Geert Cool, Member of Tamil Solidarity & Member of Linkse Socialistische Partij in Belgium Spoke at the gathering of Tamil Speaking people in front of UN in Genève.
His peach : Geert Cool Speach at Genève
Below is the leaflet that is distributed in the gathering by Tamil Solidarity/LSP members.
Independent investigation on war crimes needed!
Almost three years after the official end of the war thousands of young people are still in prison camps. In the final phase of the war more than 40,000 were killed, but there still is no real investigation. The government led LLRC (Lessons learned and reconciliation committee) only served to defend the government’s actions.
We defend the appeal for an independent investigation on the war crimes. Such an investigation needs to involve representatives of all communities and trade unions in the country and must be monitored by international human rights groups, trade unions and other international, non-governmental bodies.
No solution to national question
The war has not led to a solution for the national question. Capitalism in Sri Lanka means that all the national resources go to the payment of the growing public debts and to the army. In 2011 201 billion Rupees were spent on the army, only 27 billion on education and 52 billion on healthcare. For 2012 Rajapakse wants 230 billion for the army, 30 billion more than during the war!
The continuing militarisation in the north and east is the only thing Rajapakse and his government have on offer. Meanwhile the repression is also growing against all forms of workers’ and poor people’s struggle in the south. The war has started against Tamil people, but is ultimately aimed against all poor and working class people. Rajapakse is speaking about economic growth, but meanwhile 1,272,901 Sri Lankan women are working in the Middle East, mainly in domestic servitude.
United working class
We can not trust the oppressors from Western countries or from India or China to be on the side of the oppressed people in Sri Lanka. These governments are only interested in lucrative business deals. They are the ones financing the Rajapakse government with loans. These governments didn’t hesitate to support the war. They are complicit in the war!
We also can not put trust in the United Nations. Would UN general-secretary Ban-Ki Moon turn against the dictators of Sri Lanka or China who got him re-elected? A UN vote for an investigation on war crimes would be a blow for the Rajapakse government, but this wouldn’t end the oppression of Tamil people or the drive towards military dictatorship in Sri Lanka.
The Tamil people can not put any hope in the various capitalist governments and leaders. Unless we get together to fight back, the regime will continue by getting the support of some section – on the basis of division. Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim workers, peasants, and poor people should join this fight back. In Tunesia and Egypt we have seen how brutal dictators can be overthrown: by movements of the masses themselves in a revolutionary upheaval. We need to build independent organisations of the working class and the oppressed as part of a united movement and arm this with a socialist alternative.
Building solidarity in the diaspora
The Occupy movement in the US says we need to fight with the 99% poorest against the 1% richest. The Tamil diaspora must build links with the fight of the 99% in the countries they live to build real solidarity and to find real allies in our joint struggle against oppression. This means supporting and becoming involved in trade unions and campaigns against cuts.
Tamil Solidarity is an international campaign that is supported by Paul Murphy (Socialist Party, Ireland), who is elected in the European Parliament and also by the United Socialist Party, the Sri Lankan section of the Committee for a Workers’ International that opposed all Sinhala chauvinist propaganda even before and during the war. Tamil Solidarity participated in various demonstrations, and continue to fight for right to self determination of the Tamil speaking people. We organise in solidarity with other struggling people, trade unions and left organisations in Europe. Please join us to build the fight back together.