The Global Tamil Forum, an international body comprising of Tamil diaspora groups, has reasserted the position of the diaspora, stating that justice for the deaths of over 40,000 people remains paramount over political negotiations.
Speaking to BBC Sinhala a spokesperson said,
Speaking to BBC Sinhala a spokesperson said,
'If Rajapaksa regime thinks that the Diaspora will compromise on the demand for justice through an independent international investigation into the allegations of crimes committed at the end of the war, then he is wrong.Responding to reports that the Sri Lankan government was to engage in talks with the Tamil diaspora, the GTF said,
We will not barter the justice process to any political negotiations. Over 40,000 of our people were killed, we want to know the truth of what happened and how they perished.'
'As far as we know there is no credible Diaspora organisation that is currently in any talks with the Government of Sri Lanka'The spokesperson further stated,
If (Sri Lankan President) Rajapaksa wanted to resolve the Tamil National Question he could have easily done so by talking with the elected members of the Tamil people the TNA... Nearly 4 years have passed but no genuine efforts have been made by Rajapaksa government in resolving the Tamil National Question.'
'We feel that because of the UN processes that are forthcoming where Rajapaksa government will be answerable to the international community is why he is now coming up with these suggestions of talks in such a rush.'
'Unless the current government recognises that just as there is a Sinhala Nation that there is a Tamil Nation too in that island, there will be little point in talking'On the recent release of KP the spokesperson said,
'Regarding working with KP in Sri Lanka, if someone is doing some good to our people on the ground, what does it matter who does it, we welcome any help. However we certainly are not working with KP. KP is a captured man imprisoned by the Rajapaksa regime.'See the full interview in Sinhala here.