The final charter of Murugathasan.
My soulful appeal on behalf of the Tamil community to the world community.
To the world that has failed to stop the destruction of my nation, I offer my true life to prick your conscience.
My name is Murugathasan.
Date of Birth: 02-12-1982.
I am a Tamilian who migrated from Sri Lanka and resides in London.
The Tamils living in Sri Lanka are being oppressed again and again by the Sinhalese majority government and none of you are stopping it. You are watching and encouraging.
The UN and the International Red Cross have all the laws and practices related to war, the Geneva Declaration, basic human rights, ethnic cleansing laws, and their member states must abide by them – but despite all these, the Sri Lankan government is massacring my Tamil race as a whole in the island of Sri Lanka.
Today, you will know how my four and a half lakh Tamil relatives are being brutally tortured in Vanni from the reports issued by UN officials and International Red Cross officials from there.
In the Vanni, four and a half million people of my race are trapped in a narrow area and are being massacred daily by shelling and airstrikes by the Sri Lankan government forces. I felt unbearable grief and shock when I learned that hundreds of dead bodies of my relatives were lying all over the streets. Every day in the news that we get, there is information about my people being killed on the streets, children of dairy farmers, sick pregnant women, etc.
Hospitals are not safe there. Even hospitals are targeted. The Sri Lankan government itself justifies the attack on hospitals. They carry out serial attacks and kill people. There are terrorists in Vanni. So, they say let’s attack.
I hear in your language; newborn babies are killed. Children are killed. Unborn babies are also killed. Are they terrorists too?
You call killing people terrorism. There Tamil people are being slaughtered by the government every day. They are killed everywhere, when they migrate and stand alone in a place, when they go to hospitals, when they walk on the streets. They are slaughtered in droves.
On 26-01-09, the UN World Food Program officials were hoisting the flag and providing relief at the Mullaitheevu Suthanthirapurachanthi site, but on 26-01-09, shelling was carried out on the site and the Red Cross office in the area was also attacked. 302 people were massacred that day alone. 1199 people were seriously injured. I was shocked when my cousin told me over the phone that there was a lot of dead bodies in the area including Udayarkaddu Hospital that day. Not knowing who was there and who had died, the living fled the scene. The UN officials and the International Committee of the Red Cross, who witnessed the tragedy, sought safety in small bunkers and rushed out.
The day was so stressful that I will never forget it. UN representatives and Red Cross representatives issued a statement about this. The area is a protected area declared by Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan government is killing the Tamil people by declaring itself as a security network and witnessing the international representatives. Such attacks happen every day. Is this not state terrorism? Is this not a state-run genocide?
In this way, you are witnesses to the tradition that hospitals should not be targeted during war, while UN officials and International Red Cross representatives stood by, the Sri Lankan government forces bombed the Puthukudiyiruppu Hospital from 2009.02.02 to 2009.02.04 and killed the patients.
4th Independence Day Celebration in Sri Lanka. It was also the day Puthukudiyiruppu Hospital was completely destroyed and decommissioned. The International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed that 500 innocent people were being treated there when the Puthukudiyiruppu Hospital was hit by a series of aerial bombardments and artillery shells.
Meanwhile, Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, spokesperson of the Sri Lanka Ministry of Defense, who spoke to the BBC about the attack on the Udayarkaddu Hospital on 26.01.2009 and killed people, said “why should people go to the Udayarkaddu Hospital when the hospital is running in Puthukudiyiruppu? He has justified the attack on Udayarkaddu Hospital by saying this. The hospital was attacked even though the Sri Lankan government had declared the Udayarkaddu area as a safety net a few days ago and asked people to gather there. The military spokesman has accepted and justified it.
A few days later, Sri Lanka Army spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara’s Puthukudiyiruppu Hospital was attacked. From 02.02.2009 to 04.02.2009 patients were killed by bombing. While the UN and International Red Cross representatives were staying in the hospital premises, the Sri Lankan government forces attacked the hospital.
In an exclusive interview with the British broadcaster Sky on 03.02.2009, there is no hospital outside the defense right. Therefore, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the brother of the President of Sri Lanka and Defense Secretary, has commented that Puthukudiyiruppu Hospital is a legitimate target, justifying the attacks on hospitals.
