By S. Kohobanwickrame
In the run-up to the December 2001, General Election the LTTE backed Tamil National Alliance (TNA), suggested that this election was to be considered a plebiscite to affirm the status of the LTTE as the sole representative of the Tamil people.

Mr. Sampanthan, on Tuesday 20 November 2001, at an election meeting in Mutur stated; "The TNA has put forward several demands to the government in power such as lifting the ban imposed on Liberation Tigers in Sri Lanka and enabling them to participate in peace talks through international third party mediation as the sole representative of the Tamil people freely without any constraints. Secondly, the government should talk to the LTTE only, and no parallel talks should be held with any other Tamil groups when negotiating with them. A vote for the TULF symbol ‘Rising Sun’ would be considered as a ‘Yes’ vote for this policy of the TNA. Therefore, the Tamil people should consider the forthcoming general election as a referendum and vote for the TNA,"

Therefore, in order to calculate the results of the so-called referendum challenge, it is necessary to ascertain the total Tamil population in Sri Lanka.

The population projections detailed in "Table 01" indicates a Sri Lankan Tamil population of approximately 1,973,690 in Sri Lanka.

At the 2001 Census, incomplete data from Northern and Eastern districts (excluding Ampara) were not included in the total population figure of 16,864,544 persons. However, if we take the incomplete data for Mannar, Vavuniya, Trincomalee and Batticaloa districts (692,654), together with estimates for unenumerated areas (&65,000), an additional 1,557,654 persons will be included to the total population. This will result in the total population of Sri Lanka reaching to 18,422,198 persons.

According to the above statistics, the Sri Lankan Tamil Population accounts for 10.71% of the total population in the country. It is a climb down from the exaggerated 12% repeatedly quoted by the international media. The accuracy of these figures are further reaffirmed by estimates of Mr. Bradman Weerakoon, that over 817,000 Sri Lankans, mostly Tamils have migrated to overseas destinations as refugees.

The LTTE/TNA only secured 348,164 votes in the entire country, which is a dismal 17.64% of the total Sri Lankan Tamil population. This indicates that over 82.36% of the Sri Lankan Tamil population of this country have categorically denounced the LTTE proposition with an overwhelming majority. Therefore, it is clearly evident that the Tamil populous does not accept the LTTE as the sole representative of the Tamil people. This is a positive message from the Tamil community demonstrating that a moderate opinion still prevails, and by-far it is the majority opinion.

Furthermore, in the Northern and Eastern districts other parties with opinion contrary to the LTTE/TNA position secured 566,097 votes, out of 901,565 valid votes. This indicates that a population of 62.79% in the N & E Provinces have dissenting views on the LTTE proposition.

Closure of Crossing Points

It is unlikely the LTTE/TNA leadership will accept the verdict of the Tamil people. This was clearly demonstrated by the pre-planned media performance on the closure of entry-points from the uncleared areas. All civilians living in the uncleared areas are aware that crossing between the frontlines are only permitted on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. This is an agreement facilitated by the ICRC, and any unilateral action by the government to open entry points on Wednesday 5 December (election day) would have been a breach of this agreement. Furthermore, the security screening process at the entry point would have only permitted 300 persons to cross within the stipulated time period.

TABLE 01

Sri Lankan Tamil Population excluding the 626,304

Northern & Eastern Provinces (2001 Census)

Northern Province

Enumerated Areas of the Northern Province

(2001 Census)

— Vavuniya District 121,985

— Mannar District 35,955

Jaffna Peninsular (Listing Stage Data from the 2001 465,000

Census)

Uncleared Areas — Wanni (Estimates) 270,000

Eastern Province

Enumerated Areas of the Eastern Province

(2001 Census)

— Trincomalee 18,947

— Batticaloa 195,319

— Ampara 110,180

Uncleared Areas of the East (Estimates) 130,000

Total Sri Lankan Tamil Population in the County 1,973,690

This was known to all politicians contesting the election. Therefore, taking advantage of this situation the LTTE/TNA spin doctors prepared a press release to be issued on the eve of the election. The press release was first published on the internet site of the Times of India on the evening of the 4 December, revealing the staged media blitz. The press release did not make any reference to the ICRC agreement on FDL crossing modalities, rather insinuated an ethnic connotation stating, "Tamils prevented from voting by the SL Army". These are the dubious ploys used by the LTTE/TNA politicians to avoid accepting the resounding victory by the moderate Tamil opinion, and the rejection of the LTTE as the sole representative of the Tamil people.

TABLE 02

Total Indian Tamil Population in Sri Lanka 855,888

(2001 Census)

Total Chetty Population in Sri Lanka 8,838

(2001 Census)

It is necessary to highlight that the ICRC facilitated agreement on the FDL crossing, blatantly condones racist actions by the LTTE. Under this agreement the Sri Lankan government permits persons of all communities to enter the Cleared Areas. However, the LTTE has imposed a strict prohibition on the entry of any Sinhalese into the Uncleared Areas. In the last seven years only one Sinhalese person has entered the Uncleared Areas beyond the precincts of the Madhu Church. The Late Mr. N. A. Obadage, the former Commissioner-General of Essential Services (CGES) in December 1998, led a two member team to meet Karikalan and Thamil Chelvam at Puthukudurrippu, to discuss humanitarian assistance.

Further more, international agencies such as ICRC, UNHCR, UNICEF, MSF, CARE, World Bank (NEIAP) & ADB (NE Project) etc, pontificate about "Do no harm" policies, but advocate and endorse these racist policies of the LTTE by only recruiting Tamil persons to work in the uncleared areas. None of the INGOs or local NGOs operating in the uncleared areas have any Sinhalese on the staff, there is a salient "No Sinhalese Policy" within these organisations. So much for equal opportunity.

Indian Tamil Population

The 82.36% defeat at the plebiscite only reflects the views of the Sri Lankan Tamil population. However, according to the LTTE’s four non-negotiable Thimpu principles, the LTTE encompasses the entire Tamil population as its constituency. The fourth principle states, "recognition of the right to full citizenship and other fundamental democratic rights of all Tamils who look upon the island as their country"’ clearly articulating an issue concerning the Indian Tamil population.

The Indian Tamil population accounts for 4.65% of the total population of Sri Lanka, a far-cry from the false CWC figure of 7% when claiming a seat for the minority Indian Tamil community on the Constitutional Council, during the 17th Amendment debate.

These statistics indicate that the entire Tamil population in the country is 2,829,578 which accounts for 15.36% of the total population. However, most international media and the diplomatic community repeatedly falsify this data with an exaggerated 18%.

Therefore, when calculated with the entire Tamil population of Sri Lanka, the LTTE/TNA appeal only received a mandate of 12.30%. This is a clear statement that over 87% of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka do not consider the aspirations of the LTTE as the legitimate aspirations of the Tamil people of this country. A clear rejection of the LTTE and its policies as an extremist agenda.

This LTTE/TNA appeal also provided an indication of the real support for the LTTE outside the Northern and Eastern Provinces. The LTTE/TNA referendum call only received 12,696 votes in the Colombo district, which has a Tamil population of 275,951 persons. A pathetic rejection of the LTTE by the Colombo Tamils.

Tamil population outside the N & E Province

Furthermore, it is important to note that 52.38% of the entire Tamil population live outside the Northern and Eastern Provinces claimed to be the homeland of the Tamil people.

This is a critical element that has never been addressed by the LTTE or its allied politicians. How will the so-called aspirations supposedly claimed by the LTTE benefit the 52.38% of the Tamil population that live in the Southern districts outside the claimed territory of Tamil Eelam?