The Sri Lankan government spent billions to commit genocide, said Tamil National People’s Front lawmaker S Kajendran in parliament earlier this month, stating that funds from the two million-strong Tamil diaspora could allow the whole island to flourish if the state was willing to accept Tamil nationhood.

Speaking in parliament, Kajendran slammed Sri Lankan politicians for plundering "people, natural resources and other wealth to the bottom and fattened their own pockets," as well as destroying the economy of the North-East. 

"In May 2009 after committing a genocide in the provinces, you celebrated that genocide as a great triumph," he added. "Thereafter even during the past 13 years and until now the economy of the North-East was systematically destroyed by the two governments that ruled this country, be it Rajapaksa’s or the government of ‘good governance’."  

He went on to say that "over 2 million Tamils ​​who were forced flee the country due to the incessant racist activities against them in their own country they were born in".

"If they can bring those funds into this country, the country could be salvaged from the current crisis," he continued, but said the Sri Lankan state feared Tamils "fighting for their political emancipation".

"We ask you to fulfill our demands. Change the unitary system of governance of this country. Dig and bury the Buddhist racist ideology once and for all.  Recognize the Tamil nation and introduce a new constitution."

"During the war you spent billions to carry out genocide on us Tamils wheareas our national leader Prabhakaran used only one-third of the diaspora fund for our own defence. The money you spent for the genocide of Tamils is 30 times more than what Prabhakaran spent for our defence."

"The people of the diaspora are now prepared to contribute to our country the funds that were earlier given to save the race through freedom struggle. The condition for that is our nation must be recognized."

Read the full text of his translated speech below.

The Honourable Leader of the House, 

Today's discussion is about the report on the talks held by the Hon'ble Minister of Finance with the IMF. This country is facing an unprecedented economic crisis. GDP has fallen while foreign exchange reserves have depleted alarmingly. Due to these two reasons, the people are undergoing untold hardships. The current rulers have illegally looted billions of rupees belonging to the people and made this country bankrupt. The people who are fighting on the streets in the length and breadth of the country openly refer to this stark fact. It (looting) has been their primary slogan ever since they started the protest a month ago.

The opposition also says the same thing.  But, if we see whether the government or the opposition has the experience gained in the span of the last 74 years and a sincere mindset to solve this problem, it is definitely not there, especially with those who ruled this country for 40 years.

The governments in power one after the other denied flatly the rights of the Tamils and convinced the Sinhala masses that the Tamils were going to divide the country into two. They portrayed themselves as the saviours of the Buddhist religion and true patriots of the Sinhala language.  Using the emotions of the Sinhalese people, they (Sinhala politicians) wanted to make Sri Lanka an exclusive Sinhala Buddhist country with no place for any other community, let alone Tamils.

With this hegemonic and racist agenda, the governments that were elected to govern this country plundered its people, natural resources and other wealth to the bottom and fattened their own pockets.  

During the successive tenures of governments, the economy of the North East was destroyed to the maximum in a well-planned manner.      

Particularly speaking, in May 2009 after committing a genocide in the provinces, you celebrated that genocide as a great triumph. Thereafter even during the past 13 years and until now the economy of the North-East was systematically destroyed by the two governments that ruled this country, be it Rajapaksa’s or the government of ‘good governance’. Even though two-thirds of Sri Lanka's seas are in the North-East, the insidious activities of these two governments have prevented the Tamils from making their legitimate economic progress from the sea area within their reach. Although nearly two million Tamils have migrated and domiciled abroad due to persecution, their efforts to bring their earnings to the provinces have been continuously thwarted in a planned manner. During this period, the total allocation for military expenditure was 14 percent to 15 percent. Of this percentage of expenditure, three fourth have been used to suppress and oppress the Tamils in the North-East.  Due to this action, the Tamils who had the economic strength to contribute to developing the country became helpless. Aside from this, their economic growth was systematically destroyed. 

Even today, the proposals put forward by the Hon'ble Minister of Finance to address this problem are never going to be fulfilled, because he proposed the 20th Amendment during his tenure as the Minister of Finance for the last one and a half years. 