The military spokesman of the Sri Lankan government and the President’s brother and Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa has officially issued comments in world news agencies justifying the attack on hospitals and emphasizing that pharmacies will be attacked in the future. If they can make such a comment to the international news agencies, then it means that the attacks on the hospitals are the recognition given by the world countries.
Mullaitheevu General Hospital in Mulliyavanai, Mullaitheevu General Hospital in Vallipuram, Kilinochchi General Hospital in Vishwamadu, Kilinochchi General Hospital in Udayarkaddu, Mallavi Hospital in Moongilaru and Puthukudiyiruppu Hospital were attacked because of that.
These countries, which require both sides to respect international humanitarian laws, are well aware that the Sri Lankan government, which is deliberately targeting Tamils by attacking hospitals, is in complete violation of those laws.
This policy of the Sri Lankan government is a malicious crime against humanity. Last month alone, more than a thousand Tamils were killed and injured due to the policy of the Sri Lankan government.
I am giving my life to draw the attention of the world to the suffering of my Tamil people in the island of Sri Lanka. Even in the interim period of taking this decision and implementing it, there are reports that more than a hundred people are being killed every day all over the island of Sri Lanka. This humanitarian atrocity has been further delayed by the Sri Lankan government’s action to block humanitarian aid from reaching the Tamil population. Even though the international community is fully aware of these facts, it is a great shame that the Sri Lankan government has been providing force and military aid without putting a lot of pressure on the Sri Lankan government to follow international humanitarian laws.
It is the firm and unchanging opinion of the Tamil people that the island of Sri Lanka is the home of both the Tamil nation and the Sinhalese nation. It is based on recognizing this reality that the true representatives of the two nations should engage in talks on how the two nations can work together to find a just and lasting solution to the Tamil national problem for the future security of both nations and mutual benefit.
This Buddhist-Sinhalese ethnic nationalism which refused to accept and recognize the reality that there is an equal Tamil nation with the Sinhalese because of the principle that the entire island of Sri Lanka belongs to the Sinhalese has pushed the Sri Lankan government to a solution of war towards ethnic annihilation.
Everyone knows the history of denial of rights to the Tamil race in that island for four centuries. When the Tamils fought for these rights in a moral way, the Sinhalese government suppressed them with violence, so the Tamils were forced into an armed struggle. This means that it is necessary to stand against the Sri Lankan government’s force and physical oppression against the Tamil people. The world should also note that it sparked armed resistance by the Tamils. It is to distort and destroy the true state of existence of Tamil nation through its racist activities. This is the purpose of the war waged by the Sri Lankan government. As a recognition of this, the joint statement issued by Norway, Japan, USA, European Union (or co-chair countries) on 03.02.2009 has deeply wounded the minds of all Tamils.
In other words, knowing the basics of Tamil people’s rights and Sinhalese racism, the alliance countries issued a statement on behalf of the Sri Lankan government and said that the Tamil people should give up their rights, which made me disappointed.
Does the world think it is wrong for a race to ask for its rights? Especially the UN thinks so? Why in the world only the Tamil race is denied rights, or the world supports the denial of rights? Why does the world support that denial? Why does the world think we should be slaves?
Today, a government declares and destroys a race, but the world does not stop it. They only publish statements and remain silent. But the Sri Lankan government intensified the ethnic cleansing by considering that peace as the permission you gave to the ethnic cleansing of that government. You are writing the destruction of a race in history. Why are you not putting pressure on a country that commits genocide? Is this your middle ground?
From 1958 till today, all the agreements signed to give rights to Tamils have been torn up by the Sri Lankan government several times, especially until the last Norwegian ceasefire agreement. During the last talks, the co-chairman countries acted on behalf of Sri Lanka. It was also clear that the Sri Lanka Army used to strengthen its forces during this period of talks. The Sri Lankan government used the periods of the talks as periods to deceive the Tamils. You say people should be allowed to move freely. You are implicitly saying that the Sinhalese Sri Lankan government should allow our Tamil people to rule.
