Addressing crowds gathered at the Tamil genocide remembrance event in Mullivaikkal memorial ground today, the chief minister of the Northern Province called on the international community to set up without delay international strategic mechanism to ensure justice.
Declaring May 18 as 'Tamil Genocide Day', Mr Wigneswaran said, "as a group of people who have faced institutional genocide, the international community must come forward to assure us a sustainable political settlement based on our sovereignty, our homelands and our individuality."
"Sri Lanka consented to install a hybrid Inquiry Panel before the world body. Now they refuse to abide by their promise and undertaking. This would point out to the world the manner in which our successive governments for 70 years have deceived and fooled our Tamil people."
"Still steadfast in their Mahawansa oriented perception the Sinhalese politicians consider the Mullivaikal debacle as the end of a Tamil - Sinhala war. That is why commemorative victory festivals are held in the South during this period."
Calling on the military to withdraw completely from the North-East, Mr Wigneswaran said, "the Vanni area has become the citadel for Sinhala colonization. Specially in this Mullaitivu District both land and sea have been seized by force by the Armed Forces."
Concluding his address, Mr Wigneswaran said:
"Next year it would be the tenth anniversary since brutal massacre at Mullivaikal. Let us dedicate 18th of May every year as a day of mourning and as a symbol of our unity. Let us resolve that in the coming years we would bring all interest groups among us together, appoint an appropriate committee devoid of political party affiliations and regional considerations to organize an appropriate Day of Remembrance on 18th May in the coming years. Let us pray for peace to the souls of all those who died in Mullivaikal nine
years ago."