The 20th amendment comfortably paved the way for the looters to loot more but never did it help establish reconciliation or rebuild the country. Similarly, the 19th Amendment is about to be brought back. Even when it (the 19th Amendment) was in force, money worth billions of rupees were looted. Ultimately, when a no-confidence motion was brought in parliament against the looters, they were defended.  They were defended even in the no-confidence motions that were to be brought in Parliament against them.

As can be seen, these approaches, actions and attitudes did not contribute to the progress of the country.  So far as we are concerned, even the decision you have taken now has not been helpful either. Therefore, unless you get rid of the racist mindset and attitudes, there will be no future for this country at all. While we reiterate this point, we would like to say the comments the opposition parties are making against the “governing” party are quite appealing and encouraging to the masses. When the protesting public learns such a colossal amount of their (people’s) money has been robbed by the governments, especially since 2005 and the current ruling family, the people’s determination and fighting spirit will definitely be further heightened.

However, this has happened before as well. During the government of good governance when the opposition spoke about the central bank bond scandal, they painted a picture that they have exposed a big fraud committed by the government and convinced the people that they (Opposition) would wipe out corruption altogetther if they came to power. 

But, what happened eventually?  Those who came to power looted billions and billons of people’s money the amount of which surpassed many folds than the previous regime robbed. To hide their crime of theivery, they made the people believe that the:

• The International community was going to hang the country’s national heros,
• The Tamils are going to capture the whole country,
• The Sinhalese are going to lose their country forever. 

These slogans and taglines have been the sole investment for them to stay in power throughout.

Therefore, you should change this negative trend.

The over 2 million Tamils ​​who were forced flee the country due to the incessant racist activities against them in their own country they were born in, have become a massive diaspora possessing billions worth of assets in their countries of adoption.

If they can bring those funds into this country the country could be salvaged from the current crisis.  But there is no idea of ​​trying to bring in funds from the diaspora.  They (the government and racist elements) do not want to talk about bringing Tamil diaspora’s money into the country because they (Sinhala racist politicians) fear that the Tamil, as well as Sinhala masses, will know the financial strength of the Tamil diaspora and it will encourage them (Tamils) to fight for their political emancipation.

Hence you are careful not to touch it. We ask you to fulfil our demands. Change the unitary system of governance of this country. Dig and bury the Buddhist racist ideology once and for all.  Recognize the Tamil nation and introduce a new constitution. The 21st Amendment, which is supposed to bring back the forthcoming 19th Amendment, will never save you from this crisis.

The intended exercise will again lead to another party seizing power and that party will continue to pursue those policies. Therefore, you have to change your 74-year trajectory if this country is to emerge as a decent nation. Immediately stop enslaving the Tamils ​​by removing the military presence in the Tamil areas and thereby allow them to continue their economic progress without impediments.

If you can recognize our Tamil nation by ending the unitary status of the country and are able to introduce federal governance, the billions and billions of foreign monies of the two million Tamil diaspora will be invested in the development of the North-East and in the process, the whole country will flourish.

During the war, you spent billions to carry out genocide on us Tamils whereas our national leader Prabhakaran used only one-third of the diaspora fund for our own defence. The money you spent for the genocide of Tamils is 30 times more than what Prabhakaran spent for our defence.

The people of the diaspora are now prepared to contribute to our country the funds that were earlier given to save the race through freedom struggle. The condition for that is our nation must be recognized.

We take this opportunity to thank Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Honourable Stalin for coming forward to aid this country to ease the unprecedented economic crisis being experienced now.  We indeed welcome this magnanimous gesture and are indeed pleased about it.   At the same time, we want to make a humble plea.  It is this.   You can provide only a limited amount of assistance for food.  Instead, we request you to make available to us the wherewithal to catch the fish and not the fish itself. 

In conclusion, we plead that you must use your good offices with the Union Government of India by pressuring it to get the unitary status of government in Sri Lanka abolished and recognise the Tamil nation.