On the one hand, people of my race are being kidnapped, tied hands, feet, and eyes, slaughtered, and left in the streets under the control of the Sri Lankan government. Human rights organizations have condemned all the statistics and reports about who is doing these things, but none of you have taken any action to stop them. On the contrary, they say people can move freely in the area.
World human rights organizations identify that Sri Lanka has the highest number of missing people in the world, next to Iraq, but you tell people to go to those areas without any remedy.
Don’t you know that our Tamil people have been abducted and disappeared for more than 10 years under the rule of the Sinhalese Sri Lankan government? What did the nations of the world do against such disappearances that could have taken place in thousands if not hundreds?
Even during the negotiation period held under the auspices of Norway in the background of co-chairman countries, what did the world countries do against the secret disappearance and massacre of hundreds of Tamil people all over the island of Sri Lanka by the Sinhalese Sri Lankan government forces?
You allow this genocide to happen in the name of sovereignty. As soon as the Sri Lankan government commits ethnic cleansing on Tamils, you start talking about sovereignty. We all assume that you are supporting the Sri Lankan government to maintain or protect the sovereign state relationship. You all support the suppression of a race or the destruction of a race. If Tamils fight for their rights, you call it violence or terrorism. Don’t you see that Tamils have been exterminated by a government since 1958 as violence? Is Tamils not a race living on this earth? Aren’t they entitled to live with rights? Why are you only collaborating to crush us?
Our Tamil people from the countries of migration raised their voices to you in your language to save my race. But you did not listen to anything, and I could not do anything from here for my people who are being tortured so cruelly. I am ashamed of being in such a helpless position that I cannot at least offer consolation. I am suffering.
In this environment, I am in a state of exile and there is nothing I can do for my people who are suffering there. I have decided to put my life in the fire to make a strong plea to you on behalf of my race to take a decision to save my race.
Nations of the world,
In particular, the co-leadership countries that are allied with the Sri Lankan government.
And the UN itself,
Understand one thing. Sinhalese government has a long history of atrocities against our Tamil people. As the current evolution of that long tragic history, the intervention of the world nations in the problem of the Tamil people took place. When the world intervened, the Tamil people believed that the Tamil people would get justice. Which I also believed. But at present we feel cheated.
This disappointment is due to the fact that the countries of the world are supporting the hypocritical drama of the Sinhalese government. Seeing my Tamil people being tortured in their motherland, the world is not only blind but also encouraging the Sri Lankan government, I decided to dedicate myself as a witness to the fire before the UN General Assembly.
Let the history of this Tamil Murugathasan burn in front of the UN forum as a testimony to the fact that my people have been left helpless and the allied countries along with the Sinhalese government have supported the ethnic cleansing.
Let the history of Sri Lankan Tamil youth Murugathasan´s self-immolation on behalf of the oppressed Tamils be added when the UN’s role in getting justice from the aggressors is studied.
Also understand that the UN itself is supporting the ethnic cleansing of Tamil nation by the Sinhalese government. This Murugathasan burns as a tragic expression of the disappointment of yesterday’s history. But today’s history is the past. Our future generation will be angry with those who encouraged the extermination of Tamils.
Let me tell you one thing, Tamils of the world. All of you should work together to win the mind and knowledge of the world community to awaken the conscience of the world. This is the opportunity to establish our self and win our rights.
My fellow countrymen do not be fooled by the fake face of the Sinhalese government. Many times, you have realized that its true face is grotesque. Even though I am physically far away, I am with you in spirit. The Sinhalese government thinks that they can take away our rights by making us tired and exhausted. We will scatter this idea of the Sinhalese government and be firm and reclaim our rights.
Jesus said that the trays that are given will be opened. We will continue to ask for our rights. The door of freedom will open for us one day. The door to the well-being of our people will be opened one day. We will listen. We will keep asking for our rights. Let us keep asking the world, before the world conscience.
Tamil´s thirst is Tamil Eelam.
Murugathasan, a Tamilian who give life for the truth.
(Correction by Tamilpriya)
முருகதாஸ் அவர்கள் எழுதிய கடிதம்
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