There is more the Tamil Diaspora can do for Sri Lanka - Suren Surendiran

• UK based group stands for negotiated solution 
• Progressive signs emerging from government 
• Global Tamil Forum is not against Sinhalese community  
• India can do more on the Tamil issue 
• GTF prepared to have talks with China 
• Ban on Diaspora groups not justified  

A recent speech made by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and a comment made later by Foreign Minister, Professor G.L Peiris has put the Tamil Diaspora back in the spotlight. 
The President had said that he is prepared to engage with the Diaspora on the reconciliation issue while the Foreign Minister said that the government will not engage with any banned group. 
Daily Mirror spoke to Suren Surendiran, the spokesperson of the Global Tamil Forum, an influential Tamil Diaspora group based in London, which is banned in Sri Lanka, to seek his views on the Sri Lankan issue. 
Excerpts of the interview: 

"The Tamil Diaspora is a million people. A majority of them didn’t leave Sri Lanka to look for economic betterment or anything like that. A majority of them left because Sri Lanka wasn’t the place where people are treated equally"

  Q     The Sri Lankan Diaspora seems to be split. We see one group pushing for extreme measures to be taken on Sri Lanka. But we have others who are taking the middle part. What position is the Global Tamil Forum taking on the Sri Lankan issue? 

The Global Tamil Forum, since its inception in 2010 has always propagated a negotiated political settlement in Sri Lanka. So, we have actively engaged politicians, civil society in Sri Lanka, externally, foreign governments, international organisations, forums, and all those engagements were to engage and negotiate a political solution for the Tamil grievances in Sri Lanka. 

  Q     You have tried to engage with successive governments. But have those attempts actually been fruitful to some extent? 

Well, disappointing, should I say, but nevertheless, only when you engage that people understand your perspective. Because there is a general perception that the Tamil Diaspora is against Sri Lanka, against everything that happens in Sri Lanka, which is untrue and only through engagement can you enlighten people and mutually understand each other’s position. 

  Q     Does the GTF feel that Sri Lanka needs a separate Tamil administrative region similar to a separate Tamil state? 

Like I said before, we do not want to prescribe a particular solution to the issues in Sri Lanka. We want to see a political solution that is negotiated between the parties concerned and the stakeholders involved to arrive at. So there is no pre-prescribed solution for the Sri Lankan problem as far as GTF is concerned. 

  Q     The GTF was banned over its alleged links to the LTTE by the former government and then the current administration has banned the GTF once again after the ban was lifted, of course, post-2015. Do you feel that the ban is not justified? 

Of course, it’s not. And the people who ban these organisations know it. They are just playing to the gallery to the Sinhala, Buddhist nationalists. They think by banning they are becoming tough. Even during proscription and during the previous government we have engaged during natural disasters to help Sri Lanka. So for example, when there was a flood in the South, in  Kalutara, Matara areas, we sent 20 plus medical professionals to help with that grievance that the Sinhala people or the people of the South were facing. For example, recently, even during proscription, we were facilitating 2.3 million dollars worth of equipment for COVID relief from overseas. So the proscription is not justified and they know it. 

"Because there is a general perception that the Tamil Diaspora is against Sri Lanka, against everything that happens in Sri Lanka, which is untrue and only through engagement can you enlighten people and mutually understand each other’s position"

  Q     But the proscription has been enforced mainly over allegations that the group has had links with the LTTE. Did your organisation promote the LTTE ideology at any point? 

Like I said, the organisation was incepted after the end of the war at the UK parliament in February 2010, and we have always propagated non-violence and a negotiated political settlement to the problems in Sri Lanka. 

  Q     What is your take on these organisations that are promoting the LTTE in the UK and in other countries? I mean, is this helpful to your cause and to the Tamil cause? 

You need to ask them that, whoever that you are referring to. But I can tell you this. The LTTE didn’t take arms or the arms conflict didn’t arise just like that. 30 years of trying to negotiate with successive governments in the south, failed. The Tamils have negotiated and arrived at several pacts and agreements with successive governments of the South. The Bandaranaike–Chelvanayakam Pact. Dudley Senanayake-Chelvanayakam Pact. All of that was just thrown away by the Sri Lankan government of that time. So when there was no negotiated settlement and there was stern discrimination against the minorities, and there were demographic changes that will push through successive governments and standardisation which discriminated the Tamil youth of the North and the East, meant that people took arms. They didn’t know how to go about it because democratic processes were not resulting in a solution. 

  Q     But can one condone the sort of actions committed by the LTTE? Killing of civilians, bombings, suicide bombings. Is that the way to look for a solution? 

No, it isn’t. But all I was trying to say is when you say LTTE propaganda and that kind of thing. It sounds like an unjust cause was fought over. It was a just cause that the youth had to fight because the democratic processes were not resulting in a solution. I am not justifying the killings. 

