Facebook icon
Twitter icon
e-mail icon

LTTE leader's words have become a reality in Sri Lanka, Tamil lawmaker tells parliament

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian S Sritharan told Sri Lanka’s parliament last week that the words of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader V Prabhakaran have “become a reality in Sri Lanka,” as he spoke on the murder of a Sinhala protestor by police.

Speaking in parliament, Sritharan paid tribute to Chaminda Lakshan who was shot dead by Sri Lankan police last week. He went on to quote Prabhakaran to parliament, stating,

“The National Leader of LTTE Prabhakaran in many instances said “I am not against the Sinhalese public. I respect their history and cultural as well as traditional identities. However, the guns pointed towards us will be turned into your side one day. One day the Sinhalese will be murdered in the same way as we are being murdered today. On that day the Sinhalese public will see your real faces”.

“These prophetic words of that National Leader Prabhakaran has become a reality in Sri Lanka at the moment.”

Sritharan also added a “passionate” call to Sri Lanka’s protestors, as anti-government demonstrations continue in the South.

"During our struggle you all, or rather the Sinhala youth of Sri Lanka, were silent or were made to be silent,” he said. “I would like to request you to revisit the same period in 2009 when we were slaughtered en masse. In that year, the mass slaughter of Tamils was celebrated in Sinhalese areas with fire crackers. Emotionally charged Sinhalese people were waving the lion flag and distributed milk rice to celebrate the sufferings of Tamils. A large scale Tamil genocide was staged under the guise of eradicating terrorism. Sinhalese youth perceived this terrorism narrative.”

“As much as we would like to join you in this struggle, there are certain questions that prevent it,” he added. “What would be your stance after the current shortages of electricity, fuel and cooking gas were restored or become normal? What would be your stance once the Rajapaksa clan are removed from governance once and for all? How would you treat the Tamil nation? What message would you convey to the Tamil community? These are the apprehensions we have.”

"I must request every Sinhalese son and daughter to understand the fact that North and East are traditional homelands of Tamils," he had said earlier. "The Tamil community had longed the Sinhalese to realize this undeniable and proven truth. We are eager to join hand in hand with Sinhalese community when you recognize this reality."

Read the full translated text of his speech below.

_____

Honorable Speaker! Today is April 21, a day of remembrance for the unjust massacre of innocent worshippers in churches. It was a day when innocent human lives were snatched in this country in such a cruel manner.  The human race must put their heads in shame for that.

April 21 is one of the many bloodstained historical days in the records of Sri Lanka.  However, it is said to have centered on an individual named Zahran… But various actions and activities taking place confirm that there were calculated political schemes and agendas behind the attacks.

Many innocent people were killed. They were killed at Kochchikade in Colombo and in Batticaloa it was at the Zion Church.  People killed are in several districts such as Chilaw, Negombo, Colombo and Batticaloa.  The Honorable Speaker, among those who were killed, the majority were Tamils. These unjust, sadistic and macabre killings have taken place in the churches. It's been 3 years since we last recorded this.

However, what is unfortunate is the government of Sri Lanka has not yet been able to find answers such as who are the mastermind behind the attacks, their motive and the perpetrators who carried out the crime, despite the sophisticated intelligence network of the police and the army.

Even this morning the Hon'ble Minister said that they have arrested many people involved in the crime.  It is further said 700 people have been interrogated, 154 people spotted while 94 are still in custody. But it is very unfortunate that we have not yet seen an unambiguous clear report about the tragedy.  In this twenty first century and in the history of our time it is unfathomable why this human tragedy cannot be thoroughly investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice.

I must also add that a Sinhala brother was killed in Rambukkana in the Kegalle district the day before yesterday. We extend our condolences for his death in this House. People of this country are fighting a struggle in the length and breadth of Sri Lanka urging the Rajapaksa family to leave the country for good. 

They are telling them, “You are unworthy of this country”, “You cannot govern it justly”, “It is why we are fighting in the streets asking you to get out”.

The Sinhala brother of Rambukkana in Kagalle was also one of such protesters.  It was during the protest, the police chased after the public and opened fire.  In the process, this young man lost his life.

While we condemn this inhuman state terrorism, we express our deepest condolences in this house for the slain Sinhalese brother. 

Dear Speaker, this country is now in state… of social unrest.  This country is not under the right leadership. At the end of 2009, a great human catastrophe took place in Sri Lanka which ashamed the whole world.

There was a massacre in Kantalai where more than 150 Tamil were mercilessly hacked to death.   Sinhala police were watching when innocent Tamils ​​were being hacked to death by their fellow Sinhalese citizens. This was how the genocide against Tamil was “inaugurated” in Sri Lanka. You might be aware a series of genocides unleashed in this country in the years 1977, 1981 and 1983. You might have witnessed these genocides. However, no any government or a political leadership extended its apology to these genocides throughout the history of this country.  

The Tamil community voted for General Sarath Fonseka who contested as the common candidate in the presidential poll conducted in 2010. These votes were casted against the Rajapksa Clan. Likewise, the Tamils en masse voted for Mr. Maithiripala Sirisena, who defected from the Rajpaksa regime. This was also with the intention of not allowing Rajapaksa to gain power. In the same way, the Tamil exercised their franchise against the present president during the presidential poll in 2019. The Tamils voted against the Rajpaksa clan throughout history as they considered the Rajapaksa clan is not capable of governing this country, being perpetrators of genocide. It was clearly visible in the voting pattern of Tamils.

