GLOBAL TAMIL FORUM

Political bankruptcy of Joint Opposition

Professor G.L. Peiris criticized the manner the present government is dealing with the Tamil diaspora organizations and warned that the government's attitude towards those organizations would renew the 'Eelam dream' of the LTTE locally as well as internationally.

The former Minister of External Affairs was addressing a press briefing arranged by the Joint Opposition at the Dr. N.M. Perera Centre last Wednesday.
After former Minister of Foreign Affairs tha late A.C.S. Hameed it was Professor G.L. Peiris who closely associated with the LTTE theoretician Anton Balasingam and even had the opportunity of meeting the outfit's bigwigs abroad including Viswanathan Rudrakumar, the head of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam when the Norwegian facilitation process was in progress.
As far as breaking the back bone of the LTTE internationally, it was none but the late Lakshman Kadirgamar who played a constructive role, distinguishing the genuine political aspirations of the North and East Tamils from the LTTE's hardcore approach.
Norwegian peace process
When the Norwegian facilitation process was in progress with the support of the co-chair countries such as the European Union, America and Japan, the entire world was focused towards the developments of the talks between the LTTE and the Rajapaksa regime.

Several Tamil diaspora organizations also remained supportive of the peace process initiated by Norway with much anticipation.
However, with the collapse of the peace process and the resumption of war several pro-LTTE organizations abroad were all out to muster support for the outfit which was rapidly losing its grip from the North and the East.
With the annihilation of the LTTE, several Tamil expatriates from abroad extended their support to the previous regime towards finding a durable political solution to the Tamil question and addressing the humanitarian issues of the innocent civilians affected by the war.

Approaching individuals
Some prominent Tamil expatriates were also invited by former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa to Colombo and they were even accommodated at the scenic Mount Lavinia Hotel in Colombo.
Several of those Tamil expatriates were even given a warm reception by the former Defence Secretary and his brother former Minister of Economic Affairs Basil Rajapaksa in Colombo.

Including Prof. G.L. Peiris several former ministers were even made to address those expatriates in order to get round them to gain the support to the previous government from the Tamil diaspora.
The previous government had failed in mustering an extensive support from Tamil diaspora as it had only focused towards tapping the individuals and not the Tamil diaspora organizations.

Furthermore, year 2012 onwards the accusations made against the previous government at the UNHRC sessions in Geneva with regard to alleged war crimes and human rights violations along with three successful US-sponsored resolutions brought against it until 2014 had given the clear picture of the alleged post-war atrocities in the Island not only to the Tamil diaspora but to the international community as well.

No free hand
In his capacity as Minister of External Affairs, Prof. G.L. Peiris was not even given a free hand in tackling the US sponsored resolutions by the previous regime.
As the successful US-resolutions in Geneva had exposed the previous government to the international community to a greater extent, its downfall became inevitable with the remarkable formation of a coalition, forming a new government with the support mainly from the Tamil speaking Northern and the Eastern Provinces.

Mangala's effort
Several Tamil diapsora organizations had even extended their support for the 'good governance' theme of the new government not only at the Presidential Poll in January even at the Parliamentary Poll in August this year.
The Tamil diaspora remains in the 'driving seat' politically influencing the countries they live in. The recent elections in Canada and Britain had even highlighted that the Tamils of Lankan origin remain an invincible force with Garry Anandasangaree, the son of the TULF Leader V. Anandasangaree becoming a Member of Parliament in Canada.
Instead of meeting the individuals, the recent efforts made by Minister of External Affairs Mangala Samaraweera, with the support of the Tamil National Alliance Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran, in directly interacting with prominent Tamil diapsora organizations such as the Global Tamil Forum had been fruitful in the endeavours of strengthening the peace and reconciliation process in the Island.

As the countries including India where the Lankan Tamils have found shelter are adopting a firm stance against terrorism, extending their support to the Island nation defeating the LTTE, Prof. G.L. Peiris' comments on the reemergence of the LTTE, at the Dr. N.M. Perera Centre on Wednesday, highlights nothing but the political bankruptcy of the Joint Opposition he represents.

