The former Chief Minister of the Northern Province C V Wigneswaran told the international community that the Tamil people can “no longer tolerate” the injustices that they continue to face, in a. Speech that also appealed to the Sinhala people of the south.

“It is not possible to tolerate such injustices and repressive activities anymore,” said Wigneswaran, a former Sri Lankan Supreme Court judge. “It is to tell the world at large we will not cow down to such unreasonable actions on the part of successive governments." 

“All attempts by the international community to bring Sri Lanka before the Human Rights Council under an accountability mechanism on account of the war crimes and crimes against humanity have failed,” he added. “The removal of the GSP Tax Exemption given to Sri Lanka by the European Union has not deterred the Sri Lankan government pursuing its anti human rights’ course.”

“The successive governments of Sri Lanka have been able to deceive the international community as well as the Tamils, and continue up to date with its genocidal pursuits.”

His speech, at the Ezhuka Tamil rally in Jaffna earlier today, also appealed to the Sinhala people.

“It is time our Sinhala brother and sisters found out the truth about what has happened so far,” he added. “History has been distorted, truth has been blunted, our people have been branded as terrorists and extremists and many of them have been found guilty and punished under a law which goes contrary to our general principles of law. It is time our Sinhala brothers and sisters looked upon these criminal activities of their successive governments with shame and regret.” 

“Our Sinhala brothers and sisters must realise the falsity of the statements, activities and behaviour of their successive governments so far and choose to help their Tamil brethren so that they would find light at the end of the tunnel.”

See the full text of his speech below.