  Q     But didn’t the push for a solution get sidelined as a result of the actions of the LTTE. 

Of course. That is why the GTF since 2010 has propagated a negotiated political settlement, a non-violent process where conflicting parties can negotiate and come up and come to an agreement that is acceptable to all people of Sri Lanka. 

"The Tamils have negotiated and arrived at several pacts and agreements with successive governments of the South. The Bandaranaike–Chelvanayakam Pact. Dudley Senanayake-Chelvanayakam Pact. All of that was just thrown away by the Sri Lankan government of that time"

  Q     What sort of solution are you looking for? What sort of solution is Tamil Diaspora organisations like yours looking for in Sri Lanka? 

It will be presumptuous for me to pre-empt a solution that I am propagating or we are propagating as a negotiated political settlement. If you take a position in advance of a negotiation, then why negotiate. You stand up and defend your position. Whereas we are saying, let’s have an open mind and negotiate for a political solution that can be acceptable to all of the people of Sri Lanka. Or a majority of the people of Sri Lanka. 

  Q     President Rajapaksa had spoken of the need to get the Diaspora engaged, during his recent trip to the UN. However, Foreign Minister Professor G.L Peiris later, in an interview with the Daily Mirror, said that they will not negotiate with banned organisations, giving the impression that that was no move at the moment to lift the ban on the GTF. How do you see this? 

Well, I presume the President and the Foreign Minister should have a conversation. 

  Q     You feel without lifting the ban there is no room for groups like the GTF to engage and do something for Sri Lanka? 

So, like I said during proscription we have tried to facilitate over two million dollars worth of equipment for the COVID relief fund. We didn’t say that is only for the Tamil people. We said that is for the entire Sri Lanka. So the proscription or no proscription, we are just engaging the people of Sri Lanka anyway. When President Rajapaksa announced at the UN that he wants to talk to the Diaspora, our take was there are elected Tamil representatives in Sri Lanka, Tamil representatives elected through democratic processes. And when they are requesting for meetings with the President to negotiate a political solution when he doesn’t want to meet them it just didn’t make sense that he wanted to talk to external forces or external stakeholders like the Diaspora. I’m not saying that’s not a bad idea. It certainly is a progressive idea, and we welcome it. But he should first start talking to the people in Sri Lanka who are elected by the people in Sri Lanka. 

  Q     In fact, the Foreign Minister, in his interview with the Daily Mirror had said that the president will speak to the Tamil National Alliance on his return from COP26. 

I think the Foreign Minister should first have a conversation with the President before he comes out in public to air his views. 

"We want to see a political solution that is negotiated between the parties concerned and the stakeholders involved to arrive at. So there is no pre-prescribed solution for the Sri Lankan problem as far as GTF is concerned"

  Q     What sort of role do you feel the Diaspora should play on the Sri Lankan issue? 

The Tamil Diaspora is a million people. A majority of them didn’t leave Sri Lanka to look for economic betterment or anything like that. A majority of them left because Sri Lanka wasn’t the place where people are treated equally. And, you know, we were beaten. For example, my family left Sri Lanka because in Wellawatte we were attacked in 1983. So that is primary. People should understand why the Diaspora became a Diaspora outside Sri Lanka. Number two, by coming out of the country and living in foreign countries under democracy, freedom of speech, that kind of rule of law, having a free speech as you could imagine and also educating ourselves and becoming relatively wealthy. There is a whole series of things in capacity capability terms that the Tamil Diaspora, all the Diaspora, the Sri Lankan Diaspora can offer to Sri Lanka and to bring it up. The other thing is. We left Sri Lanka because we couldn’t live there or we felt unsafe to live there. Therefore, we feel that we still are stakeholders in matters that concern our people who are left behind in Sri Lanka. We did a little calculation about this proscription and what impact that is having on the Sri Lankan economy. We worked out roughly as a minimum USD 250 million to USD 300 million of income in foreign exchange that Sri Lanka could have had is being deprived because of this proscription. Right now, I think the forex reserve is about two and a half to three billion US dollars. That’s all Sri Lanka has. A 10 per cent of that could have come from the Diaspora. So that is the deprivation for the people that this kind of proscription and these postures that the government makes has a negative impact on the people of Sri Lanka and the economy. So there is a lot to offer from the Diaspora, particularly the Tamil Diaspora. 

  Q     Do you feel that the ground situation right now in Sri Lanka has changed over the last couple of years? Be it for the good or bad? 

