Tamils for Obama to TNA: Embrace Jayalalithaa
New York, New York (PRWEB) June 30, 2014 -- "There is no substitute for an internationally supervised referendum," said the press spokesman for Tamils for Obama. "Only a carefully done referendum can show what the Tamils wish for their political future in northeast Sri Lanka.
"This is what was done in South Sudan," said the spokesman. "It showed that the people of that region clearly wanted a separation from their violent and oppressive central government. It led to the creation of a new country, South Sudan.
"Some TNA leaders think that most Tamils only want to live in a unified Sri Lanka," said the spokesman. "Sampanthan said so in a letter he wrote to Jayalalithaa, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu."
Jayalalithaa passed a resolution in the TN assembly endorsing a referendum on the future of northeastern Sri Lanka, the letter pointed out. She also made this point when she met new Indian Prime minister Narendra Modi last June 3.
"Jayalalithaa favors the idea of a referendum and so do we," said the spokesman. "We are sure that Sampanthan was wrong, and that Jayalalithaa is right."
Tamils for Obama wrote a letter to MP Premachandran. In it they used an analogy, a comparison that illustrates the Tamils' actual situation in their homeland. The letter said "the Tamils' situation is analogous to a wife who has been persistently beaten by her husband. The wife knows that if she continues to live with her abusive husband, he will revert to his long-time habits. He will continue to beat her. Her intolerable situation will continue without any change. She knows that only living separately will allow her to be safe and secure."
The Tamils are in a situation like that of the abused wife, the letter explained. "The Sinhalese, who control Sri Lanka, have consistently abused and mistreated the unfortunate Tamils in Sri Lanka," the letter said.
"There have been nation-wide, government-directed race riots against the Tamils. There have been laws passed which suppress the Tamils economically, culturally, and legally. Even outside of the ethnic war, Tamils have been murdered and abused. The Tamils have only one option. Like the abused wife who must get out of the house controlled by her cruel husband, the Tamils must get out of the state controlled by the Sinhalese."
"We are confident that Tamils will, almost unanimously, choose a self-governing Tamil Eelam in a referendum," the Tamil spokesman said. "Our Tamil sources in northeastern Sri Lanka are becoming desperate. They are ready to beg India to make northeastern Sri Lanka India's thirtieth state. They are afraid that if they have to remain part of Sri Lanka, they will lose their culture and become Sinhalized."
This is in response to your recent requests for Tamils' opinions on what path the political future of Tamils in the northeast should follow.
We, Tamils for Obama, think that the Tamils' situation is analogous to a wife who has been persistently beaten by her husband. The wife knows that if she continues to live with her abusive husband, he will revert to his previous habits. He will continue to beat her. Her intolerable situation will continue without any change. She knows that only living separately will allow her to be safe and secure.
The Tamils are in a situation similar to that of the abused wife. The Sinhalese, who control Sri Lanka, have consistently abused and mistreated the unfortunate Tamils in Sri Lanka. There have been nation-wide, government-directed race riots against the Tamils. There have been laws passed which suppress the Tamils economically, culturally, and legally. Even outside of the ethnic war, Tamils have been murdered and abused. The Tamils have only one option. Like the abused wife who must get out of the house controlled by her cruel husband, the Tamils must get out of the state controlled by the Sinhalese.
We suggest that there must be a referendum among the Tamils in Sri Lanka and abroad. It will establish clearly the wishes of the Tamils. We agree with Jayalalithaa, that the referendum should be conducted not only among Tamils in Sri Lanka but also among other displaced Tamils across the world.
Tamils for Obama is a politically active group of Tamil Americans. They believe that over 70,000 Tamil civilians were massacred during the last weeks of the Sri Lankan ethnic war. They have also watched the behavior of the Sri Lankan Singhalese victors after the war, and strongly conclude that Tamils in Sri Lanka will only be safe when this unfortunate island is divided into two states.
To read the Tamil version of this press release, click here.
To contact the group, call at (516) 308-2645 and speak to, or leave a message for, the Communication Director, Tamils for Obama.
http://www.TamilsForObama.com
Email: info(at)TamilsforObama(dot)com
Communication Director, Tamils for Obama, http://www.tamilsforobama.com, +1 (516) 308-2645, [email protected]
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