I would like to make a passionate call to the brothers and sisters who have been protesting on the roads. We ourselves had engaged in similar protests for a very long time. During our struggle you all, or rather the Sinhala youth of Sri Lanka, were silent or were made to be silent. Honorable Speaker! I would like to request you to revisit the same period in 2009 when we were slaughtered en masse. In that year, the mass slaughter of Tamils was celebrated in Sinhalese areas with fire crackers. Emotionally charged Sinhalese people were waving the lion flag and distributed milk rice to celebrate the sufferings of Tamils. A large scale Tamil genocide was staged under the guise of eradicating terrorism. Sinhalese youth perceived this terrorism narrative.

Finally, an era has dawned for the Sinhalese community to realize the truth. This is my call to my beloved Sinhalese brothers and sisters. Tamils are the native inhabitant of this country. The North-East is our traditional homeland. Our history in this country was not started as settlers. We are also the equal owners of this land. Even before the arrival of Vijayan to Sri Lanka, the Tamils had lived in this country as Iyakka and Naga clans with quintuple Eeswarams. Thereafter only, the Sinhala language and  Sinhalese community came into existence. Hence I must request every Sinhalese son and daughter to understand the fact that North and East are traditional homelands of Tamils. The Tamil community had longed the Sinhalese to realize this undeniable and proven truth. We are eager to join hand in hand with Sinhalese community when you recognize this reality. 

As much as we would like to join you in this struggle, there are certain questions that prevent it. What would be your stance after the current shortages of electricity, fuel and cooking gas were restored or become normal? What would be your stance once the Rajapaksa clan are removed from governance once and for all? How would you treat the Tamil nation? What message would you convey to the Tamil community? These are the apprehensions we have. My dear brothers and sister! You have to accept and recognize us, the Tamil community, as natural citizens and not as naturalized citizens of this country. I want to reiterate this again and again. When will we get this message of acceptance from you and declare it publicly?

Honorable Speaker! The country’s blood is boiling. The engine of the country has become inactive. Even you as the Speaker are unable to take a decision. We are not able to run this parliament efficiently in the interest of the people to which it is created for. This august assembly is at loss to undertake its functions truthfully and efficiently. The focus of the whole world is on this imbroglio. If this great assembly is not in a position to take strong decisions, how will the history of this country will get shaped up?

Honorable Speaker! If this country needs a fair solution, we have to understand the point where this problem started. When Tamil leaders started the non-violent and peaceful protest at Galle Face under the leadership of Great Selva in 1956, the government unleashed police and Sinhalese mob to disrupt the peaceful protest by attacking them with baton charges. The bleeding protesters evacuated from this protest cite. I urge the Honorable Speaker to think about the contrasting repetition of the history. The late Mr. Amirthalingam stated in this very assembly that he had come to this assembly with bleeding wounds during one of his addresses. He was mocked by the then president Mr. J.R. Jeyawardane.  

These are our past histories in this country. Mr. J.R. Jeyawardane waged a war against civilians in the banner “if it is war, be it a war, if it is peace, be it peace”. Even R. Premadasa, the successor of J.R. Jeyawardana did not treat the Tamils with integrity. Mr. D.P. Wijethunga, the successor of R. Premadasa infamously described Sinhalese as a tree and Tamils as creepers that tree. An ethnicity with equal language status, status for a nation, unique cultural and traditional identities was continually neglected and excluded from this country. That is our unfortunate history. You can see how the history has changed now. The National Leader of LTTE Prabhakaran in many instances said “I am not against the Sinhalese public. I respect their history and cultural as well as traditional identities. However, the guns pointed towards us will be turned into your side one day. One day the Sinhalese will be murdered in the same way as we are being murdered today. On that day the Sinhalese public will see your real faces”. These prophetic words of that National Leader Prabhakaran has become a reality in Sri Lanka at the moment.

Honorable Speaker! Consider your brother or sister martyred during a war and buried in a peaceful place. Will you allow a Tamil Army to march on this burial site with boots and destroy this holy site? How would this nation react to such an act? How would the Sinhalese feel about this barbaric act? This is the very thing happening to us. This is the very thing happening in front of your eyes. Think about camps set up above the burial sites of our martyrs, be it Mulliavalai or Koppay. Honorable Speaker and the brothers and sisters engaged in these protests! More than 60,000 of our own brother and sisters are peacefully resting in burial sites of the martyrs. These sites are being desecrated by the Sri Lankan army trampling with heavy boots on their feet. This country will never be at peace so long as the barbaric desecration lasts on the souls of the martyrs. 

I urge you to get the army that are occupying such burial sites withdrawn. Make a history by allowing public to pay homage to these holy souls. Then only will we be able to shape history of this country in a right direction. Please accept our fair and just struggle.

Honorable Speaker, please allow me to continue for one more minute. There is a bloodshed in this country, violence has resumed once again. Please stop this bloodshed. We urge this for the sake of Sinhalese community. We are ready to go hand in hand with Sinhalese people in this protest. However, this is possible when our nation is recognized and our uniqueness as Tamils and Sinhalese are honestly maintained. When we get this recognition and assurance, we can join hands to build this wounded country. I would like to present this message strongly. History can never have gaps in its flow. It will go whichever direction it wants. I urge you to read history in a proper and honest perspective and prepare for an amicably acceptable solution.

Thank you

We need your support

Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.

Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view

We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.

For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.