(TGTE Press Release, 19 04 2011) - The Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) has declared May 18th as “National Mourning Day of Tamil Eelam” to remember the days when the genocide unleashed by the government of Sri Lanka on Eelam Tamils culminated in the massacres in Mullivaaikkal. The week of 12-18 May preceding the day of mourning has also been chosen as Memorial Week to commemorate every year the immense suffering endured by the Tamil Nation and to grieve the losses and reawaken our dreams of freedom.
The proposal regarding the National Day of Mourning first put forward to the Assembly of the TGTE as a Private Member’s Bill by Mrs Jeyamathy Sivasothy, was debated by the Assembly and, following amendments, it was adopted by majority vote on an electronic voting process. This Resolution 11-001 therefore becomes the first Bill to be passed by TGTE according to its own legislative processes. It is momentous that the first ever Bill to be enacted by the TGTE concerns itself with marking an event of historic significance in the freedom struggle of Eelam Tamils.
Press Release:
April 19, 2011
May 18 – National Mourning Day of Tamil Eelam
The Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) has declared May 18th as “National Mourning Day of Tamil Eelam” to remember the days when the genocide unleashed by the government of Sri Lanka on Eelam Tamils culminated in the massacres in Mullivaaikkal. The week of 12-18 May preceding the day of mourning has also been chosen as Memorial Week to commemorate every year the immense suffering endured by the Tamil Nation and to grieve the losses and reawaken our dreams of freedom.
The proposal regarding the National Day of Mourning first put forward to the Assembly of the TGTE as a Private Member’s Bill by Mrs Jeyamathy Sivasothy, was debated by the Assembly and, following amendments, it was adopted by majority vote on an electronic voting process. This Resolution 11-001 therefore becomes the first Bill to be passed by TGTE according to its own legislative processes. It is momentous that the first ever Bill to be enacted by the TGTE concerns itself with marking an event of historic significance in the freedom struggle of Eelam Tamils.
Mullivaaikkal will long be retained as a collective memory in Tamil history. In the same way as the Nazi Holocaust evokes a collective memory among the Jews, Mullivaaikkal will continue to be a vivid collective memory, not just for Eelam Tamils but to the greater Tamil populace around the world. It would remain as a bloody witness to the genocide of Tamils.
The legacy of atrocities and traumatic experiences carried as collective memory has the potential to remain inscribed for generations amongst a people, and it has the capacity also to shape their history. The birth of the Jewish state happened following the Nazi Holocaust. The Palestinian people’s desire for a state of their own in the future would eventuate only because they retain their collective memory of the lived experience of oppression as the very base of their political movement. Eelam Tamils’ struggle for freedom is no different from these examples.
The genocide that took place in Mullivaaikkal and the events that followed it continue to reinforce the need for the creation of the free state of Tamil Eelam in our homeland. There is sufficient recognition in international law about offering protection to a nation exposed to genocide and for it to seek justice through the creation of a separate state. The same laws also allow for nations to reach statehood through asserting their right to self determination. But these laws are only ever translated into action when the powerful states in this world so desire. The choices made by such states seem to be guided by self interest more than by a sense of justice and fairness. Such a world order under which we have embarked on the journey towards freedom remains as an important challenge confronting the Tamil struggle today.
Taking up this challenge demands that we engage ourselves in a variety of inter-related manouvres of a political and diplomatic kind to gain the attention of the international community. We should pay heed to the ways in which the interests of Tamil Eelam and the interests of the powerful states in the world could be made to align well. We, as a people continuously being denied justice, need to position ourselves in front of the conscience of the world and vigorously demand our share of justice under international norms and laws. Rather than attempting all this alone, we have to join hands with all forces out there willing and capable of raising their voice for a fair and just world. All of this behooves us as Tamils to unite in our deeds at this important moment. Let us hope that the collective memory of Mullivaaikkal will deliver us the necessary power and inspiration for such action.
A range of activities marking the National Day of Mourning and the Memorial Week will take place in different countries under the auspices of the TGTE. These include memorial events, religious services, candle light vigils, seminars and blood donations. At the same time, TGTE is extending its arms in support of all events memorialising Mullivaaikkal being arranged by the Tamil community and by various Tamil organizations.
Details of all events that are being organized by TGTE will be announced shortly.
Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran
Prime Minister
