A coalition of prominent Tamil organisations based in the United States has issued a joint statement calling for an internationally organised and monitored referendum on Tamil Eelam, marking the 50th anniversary of the historic Vaddukoddai Resolution.
Released from Washington, D.C. on May 14, the statement described the Vaddukoddai Resolution as the “definitive expression” of the Tamil nation’s collective political aspirations and reaffirmed the demand for the restoration of an independent Tamil Eelam through democratic means.
“As we commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Vaddukoddai Resolution, we remain steadfast in our belief that the restoration of the State of Tamil Eelam envisioned by the Resolution can be peacefully and democratically re-legitimized through a referendum,” the statement said.
“Therefore, we jointly call for a Tamil Eelam Independence Referendum to be organized, conducted, and monitored by the international community, offering the Tamil people a definitive and democratic path to exercise their right to self-determination.”
The joint statement was issued on behalf of several Tamil organisations including the Federation of Global Tamil Organizations (FGTO), Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America (FeTNA), Ilankai Tamil Sangam (ITS), North American Thamizh National Association, Inc (NATNA) , People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL), Tamil Americans United PAC (Tamil PAC), United States Tamil Action Group(USTAG) and World Thamil Organization (WTO)
The Vaddukoddai Resolution, adopted on May 14, 1976 in Vaddukoddai by the then Tamil United Liberation Front leadership and major Tamil political actors, formally called for “the restoration and reconstitution of the Free, Sovereign, Secular, Socialist State of Tamil Eelam” based on the right of self-determination inherent to every nation.
The resolution emerged after decades of state discrimination against Tamils, including disenfranchisement, standardisation policies affecting education, anti-Tamil pogroms, land colonisation and the erosion of political agreements. It later became the political foundation for the Tamil national movement and received an overwhelming mandate from Tamil voters during the 1977 parliamentary elections.
In the statement, the organisations argued that the Tamil nation’s sovereignty was historically undermined following the fall of the Jaffna Kingdom to Portuguese colonial forces in 1619 and further eroded under British rule after the island was administratively unified in 1833 without Tamil consent.
The statement further accused successive Sri Lankan governments of violently suppressing Tamil political aspirations, culminating in the mass atrocities of 2009, with a large scale Tamil genocide. It also highlighted ongoing militarisation, land seizures and the destruction of Tamil heritage sites in the North-East.
Referencing the Sixth Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution, introduced in 1983, the organisations stated that even peaceful advocacy for Tamil self-determination had effectively been criminalised by depriving Tamils of their freedom of speech.
The statement also traced the growing international calls for a referendum on Tamil Eelam since 2009. Among the developments highlighted were diaspora-led referendums in several countries, a 2013 resolution passed unanimously by the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly demanding a UN-monitored referendum, and a 2018 resolution adopted by the Northern Provincial Council urging UN member states to facilitate such a process.
The organisations additionally referenced recent political support for a referendum, including the current Tamil Nadu CM Vijay and his party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam passing a resolution in 2024 backing a referendum for Eelam Tamils. They also pointed to a January 2026 joint letter by five US Members of Congress supporting the Tamil people’s right to self-determination and endorsing a democratic referendum as a path towards a permanent political settlement.
The statement concluded by insisting that the Tamil national question could only be resolved through international legal mechanisms and sustained international involvement, arguing that Tamil aspirations for self-determination “cannot be ignored or discarded but must be respected.”
“A referendum represents the legitimate, peaceful, and legal avenue to uphold the principles enshrined in the Vaddukoddai Resolution,” the statement added.
The statement was released alongside announcements for a virtual commemoration event marking the 50th anniversary of the Vaddukoddai Resolution, organised by several Tamil diaspora organisations in the United States. The event, scheduled for Thursday evening (May 14) in the US, is expected to feature speeches from the prime minister of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam V Rudrakumaran, and Tamil political activists including Velan Swamigal, Earnest Rajakone, Dr Cheran, Meena Ilancheyan, and Fr Jegathas, focusing on self-determination, international accountability and renewed calls for a referendum on Tamil Eelam.
See the full text of the statement below.
