tamil farming lands in Mayilathamadu and Madhavanai under threat, the need for an administrative division in Kalmunai North, the exploitation of resources in Mannar through development projects, the construction of military camps on private lands in the North-East, the harassment faced by former combatants and their families, and the continued imprisonment of political prisoners. The anti-terror bill aimed at silencing Tamils is also a major concern raised.
“The Sri Lankan government is carrying out these activities while telling the international community that it is dealing with an economic crisis. The country is in debt because it refuses to find a lasting political solution to the ethnic crisis. The root cause of the economic crisis is the debt accrued from the war.”
The manifesto also points out that many other candidates have failed to address the concerns of the Tamil people in their platforms. In contrast, the manifesto of the common Tamil candidate specifically addresses the following issues:
-
A new constituion for Sri Lanka to solve the ethnic conflict, where Tamils are recognised as a sovereign people with the right to self-determination.
-
Only by recognising the Tamils as a people with nationhood can Sri Lanka be considered a plurinational state. Therefore the new constitution has to be a convergence of the nations that form Sri Lanka. In other words, the constitution has to ensure that Sri Lanka is built as a plurinational state.
-
No political solution based on centralised rule will satisfy the just political demands of the Tamil people.
-
On the above, Tamil people have the right to seek suitable international assistance to determine their own fate.
-
The land that conforms to the Tamil people’s right to self determination shall be the united north and east provinces. That they are ready to discuss the just political rights of the Muslim people within this united north and east.
-
Safeguarding and promoting of the rights of Upcountry Tamils.
-
All instances of ethnic cleansing by the state are to be investigated, with cases being presented to the International Criminal Court and complying with a resolution endorsed by the UNHRC.
-
The establishment of structures for a self reliant economy in the Tamil homelands that prevents land grabs, and the use of natural resources in a sustainable manner.
-
To achieve the above, a special protective mechanism is to be instituted that will protect the rights of Tamils, as an interim solution.
The manifesto details that a Tamil candidate isn’t prepositioned to become the president of the country but he is being brought forward to unite the Tamils and to be a common voice for the Tamil community.
“The votes given to Ariyanenthiran honor the sacrifice that Tamils made for the homeland,” it said.
The complete manifesto can be found here.