PPT judgement upholds Eelam Tamil identity and nomenclature [TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 January 2014, 10:42 GMT] The full report of the judgement of the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal on Sri Lanka (Bremen Session), released on Wednesday, came out with a discussion on the choice of nomenclature to identify the victims of genocide and has decided on the use of the term “Eelam Tamils as a national group.” This recognition, coming for the first time, from a credible global body of humanity such as the Peoples’ Tribunal, nullifies the so-called legitimacy in the insistence of the use of the term ‘Sri Lankan Tamil’ thrust on the victims by various States and their international organisations. This part of the PPT judgement is of equal importance like the verdict on genocide, complicity etc., and the implementation of it is of much practical value to the people’s struggle of the victims, said Tamil civil activists. * PPT verdict released at Geneva Press Club PPT verdict released at Geneva Press Club Dr Gianni TognoniDr Gianni Tognoni, the secretary general of the PPT“Regarding the characterization of the victims as belonging to a particular national, ethnical, racial or religious group population, the Tribunal specifies that the victims are in this case the Eelam Tamils as a national group,” said the PPT judgement report (5.1.4.3). In coming out with its verdicts, the PPT judgement report has been widely using phrases such as, Eelam Tamils, Eelam Tamil national group, Eelam Tamil group, Eelam Tamil people, Eelam Tamil population, Eelam Tamil women, Eelam Tamil generations, Eelam Tamil territory, Eelam Tamil areas, Eelam Tamil identity etc. Dr Dennis HallidayDr Dennis Halliday, former assistant secretary-general of the United NationsThe PPT judgement recommendations to the UN, EU, Germany, Sri Lanka and to the international organizations and agencies – governmental as well as non-governmental – have also asked them to respect and promote the Eelam Tamil identity and rights of Eelam Tamils in the island as well as in the diaspora. The universal implementation of the PPT judgement on the identity and nomenclature mainly depends on the will power of the Eezham Tamils in consciously avoiding the use of Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan and Sri Lankan Tamil in their interactions among them and with others, commented diaspora activists. * * * Further excerpts from the judgement on identity: Dr. Haluk GergerDr. Haluk Gerger, a Turkish academic and Middle East analyst“According to both the objective and subjective approaches of the group accepted by the International Criminal Tribunals and the International Court of Justice, the protected group should be ‘stable and permanent, sharing a common national identity’ as with the Eelam Tamils (objective approach); it is also perceived as such by the members of the group themselves (subjective approach).” “The Eelam Tamil designation refers to the Tamils in the north and east of the island, and it is important to note that the Eelam Tamil identity pre-dates the armed struggle, emerging progressively and with increased intensity in recent years, indeed as a result of the oppression that compelled the Tamils to assert their right to self-determination in their traditional homeland.” “While the word “Eelam” had earlier been used by Tamils as the name for the whole of the island, it became increasingly used to denote the area and people of the desired independent north and east.” * * * However, the PPT judgement report has not used the term “Eelam Tamils as a nation.” The prosecution of the Tribunal, while making its statement, has put the following among others for the consideration of the judges, and the term Eelam Tamil nation has been used: “The peoples of the world should recognize the legitimate struggle of the Eelam Tamil nation that is denied by genocidal violence. Their voluntary wish is a separate state,” the prosecution statement said. While delivering the judgement, the following observations were made by the judges: “A national group often comprises several different ethnic groups.... The concept of nation therefore does not coincide with the ethnic group but is characterized by a common wish to live together, a common ideal, a common goal and common aspirations,” the judgement cited the fourth report of the Special Rapporteur on the Draft Code of Offences Against the Peace and Security of Mankind. “It is clear that the main target of this particular genocide has been the Eelam Tamil national group, even if it did not constitute the whole of the Tamil group, but that part of it that expressed the will of living in common, with common ideals, goals and aspirations,” the judgement said. It seems Eezham Tamils are yet to present a more powerful case at the PPT to prove them a nation.
Posted on: Fri, 24 Jan 2014 03:13:06 +0000