Certainly, for the bad. You just have to listen to the United Nations Human Rights Commissioner’s report, which she read out in February this year. And then she updated verbally during the session in September. The rule of law, democracy, freedom of speech, civil society activities. All of that is in the wrong direction, on the trajectory. People who commit crimes, murder been pardoned. People who committed crimes or making people disappear, all of the cases have been withdrawn. People who robbed the public purse are being pardoned or the cases have been dropped. What kind of faith will anybody, in Sri Lanka or outside, have about the justice system in Sri Lanka, about rule of law in Sri Lanka? So things are going from bad to worse is my take. And as you can see, the economy is performing so badly that we are borrowing money from Bangladesh. I mean, no disrespect to Bangladesh, but the situation has come to that level of a grievance in terms of the economy. 

  Q     The GTF is very influential in the UK. What message is the GTF actually taking to the UK government? 

GTF is a global organisation, so it’s not just the UK. We engage multiple governments and multiple international organisations and forums and institutions. Our message has been consistent, and we have been highlighting the need for a long term political solution for the Tamil grievances. Number one. Number two, the crimes that were committed, the international laws that were breached during the war need to be investigated internationally, and justice should be served to those people who suffered. So we have been consistent in our message. 

  Q     Do you really think that the UK, Canada or any other country that is putting pressure on Sri Lanka is really concerned about Sri Lanka? Or is it just because of votes and elections in mind? 

You see, just to give you an example, the Sri Lankan economy is dependent on exports, largely exports and tourism. Who are the tourists and who are we? Who are we exporting our goods and services to from Sri Lanka? The largest export partner is the US. The second is the European Union. I think the third is the UK, India, various countries. If they really want to be smart and if they are only worried about electoral gains, all they have to do is to stop the trade or restrict the trade with Sri Lanka. That will have a major impact on Sri Lankans and the Sri Lankan economy. They’re not doing that. All they are asking is to have a system of governance that is acceptable internationally. You know, Sri Lanka is probably the worst place for journalists, for civil society, for rule of law, democracy. All of that is having an impact on the way the country is being governed right now. And somebody needs to highlight that and put pressure to bring them in line with international norms and governance. 

"We left Sri Lanka because we couldn’t live there or we felt unsafe to live there. Therefore, we feel that we still are stakeholders in matters that concern our people who are left behind in Sri Lanka"

  Q     You mentioned India is the GTF disappointed in any way with the role played by India on the Sri Lankan issue? 

So as a member of the victim community, obviously, until a solution is achieved, the feeling will be its not sufficient. But however, the Indian pressure has been consistent and they have made it very clear that a solution for the Tamil problem and sovereignty go hand in hand. How much more can a large neighbour next door to you put pressure? In an international forum when they stand up and say solidarity and a solution to the Tamil people go hand in hand. I think that’s good enough pressure, but for now, they can do a lot more. 

  Q     But you know, there have been reports in India that the Indian intelligence agencies are very much concerned that Diaspora groups may look at engaging with China since India is not doing enough. Have you heard anything of that sort? Is the GTF approaching China? 

I don’t know about other groups. But I can tell you this. GTF is an independent organisation. We engage the international community, international government institutions and forums. That’s our job. That’s our objective. We feel free to engage whichever government, whichever institution, whichever forum that can help to resolve the problem in Sri Lanka. So, if China is interested in having a conversation and helping us, we will be delighted to speak to the Chinese. But that doesn’t mean that we are going against any other country. 

  Q     In your push for a solution for the Tamil issue, is there an impression being given that groups like the GTF are anti-Sinhalese? Are you against the Sinhalese community while trying to push for a solution for the Tamils? 

Not at all. Not at all. I mean, like I said to you when there was a flood in the South in Matara and Kalutara, I presume 90 per cent are Sinhalese people, and the engagement we had in association with Sarvodaya, we did medical clinics in those areas during the floods, was almost exclusively to Sinhala people by medical professionals who are exclusively Tamil people. The facilitation of medical equipment during COVID of over $2 million worth, wasn’t given to or facilitated to Sri Lanka to be given to only Tamil people or not be given to the Sinhala people. Obviously, the majority affected were the Sinhala people. So there is no genetic form in the Global Tamil Forum that is against any community in Sri Lanka. 

  Q     Can the GTF have any realistic expectations as far as the whole Tamil issue is concerned, considering that even the former government, although it made attempts in the end, there was no final solution? 

Well, the president has said he wants to engage. According to the Foreign Minister he wants to engage with the Tamil National Alliance when he comes back from COP26, which is good. At the UN, the president himself said he wants to engage with the Diaspora, which is also good. So there are good signs right now from the government. Not just signs, but progressive signs. So let’s wait and see, rather than prejudging what can and what cannot happen. Well, regarding the previous government, it’s not just Mangala. I personally met the then President Maithripala Sirisena three times, twice in London and once in Germany. There was an attempt to make the Constitution better or revise the Constitution, and they did come up with a draft constitution. So one can’t say that there was no progress. It just didn’t materialise. But there were efforts and an intention to make things better. So granting that there was progress during the last government and now this government is making the right noises, it appears we should let them do the right thing and judge them rather than prejudging the facts.