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Our Requests to the International Community: We Demand Justice for Eelam Tamils

Bijgewerkt op: 23 mei

We, the Eelam Tamils, have been resisting systemic oppression since the departure of the British in 1948. While Sri Lanka marks its Independence Day with celebration, the Eelam Tamil nation observes it as a ‘Black Day’ - a solemn reminder of the beginning of state sponsored marginalisation and violence. This moment remains a turning point in our collective history, symbolising the onset of decades of persecution.


Outlined below are just a few of the many significant events that have shaped our struggle for Tamileelam. Through deliberate policies, the Sri Lankan State sought to diminish the Eelam Tamil population's political power, restrict access to education and employment, and erase our cultural and historical identity. Fundamental human rights were stripped away, while the state remained complicit as pogroms and riots targeted the Eelam Tamil nation.


  • 1948 – Ceylon Citizenship Act

  • 1956 - Sinhala Only Act

  • 1958 - Anti Tamil Pogroms

  • 1971 – Policy of Standardisation5. 

  • 1974 – Tamil Research Conference Massacre

  • 1981 – Burning of the Jaffna Library

  • 1983 – Black July Pogrom


After decades of peaceful resistance, through petitions, protests, and political engagement, in 1983, the armed struggle began. This marked a new phase in our resistance: a louder, more desperate call to be heard. At the Thimpu Talks, 1985, the Tamil delegation presented four core principles:


  • Recognition of the Tamils of Ceylon as a nation

  • Recognition of the existence of an identified homeland for the Tamils in Ceylon

  • Recognition of the right of self-determination of the Tamil nation

  • Recognition of the right to citizenship and the fundamental rights of all Tamils in Ceylon


The Sri Lankan State rejected these demands, citing concerns over sovereignty and territorial integrity. Yet, the contradiction was clear: a state that professed unity while enacting discriminatory policies against a particular ethnic group could never offer genuine reconciliation or coexistence. The Eelam Tamil nation was left with no viable middle ground. As the armed struggle escalated, so too did the Eelam Tamil diaspora grow. In response to continued war crimes and acts of genocide, the diaspora mobilised across the globe—organising protests, petitions, and hunger strikes to bring international attention to the crisis in our homeland.

Our demand: Stop the Genocide!


More than a decade after the end of the armed struggle, despite the overwhelmingevidence and the cries for justice from survivors and the Eelam Tamil nation across the globe, many of those responsible for orchestrating and executing acts of genocide remain untouched by accountability. Shielded by political alliances, systemic failures, or the passage of time, these perpetrators have evaded prosecution, leaving wounds unhealed and justice undone. We, the Eelam Tamil diaspora must continue to resist and remember until justice is served.


Our current requests to the international community:

  1. Recognition of Genocide against Eelam Tamils

  2. Sanctions on Genocide perpetrators

  3. Awareness of the ongoing genocide in Sri Lanka


The absence of meaningful consequences not only denies closure to victims but also emboldens future atrocities, reminding us that silence and inaction are the most enduring accomplices to impunity.

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©2003 International Tamil Youth Organization

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