Ceylon Today

The former Minister of External Affairs was addressing a press briefing arranged by the Joint Opposition at the Dr. N.M. Perera Centre last Wednesday.
After former Minister of Foreign Affairs tha late A.C.S. Hameed it was Professor G.L. Peiris who closely associated with the LTTE theoretician Anton Balasingam and even had the opportunity of meeting the outfit's bigwigs abroad including Viswanathan Rudrakumar, the head of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam when the Norwegian facilitation process was in progress.
As far as breaking the back bone of the LTTE internationally, it was none but the late Lakshman Kadirgamar who played a constructive role, distinguishing the genuine political aspirations of the North and East Tamils from the LTTE's hardcore approach.
Norwegian peace process
When the Norwegian facilitation process was in progress with the support of the co-chair countries such as the European Union, America and Japan, the entire world was focused towards the developments of the talks between the LTTE and the Rajapaksa regime.

Several Tamil diaspora organizations also remained supportive of the peace process initiated by Norway with much anticipation.
However, with the collapse of the peace process and the resumption of war several pro-LTTE organizations abroad were all out to muster support for the outfit which was rapidly losing its grip from the North and the East.
With the annihilation of the LTTE, several Tamil expatriates from abroad extended their support to the previous regime towards finding a durable political solution to the Tamil question and addressing the humanitarian issues of the innocent civilians affected by the war.

Approaching individuals
Some prominent Tamil expatriates were also invited by former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa to Colombo and they were even accommodated at the scenic Mount Lavinia Hotel in Colombo.
Several of those Tamil expatriates were even given a warm reception by the former Defence Secretary and his brother former Minister of Economic Affairs Basil Rajapaksa in Colombo.

Including Prof. G.L. Peiris several former ministers were even made to address those expatriates in order to get round them to gain the support to the previous government from the Tamil diaspora.
The previous government had failed in mustering an extensive support from Tamil diaspora as it had only focused towards tapping the individuals and not the Tamil diaspora organizations.

Furthermore, year 2012 onwards the accusations made against the previous government at the UNHRC sessions in Geneva with regard to alleged war crimes and human rights violations along with three successful US-sponsored resolutions brought against it until 2014 had given the clear picture of the alleged post-war atrocities in the Island not only to the Tamil diaspora but to the international community as well.

No free hand
In his capacity as Minister of External Affairs, Prof. G.L. Peiris was not even given a free hand in tackling the US sponsored resolutions by the previous regime.
As the successful US-resolutions in Geneva had exposed the previous government to the international community to a greater extent, its downfall became inevitable with the remarkable formation of a coalition, forming a new government with the support mainly from the Tamil speaking Northern and the Eastern Provinces.

Mangala's effort
Several Tamil diapsora organizations had even extended their support for the 'good governance' theme of the new government not only at the Presidential Poll in January even at the Parliamentary Poll in August this year.
The Tamil diaspora remains in the 'driving seat' politically influencing the countries they live in. The recent elections in Canada and Britain had even highlighted that the Tamils of Lankan origin remain an invincible force with Garry Anandasangaree, the son of the TULF Leader V. Anandasangaree becoming a Member of Parliament in Canada.
Instead of meeting the individuals, the recent efforts made by Minister of External Affairs Mangala Samaraweera, with the support of the Tamil National Alliance Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran, in directly interacting with prominent Tamil diapsora organizations such as the Global Tamil Forum had been fruitful in the endeavours of strengthening the peace and reconciliation process in the Island.

As the countries including India where the Lankan Tamils have found shelter are adopting a firm stance against terrorism, extending their support to the Island nation defeating the LTTE, Prof. G.L. Peiris' comments on the reemergence of the LTTE, at the Dr. N.M. Perera Centre on Wednesday, highlights nothing but the political bankruptcy of the Joint Opposition he represents.