The Northern Province Chief Minister, C. V. Wigneswaran, has stressed that comprehensive autonomy for Tamils in the North-East is the only way of recovering from the effects of genocide.

“For the well-being of Tamils in our country, the Tamil people must attain self-rule,” Mr Wigneswaran said while addressing the annual conference of the Federation of Tamil Sangams in North America (FeTNA).

Speaking of the genocide resolution recently passed by the Northern Provincial Council, Mr Wigneswaran said:

“Several of my Sinhalese friends asked how I, with my interest in humanitarianism and spirituality, could have allowed such a resolution to pass. To that I replied that I had passed this resolution because of my commitment to humanitarianism and spirituality.”

“How can anyone with any humanity accept the massacre of humans that occurs to this day?”

“How can anyone with any spirituality say that we must go forward by forgetting everything that has happened over all these years?”

On the need for Tamil autonomy, Mr Wigneswaran said:

 “Today we live under the sixth amendment. Talking about any division in the country, acting upon those ideas or supporting them is forbidden by law, under section 157a.”

“Taking into account our unique identity and traditional lands, we asked for comprehensive regional powers to be granted to us within an undivided Sri Lanka. It was on this basis that people voted for us. The South continued to oppose even our most reasonable demands.”

Mr Wigneswaran said that he faced criticism from the South for focusing on atrocities committed by the government and Sri Lankan army.

“To that I responded that the cause of our youth taking up arms were your governments and armies. Their oppressive tyranny created this war. The distrust in your politics made our youth instead pick up weapons.”

“In my view, any form of repression, or violence or force should be avoided in life. However when a perpetrator of genocide inflicts these things upon a race, they are also accountable for the victims’ counter-resistance.”

“What happened in our nation was not merely a social crisis but genocide.”

Mr Wigneswaran also highlighted the new government’s reluctance to discuss plans for the North-East’s economic advancement, including increasing possibilities for trade links for India.

“The politicians of the South fear an undesirable result in the polls if they say anything in favour of Tamils,” he said.

Northern Provincial Chief Minister C. V. Wigneswaran will be delivering a special address on Friday, July 17th in London at the International Association of Tamil Journalists’ (IATAJ) annual lecture and cultural evening. See event details here.