Delisting of the LTTE to Decriminalize the Global Tamil Diaspora, End Racial Stigmatization/Discrimination, and Protect Tamil Civil Liberties Everywhere
Twenty years after the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA), this Conference examines the failures of the Norwegian-mediated Peace Process in Sri Lanka and adverse impacts of post-9/11 geopolitics on freedom movements seeking self-determination.
The purpose and objectives of this Conference are:
- Understanding the political, legal, and military milestones and pressures that undermined and ultimately led to the breakdown of Sri Lanka -Tamil Eelam Peace Process between 2002-2006
- Studying the adverse impact of listing the freedom movement (LTTE) as a terrorist organization during the peace process and multiple listing renewals after the Tamil freedom movement was decimated in 2009.
- Revisiting Tamil Eelam’s state infrastructure, de-facto governance mechanisms, the CFA between the LTTE and Sri Lankan Government, ISGA proposal, the humanitarian reconstruction proposal P-TOMs
- Focusing on the reason for the continuous unlawful ban on LTTE by democratic governments, despite the Movement’s non-existence
- Highlighting the stigmatizing and criminalizing impact of the LTTE ban on the Tamil diaspora in a post-war context, and its adverse impact on future Tamil generations.
More background details of this conference can be found in the previous statement. The conference will take place on February 18 and 19, 2022 in Toronto in order to create awareness among decision-makers of the importance of lifting the ban on LTTE.
The conference organizers invite academics, subject matter experts. lawyers and human rights activists to submit their 200-word abstract to the email provided below or contact one of the organizations to get more details. The due date for the abstract is December 3, 2021.
The conference themes are:
- Impact of the Listing and its consequences on the Personal and Psycho-Social Life of the Tamil Diaspora.
- Right to Self-determination of Eelam Tamils and the Non-violent struggle for justice and equality from 1948 to 1983.
- Mistakes and missteps of the International community toward good faith peace-building regarding Norwegian facilitation, The Peace accord or Peace trap, and the absence of UN intervention or investigations.
- De-listing the LTTE and Decriminalizing the Tamil Diaspora as the path forward
From Jaffna to London or Toronto, delisting also ends racial policing, surveillance, and immigration policies that target Tamil communities. Delisting is a necessary step to reclaim the fundamental freedoms of Eelam Tamil communities to organize and express their political opinions without fear.
Some quotes regarding this from the past:
From lawyer Karan Paker at Proceedings of International Conference On Tamil Nationhood & Search for Peace in Sri Lanka, Ottawa, Canada 1999. “At present, Thamil forces are consolidated in the LTTE, which continues to defend Thamil areas in a war against the Sinhala government’s armed forces, “Home guards” and other armed entities. If the war in Sri Lanka is a civil war, outside states are required to be neutral- a civil war is by definition an internal affair of state. This is known as the duty of neutrality. If the war is a war of national liberation, outside states are required to support the side with the self-determination claim the Thamil side. This is because of the jus vogens nature of the right to self-determination.”
Norad, a Norwegian institution, published a report “Pawns of Peace, Evaluation of Norwegian peace efforts in Sri Lanka, 1997-2009” in 2011 mentioned that “changes in the military power balance between the government and LTTE in part account for the emergence of the Ceasefire Agreement, the subsequent stalling of talks and the re-escalation of war. The LTTE was willing to enter into talks because it believed it had reached a position of military parity. The movement’s deproscription, a seat at the negotiation table and engagement by Norway and other foreign countries bolstered its ambition to translate military into political parity. However, the increasing number of countries blacklisting the LTTE, partly related to its hardline position and ceasefire violations during the peace negotiations, left the movement increasingly isolated. Over time the power balance shifted decisively in the government’s favour, which reduced the ability of external actors to influence the behaviour of both parties. The collapse of talks and the subsequent military victory was as much a story of the LTTE ‘losing’, as of the government ‘winning’, or the Norwegians ‘failing’.”
“In a press conference with Tamil-Canadian media last month, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said Canada acted against its own interests by listing the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as a terrorist group in 2006.” – Stated on Feb 11, 2013 –https://ipolitics.ca/2013/02/11/canada-acted-against-own-interests-in-listed-ltte-as-terrorist-group-kenney/
We are confident that a Conference with academics, legal experts, and organizations will shed light on this important issue. With that as the background, we announce call for papers for Conference dedicated to the above issue to be held on February 18, 19, 2021.
The conference will be organized by the Coalition for Tamil Political Rights.
Tamil Genocide Memorial (TGM), United Tamil Solidarity Front (UTSF), Quebec Tamil Development Association (QTDA), Ottawa Tamil Association (OTA), Tamil Canadian Centre for Civic Action (TCCCA), The Delft People Cultural Organization Of Canada, Canadian Tamil Coalition for Justice and Accountability (CTCJA), Brampton Tamil Association(BTA)
community@tamilconferences.org | +1 (647) 547 0199 | tamilconferences.org/CivilLiberties