DiasporaTamils on TamilEelam

DiasporaTamils on TamilEelam

A Government in Exile the Gateway to a Global Community

By: Satheesan Kumaaran

Courtesy: The Tamil Mirror

Diaspora Tamils on Tamil Eelam

Diaspora Tamils have passed a resolution recently after Sri Lanka claimed military victory, which resolved that restoration and

reconstitution of the Free, Sovereign, Secular Socialist State of Tamil Eelam, based on the right of self-determination inherent to

every nation, has become inevitable in order to safeguard the very existence of the Tamil nation in this country.

And whereas it further declared

(a) that the State of TAMIL EELAM shall consist of the people of the Northern and Eastern provinces and shall also ensure

full and equal rights of citizenship of the State of TAMIL EELAM to all Tamil speaking people living in any part of

Ceylon and to Tamils of EELAM origin living in any part of the world who may opt for citizenship of TAMIL EELAM.

(b) that the constitution of TAMIL EELAM shall be based on the principle of democratic decentralization so as to ensure

the non-domination of any religious or territorial community of TAMIL EELAM by any other section.

© that in the state of Tamil Eelam caste shall be abolished and the observance of the pernicious practice of untouchability or inequality

of any type based on birth shall be totally eradicated and its observance in any form punished by law.

(d) that TAMIL EELAM shall be secular state giving equal protection and assistance to all religions to which the people of the state

may belong.

(e) that Tamil shall be the language of the State but the rights of Sinhalese speaking minorities in Tamil Eelam to education

and transaction of business in their language shall be protected on a reciprocal basis with the Tamil speaking minorities

in the Sinhala State.

(f) that Tamil Eelam shall be a Socialist State wherein the exploitation of man by man shall be forbidden,

the dignity of labour shall be recognized, the means of production and distribution shall be subject to public ownership

and control while permitting private enterprise in these branches within limit prescribed by law,

economic development shall be on the basis of socialist planning and there shall be a ceiling on the total wealth that any individual

of family may acquire.

Further, Diaspora Tamils declared the establishment of the Government of the Democratic Republic of Tamil Eelam in Exile.

The Government in exile shall function until the coming into force of the constitution framed by the Constituent Assembly,

as hereinafter set out. The citizens of the Republic shall, upon our return to Eelam, have the power to frame a Constitution by an elected

Constituent Assembly and to vote at a referendum, whether or not the Republic should enter into any confederal or other arrangements

with any other nation. The election of the Constituent Assembly and the conduct of the referendum shall be subject to

international observation. Without prejudice to the ultimate power of the said Constituent Assembly to decide the qualifications

required for citizenship, all persons, irrespective of whether they belonged to the Tamil, Muslim, Sinhala or any other community,

who were domiciled in Tamil Eelam on or before 4 February 1948 and their descendents shall,

irrespective of the country where they now reside, be deemed to be citizens of the Republic.

However, only persons of or above the age of 16 years shall be eligible to register in the electoral register and to vote.

The Republic shall be a secular, pluralistic, and democratic state. The Tamil speaking Muslims of Eelam will have their own Canton

consisting of non-contiguous areas exercising autonomous powers over their affairs, except for certain specific powers reserved

for the central Government. The Sinhala speaking and all other ethnic citizens of Eelam will have equal rights,

including the right to communicate with the Government in their own language. The Republic of Eelam will have a legislative assembly,

judiciary and executive. There will be a separation of powers enshrined in the constitution. The judiciary will be completely independent

of the legislative assembly and the executive. Political Parties will be allowed to be formed and contest at elections

to the legislative assembly.

The first election will be conducted under international observation. Any Tamil-speaking person living in any part of the world,

who does not qualify to be a citizen, shall be entitled to obtain Persons of Tamil Speaking Origin (PTSO) status

by making an application to the government. Upon acceptance of their application, PTSO cards will be issued.

A PTSO card holder will be entitled to carry on any business and make any investments in the Republic.

All persons who were settled by the Sri Lankan government under colonization schemes after 04 February 1948,

shall not be entitled to citizenship. However, the status of all other persons, irrespective of the community to which they belong,

who were domiciled in Eelam after 04 February 1948, shall be set out in or under the constitution formulated by the Constituent Assembly.

Human Rights shall be enshrined in the constitution and there shall be established an independent

Human Rights Commission, with jurisdiction to inquire into any violation of human rights.

Powers of Tamil Eelam government

The government of the Republic of Tamil Eelam in Exile has full plenary powers over all the land of Eelam,

and over the territorial sea adjacent to the land and the air space above, in accordance with the international law.

This includes natural resources under the sea bed and land mass. It shall be the duty of the Government in Exile to achieve Tamil Diasporas

return to Eelam, through peaceful means, with the support and assistance of the International Community and Tamil Diasporas.

The Government in Exile shall be entitled to establish a Diplomatic Mission or an Eelam Economic and Cultural Office, in any country.

There shall be established a Parliament of the Democratic Republic of Tamil Eelam in Exile. The Parliament shall consist of members elected

by Electoral Colleges, as hereinafter set out. The Parliament shall elect an executive body, consisting of a President and a Cabinet of Ministers

not exceeding eight persons, from among the members of Parliament. The primary function of the President, Cabinet of ministers and members

of Parliament shall be to achieve the return to Eelam, through peaceful means, with the support and assistance of the International Community

and of Tamil Diasporas. They shall be entitled to exercise all such powers as may be necessary and incidental for such purpose,

including the formulation of an interim Constitution.

Whatever is finally agreed upon should have long term and short term prospects of success and should be pragmatic.

The author can be reached at e-mail: satheesan_kumaaran@yahoo.com