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Tamil politicians should reject constitution that doesn't recognise Tamil homeland - Tamil Lawyers Forum

Tamil parliamentarians should reject the proposed new consitution for Sri Lanka as it does not recognise the North-East as the Tamil homeland, Tamil lawyers have urged.

Having been elected both in Northern Provincial Council elections in 2013 and parliamentary elections in 2015, on the basis of campaigns which clearly stated that the North-East was the inseparable and indisputable homeland of the Tamils, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) should not act against the people's mandate, Tamil Lawyers Forum said in a statement on Wednesday.

"If Tamil leaders express support for a consitution which weakens Tamils by dividing their homeland, this will send out the false message that Tamils are satisfied with the current political situation in Sri Lanka," the forum said.

This would be another obstacle in the Tamil struggle for a just and lasting political solution, and would also make it more difficult to fight for accountability for the genocide of Tamils, for demilitarisation and land-release, for the release of Tamil political prisoners and for answers about the thousands of forcibly disappeared.

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