:Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam

{{Main|Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism|Sri Lankan Civil War}}

Policies adopted by the majority Sinhalese government of Sri Lanka following independence from Britain in 1948 resulted in the growth of Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism, along with an appeal for Tamil autonomy.{{cite news|title=Sri Lanka country profile |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/country_profiles/1168427.stm|newspaper=BBC News | date=5 May 2010}} Political parties were formed to petition for these goals, with Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), the main political party representing the Tamils, calling for "an independent sovereign, secular, socialist State of Tamil Eelam" based on the Vaddukoddai Resolution in its 1977 election manifesto. This was endorsed by the Tamil people who voted overwhelmingly for the TULF.{{cite web | url=http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/General%20Election%201977.PDF | title=Parliamentary Election - 1977 | publisher=Department of Elections Sri Lanka | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717002624/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/General%20Election%201977.PDF | archivedate=2011-07-17 }}{{cite web | url=http://www.sangam.org/FB_HIST_DOCS/TULFManifesto77.htm | title=Tamil United Liberation Front General Election Manifesto (July 1977) | publisher=www.sangam.org | accessdate=21 July 2017}} However, the failure of the Tamil political parties to achieve autonomy resulted in some Tamils forming militant groups such as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). By 1983, full-scale civil war had broken out between the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan government. Over the next three decades the Sri Lankan civil war became increasingly violent. The civil war came to an end on 18 May 2009 when the Sri Lankan military defeated the LTTE.{{cite news|title=Up to 140,000 common people killed in Sri Lanka's civil war: UN |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/05/20/2576543.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120629143232/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/05/20/2576543.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 June 2012|newspaper=ABC Australia|date=20 May 2009}}

After the end of the war the UN urged the Sri Lankan government to address "the legitimate concerns and aspirations of the Tamil people".{{cite web | url= https://www.un.org/apps/sg/offthecuff.asp?nid=1291 | title = Geneva, 19 May 2009 - Joint Press Conference held by UN Secretary-General and World Health Organization Director-General, Margaret Chan | publisher= United Nations | date = 19 May 2009}} This was echoed by the EU, United States, India and other countries.{{cite web | url= http://www.eu-un.europa.eu/articles/en/article_8730_en.htm | title = Summary: 18 May 2009, Brussels - Council of the European Union, 2942nd GENERAL AFFAIRS Council meeting, Conclusions on Sri Lanka | publisher= European Union | date = 18 May 2009}}{{cite web | url= https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2009/05/123541.htm | title= Daily Press Briefing May 18, 2009 | publisher= United States Department of State | date= 18 May 2009 | access-date= 25 June 2017 | df= dmy-all }}{{cite web | url= http://meaindia.nic.in/ | title = Statement by the Official Spokesperson on Sri Lanka | publisher= Ministry of External Affairs (India) | date = 18 May 2009}} In March 2010 the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the successor to the TULF, dropped its demands for an independent Tamil Eelam but continues to demand greater autonomy through federalism.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/mar/14/tamils-drop-calls-for-separate-state|title=Sri Lankan Tamils drop demand for separate independent homeland|last=Burke|first=Jason|date=14 March 2010|publisher=The Guardian, UK | location=London}}

After the end of the civil war the concept of a Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam was proposed as a non-violent political mechanism to fulfil the aspirations of many Tamils living abroad and in Sri Lanka. Initially it was Selvarasa Pathmanathan, who had become the leader of the Tamil Tigers after Velupillai Prabhakaran had been killed by the Sri Lankan Army, who proposed that a government in exile be established.{{cn|date=November 2024}}

In June 2009 an Advisory Committee on the Formation of a Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam was established "to explore the modalities for the establishment of a Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam, and to recommend the objectives that should be achieved by such a Transnational Government".{{cn|date=November 2024}}

The advisory committee consisted of many experts from different countries.

• Muthucumaraswamy Sornarajah,http://law.nus.edu.sg/faculty/staff/staffcv/sornarajahcv2009.pdf{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }} Ph.D./LL.D. (University of London, UK)
• Francis Boyle,{{cite web |url=http://www.law.uiuc.edu/faculty-admin/documents/vitae/boyle.pdf |title=Resume of Francis A. Boyle |accessdate=2010-05-25 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100613173536/http://www.law.uiuc.edu/faculty-admin/documents/vitae/boyle.pdf |archivedate=2010-06-13 }} Ph.D./J.D. (Harvard University, USA), Professor of International Law, USA
• Prof.Ramasamy Palanisamy, (Malaysia){{cn|date=November 2024}}
• Prof. A.J.C Chandrakanthan, (Canada){{cn|date=November 2024}}
• Nadarajah Sriskandarajah, Ph.D. (University of Sydney, Australia), Professor of Environmental Communication, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden{{cn|date=November 2024}}
• Murugar Gunasingham, Ph.D.{{cn|date=November 2024}}
• Dr.Sivanendran Seevanayagam (AUS){{cn|date=November 2024}}
• A.L. Vasanthakumar Ph.D. (UK){{cn|date=November 2024}}
• Karen Parker, Ph.D. Humanitarian Lawyer (USA){{cn|date=November 2024}}
• Nagalingam Jeyalingam, M.D. (USA){{cn|date=November 2024}}
• Selva Sivarajah{{cn|date=November 2024}}
• Paul Williams{{cn|date=November 2024}}
• Peter Schalk,{{cite web |url=http://w1.182.telia.com/~u18211204/ |title=Professor Peter Schalk: Curriculum vitae |accessdate=2010-05-25 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100218111125/http://w1.182.telia.com/~u18211204/ |archivedate=2010-02-18 }} Ph.D. Lund University (Religion) / University Gothenburg (Indology), Professor of History of Religion, Uppsala University, Sweden

