THE ACTION GROUP OF TAMILS
(TAGOT) Email: ssatha@pan.lk or manoraj@sri.lanka.net 1 November 1998 PRESS RELEASE We are a group of concerned Tamil citizens who have formed The Action Group Of Tamils (TAGOT) to advance the interests and defend the rights of Tamils in Sri Lanka. The aim is to contribute our share to the effort to tackle the growing political crisis confronting the Tamil people in the country. Some of us were members of the Action Group of Tamils in Colombo (AGOTIC). Our decision to reconstitute ourselves as TAGOT was made after much deliberation and exhaustive consultations with elders in the Tamil community; and it is the result of a combination of events spread out over the past six months. AGOTIC is the brain-child of a group of Colombo Tamils who met in March 1994 to review the political reality in the country and to explore the way forward for Tamils. The group elected and mandated AGOTIC to give voice to the concerns and aspirations of the Tamils in Colombo. We worked tirelessly during the past four and half years to do justice to that mandate and we are grateful for the support and encouragement generously extended by Colombo Tamils. The work of AGOTIC must certainly go on. At the same time, some of us within AGOTIC became increasingly aware that the focus on Colombo Tamils, no doubt necessary, nevertheless tends to neglect the issues and concerns of the larger Tamil people in the country as a whole. The escalating war in the North-Eastern Province (NEP), the rising demand for foreign involvement through mediation or facilitation and the emergence of ultra-right Sinhalese political groups in the south are indications that the ground situation has gone through a fundamental qualitative transformation since 1994. However the original mandate of AGOTIC, which understandably was Colombo-centric, provides little space to spread our wings and constructively respond to the evolving larger reality. Obviously it is time to shed the old skin. There are of course other reasons for our decision to chart a course different from that of AGOTIC. After Mr N Vijayasingam assumed the post of President of AGOTIC in May of this year, the association gradually lost its sense of direction and consistency of purpose. Mr Vijayasingam, who is a Political Advisor to the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), found himself constrained by a conflict of interest. Where AGOTIC’s viewpoints contradicted those of the CWC, Mr Vijayasingam tended to subordinate the interests of AGOTIC in favour of the CWC. His gruff paternalism and his persistent disregard for AGOTIC’s objectives and welfare led to the resignation of three valuable members within the space of about two months. He ignored the cardinal principle that an AGOTIC member, when speaking or acting on behalf of the association, should do so only with its authorisation and express only the consensus of the association. He repeatedly, and without the required concurrence of the association, made statements and took actions that compromised AGOTIC. One such instance, which brought matters to a head, is the statement he released to the press in early September. Without informing AGOTIC, Mr Vijayasingam announced on behalf of the association that Britain would be welcome as a mediator to resolve the armed conflict in Sri Lanka between the Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). His invitation is ill conceived since the British Government has of late been partial towards the Sri Lankan Government. We categorically disassociate ourselves from Mr Vijayasingam’s unwise call for British mediation. We unambiguously state that it is for the combatants to decide whether they require a mediator or facilitator; and, if so, it is for them to mutually agree upon a suitable government, organisation or person for this purpose. The above are some of the more important factors that impelled us to form TAGOT. We will continue to carry out the "watch-dog" function and sensitively intervene in political events and developments to safeguard the welfare of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka. The Action Group of Tamils (TAGOT) S Sathananthan Dr S Sathananthan, Secretary |
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