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Pongu Thamil Uprising in Jaffna

More than 200,000 people from all parts of the Jaffna peninsula gathered at the grounds of the Faculty of Medicine, Jaffna University earlier today (27/06/2003) to mark the Pongu Thamil event.

Masses of people carrying larger than life portraits of the LTTE leader, Mr. V. Pirapaharan, organized themselves in processions and arrived at the venue chanting the Pongu Thamil slogans. Floats decorated in red and yellow flags gave expressions to the feelings of a people subjected to untold oppression by the Sri Lanka security forces.

Jaffna University Student Council president chaired the formal part of the meeting, which commenced around 3 p.m. and read out the official declaration of the meeting. Numerous members from local and international media organizations attended the event.

Translation of the declaration is reproduced below;

We are all gathered here from every corner of the Jaffna peninsula, with the purpose of expressing to the wider the world, our position at this juncture, where in spite of the passing of eighteen months since the 'Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) coming into effect, we have not seen a return of normalcy to our lives, peace talks have stalled and the threat of war is ever increasing.

Today, at this 'Pongu Thamil' celebrations, we the 'Rising Tamils' hereby declare;

We cannot tolerate this situation any longer. "We want to get back to our homes; hence, we ask you to go back to your homes".

North and East are the traditional homeland of the Tamils. Sri Lankan security forces should vacate our homeland and return to their homes. In an environment of military occupation of our homes and land, Tamil people cannot be expected to contemplate peace negotiations.

We want to return to our normal lives and re-build our communities. LTTE, our sole representatives, should be given control of an interim administration with adequate powers to ensure the restoration of our communities. Such an interim administration should be recognized by the international community.

A climate of peace and normalcy should be restored to the North and East so that our energy can be directed at participating in a peace initiative that recognizes the fundamental tenets of Tamil aspirations;

Tamils constitute a distinct nation
There exists a traditional Tamil homeland
Tamils have a right to self-determination.

We declare that this is the only way to achieve a lasting, peaceful solution to the ethnic problem.

27 June 2003

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