5TH LEAD

TESO resolution calls for UN Referendum

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 August 2012, 18:56 GMT]
Announcing the question of Eezham Tamils as a South Asian Human Rights issue, a UN referendum should be conducted among Tamils, demanded the resolution of the TESO conference convened at the YMCA grounds at Rayappettai in Chennai on Sunday. India should work at the UN to bring in a resolution facilitating Eezham Tamils to choose their political solution, the conference resolved. The resolutions of the conference demanded action on the war criminals in the island and removal of Sri Lankan military from the territories of Tamils. The resolutions also demanded immediate removal of the Sinhalese forcefully colonised in Tamil Eelam and in Tamil territories. On the treatment of refugees in India, the conference demanded the Indian government to adhere to the UN conventions.

The TESO conference has neither dropped the phrase Eezham Tamils nor the phrase Tamil Eelam, in the resolutions. It was using the word Ilangkai in Tamil in some instances of indicating the entire island and often stopped at the word Tamil in generally noting territory, rehabilitation etc.

The resolutions were originally made in Tamil.

However, the English translators of the resolution, even though did not drop the usages Eezham Tamils and Tamil Eezham, were knowingly or unknowingly inconsistent in rendering the word ‘Eezham’ into English and in translating ‘Ilangkai’ into ‘Sri Lanka’ in the text.

In the given circumstances of sensitivity in terminology, TESO should have avoided ambiguity by the translators, the participants of TESO conference told TamilNet.

The original version of the resolutions read in Tamil in the conference should be taken as the authentic one, the participants contributing to the resolutions said.

The conference resolutions demanded the release of all Tamil political prisoners in the island.

The resolutions particularly addressed the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to work on releasing the languishing Tamil refugees in the detention of several countries.

The resolutions addressed the UN to enforce Sri Lanka government bringing in normalcy in the Tamil territories.

The resolutions also demanded multinational supervision arrangement of rehabilitation in the Tamil territories.

TESO voiced against the annihilation of Tamil language identity in the island.

On the question of refugees in India the conference resolutions said that they should be considered for either citizenship or permanent resident status, following the UN norms in this regard.

The conference resolved for not giving training to Sri Lanka’s military in any part of India.

The resolutions wanted to put an end to the slaughter of Tamil Nadu fishermen by retrieving Kachchatheevu in the Palk Bay from Sri Lanka. The resolutions also wanted India to set up a naval base at Thanush-koadi or at Ma’ndapam in the Adam’s Bridge area.

The TESO conference condemned the threat of the Colombo government against the participants and the hindrances caused to the conference by the AIADMK government in Chennai.

When the question of denouncing the 13th Amendment was discussed at the pre-public session of the conference, Mr. Karunanidhi's daughter, Ms. Kanimozhi and Mr Supaveera Pandian, one of the conveners of the conference, wanted circumvention of the issue, the participants said.

When Ms. Kanimozhi asked what was the problem with the 13th Amendment, there was nobody to counter her with substantial argument, thanks to the reluctance or sabotage of right shades of representation, the observers of the conference said.

However, the absence of any mention of the 13th Amendment or the LLRC implementation already pleaded by elements behind some of the conveners itself is a significant get-away from hurdles that was achieved by the TESO conference, the observers of the conference said.

The achievement is significant, given the circumstances of orchestrated efforts by New Delhi, Colombo and the ICE – International Community of Establishments – operated outfits in the West, the observers further said.

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