Tamil teachers urge Colombo to recognise self-determination

[TamilNet, Saturday, 31 March 2001, 13:56 GMT]
"We urge the Sri Lankan Government to find a permanent political solution to the ethnic problem by having peace talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam with Norwegian facilitation. We also urge the Sri Lankan government to recognise the Tamils of Sri Lanka as a nation, the existence of an identified Tamil homeland in Sri Lanka and the self-determination of the Tamil people with the right to secede in order to prevent the division of the island" states a resolution unanimously passed at 27th annual convention of the Ceylon Tamil Teachers' Union held Saturday morning in the Trincomalee St.Mary's College auditorium.

More than 1200 Tamil teachers gathered in Trincomalee since Friday morning for the convention. Teachers belonging to the district branches of the CTTU came from all the parts of the north and east, the central province, the western province and the northwestern province.

There are more than 20000 Tamil teachers in Sri Lanka. Most are members of the CTTU.

The following resolutions were also adopted unanimously:

1. The CTTU appeals to the governments of UK, USA and India to reconsider their decision of banning the LTTE in their countries and to assist the peace talks between the SL government and the LiberationTigers by lifting their ban. The CTTU further appeals to its sister trade unions in these countries to exert pressure on their respective governments to remove the ban on the LTTE.

2. The CTTU urges the SL government to remove all army camps and checkpoints in schools and places of worship in the northeast province thus creating a conducive climate for children to pursue their education without any psychological pressure and also to ensure freedom of movement to devotees.

3. The CTTU urges the SL government to lift the ban on transporting teaching and learning materials, medicines, building materials and other essential goods to the areas in the north and east which are not under the control of the Sri Lanka army, especially to the Wanni.



(right to left) Mr.T.Mahasivam, General Secretary of the CTTU, Dietmar Knietschel, resident representative of Ebert Stiftung and Mr.S.Kumurakuruthasan, past President of the CTTU on stage.