The advisory committee published its final report in March 2010.{{cn|date=November 2024}}

{{Further|Transnational Constituent Assembly of Tamil Eelam election 2010}}

One of the main recommendations of the advisory committee was that a Transnational Constituent Assembly of Tamil Eelam be formed consisting of 135 members. Of these, 115 would be elected and the remaining 20 shall consist of delegates selected by the elected assembly to represent regions where elections aren't feasible.{{cn|date=November 2024}}

The distribution of the 115 elected representatives is: Australia 10; Benelux 3; Canada 25; Denmark 3; Finland 1; France 10; Germany 10; Ireland 1; Italy 3; New Zealand 2; Norway 3; South Africa 3; Sweden 1; Switzerland 10; UK 20; and USA 10.{{cn|date=November 2024}}

The distribution of the 20 appointed delegates is: Caribbean & South America 1; India 5; Malaysia 3; Mauritius 1; Middle East 2; Oceania 1; Rest of Africa 1; Rest of Asia 1; Rest of Europe 1; Singapore 2; and South Africa 2.{{cn|date=November 2024}}

Working groups were established in countries with significant diaspora communities to organize elections. {{cn|date=November 2024}}Elections were held in May 2010 and the following were elected:

• Australia - Janani Balachandran; Dominic Savio Santhiapillai; Eliyathamby Selvanathan; Thuraisingam Shanmugananthakumar;Kanagenthiram Manickavasagar and Apiramy Visuvanathan.{{cn|date=November 2024}}
• Canada - Joe Antony; Pon Balarajan; M. K. Eelaventhan; Sivasothy Jeyamathy; Nagendra Katpana; Suren Mahendran; Mokanasingham Markandu; Bhuvan-Endra Nadarajah; Niruthan Nagalingam; Maharajah Nanthakumar; Tharani Prapaharan; Muthukumarasamy Ratna; Sam Sangarasivam; Iyampillai Shanmuganathan; Ram Sivalingam; Luxan Sivapragasapillai; Sothinathan Sumughan; Kanthiah Theiventhiran; Waran Vaithilingam.{{cn|date=November 2024}}
• Denmark -{{cn|date=November 2024}}
• France - Subashini Kuruparanathan; Balachandran Nagalingam; Sasikumar Saravanamuththu; and Krishanth Tharmendran.{{cn|date=November 2024}}
• Germany - Rajaratnam Jeyachandran; Nadarajah Rajendrâ; Anather Poopathy Balavadivetkaren.{{cn|date=November 2024}}
• New Zealand - K. S. Naguleswaran and Theva Rajan.{{cn|date=November 2024}}
• Norway - {{cn|date=November 2024}}
• Switzerland - Thayananth Alvaipillai; Baskaralingam Mahalingam; Suginthan Murugiah; Suganya Puthirasigamani; Mahenthirampillai Sellathurai; Jeyam Selvarajah; Rajinithevi Sinnathamby; Balan Sivapatham; Srisajeetha Sivarajah; and Suntharalingam Virakathi.{{cn|date=November 2024}}
• United Kingdom - Arththy Arumugam;Shanmuganathan Kaviraj; Nicholas Manoranjan; Deluxon Morris; Balambihai Murugadas; Janarthanan Pulenthiran;Manivannan Pathmanabhan; Nimalan Seevaratnam; Sokalingam Yogalingam and Selvarajah Sellathurai.{{cn|date=November 2024}}
• United States of America - Alex Doss; Gerard Francis; Jeyaprakash Jeyalingam; Prabharan Ponnuthurai; Visvanathan Rudrakumaran; Siva Sangary; Ranjan Selva; Shan Sundaram; Suba Suntharalingam; and Thave Thavendrarajah.{{cn|date=November 2024}}

The inaugural assembly met between 17 May 2010 and 19 May 2010 at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, USA.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite web|url=http://govtamileelam.org/gov/index.php/component/ftpsystem/?func=download&file=A+Booklet+on+the+Transnational+Government+of+Tamil+Eelam.pdf|title=A Booklet on the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam|date=15 September 2009|publisher=Committee for the Formation of a Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam|access-date=19 May 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100222174519/http://govtamileelam.org/gov/index.php/component/ftpsystem/?func=download&file=A+Booklet+on+the+Transnational+Government+of+Tamil+Eelam.pdf|archive-date=22 February 2010|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}
• {{cite web|url=http://govtamileelam.org/gov/index.php/component/ftpsystem/?func=download&file=TGTE_AC_Report_English.pdf|title=Formation of a Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam: Final report based on the study by the Advisory Committee|date=15 March 2010|publisher=Committee for the Formation of a Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam|access-date=17 May 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100428004020/http://govtamileelam.org/gov/index.php/component/ftpsystem/?func=download&file=TGTE_AC_Report_English.pdf|archive-date=28 April 2010|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20100330193757/http://www.govtamileelam.org/ Committee for the Formation of a Provisional Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam]
• [http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/1450 The politics of transnational Tamil Eelam Government] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100601035953/http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/1450 |date=1 June 2010 }}
• [http://www.tamilnet.com/img/publish/2011/03/TGTE-Democrats.pdf Younger Generation establish the 'TGTE-Democrats' (in Tamil)]

{{Sri Lankan Tamil people}}

Category:Exile organizations

Category:Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora

Category:Organisations designated as terrorist by Sri Lanka