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Akashi urged to help up-country Tamils
Saturday, 16 June 2007 - 6:30 AM SL Time
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`We consider your present visit is very critical in this moment of national crisis as the country is dangerously moving fast towards war which if not halted, will be a national disaster of unprecedented proportions in our long history, a memorandum submitted to Yashushi Akashi, Japanese special envoy for peace in Sri Lanka by the leader of Up-Country People`s Front and Minister for Community Development and Social Inequity Eradication P. Chandrasekaran MP said.
Following is the text of the memorandum:
`The plantation Tamil community comprises 7.4% of the Sri Lankan population and the UPF represents the aspirations of our people and we work tirelessly towards upliftment and betterment of the community as well as for inter-ethnic harmony, cohesion and national integration and also for the restoration and protection of the legitimate rights of all Sri Lankans.
`You are also aware of the human rights situation in the country and the untold misery and hardships of the minority communities particularly that of the people in the North East due to the war situation. Thousands of people including women, children and elderly people have been internally displaced and their life in refugee camps is unacceptable by any norms of the civilized world. More than 15,000 people have found refuge in Tamil Nadu in recent times and many such people have died in the sea.
`We are thankful for the concern of the international community particularly of Japan to bring a lasting peace in our country.
`We earnestly request you to join hands with the international community particularly with India and continue your good work to bring sustainable and honourable peace to Sri Lanka.
`The plantation Tamils is the most backward community in this country. When the country achieved independence in 1948 from the British colonialists, we lost our freedom. That was a historical injustice and a shame on humanity. The then government disenfranchised us and made us political orphans. We had to wait for another three decades to return our first representative to the Parliament. Hence, the social-economic development of the post-independence era has failed to embrace our community and we are still lagging behind compared to other communities in this country.
`We are also victims of the three decades long ethnic conflict in the North East. Though we are not directly linked to the North -East Tamils in their freedom struggle we have been very badly affected by ethnic violence in 1958, 1977, 1981 and 1983. Our properties were burned down and our innocent people were attacked and chased out from their homes.
`Even at present our people are directly affected due to the actions of government in the name of ensuring security against terrorism. Our people are being arrested without any reason and sometimes kidnapped by unidentified elements. They cannot peacefully work in the urban areas particularly in Colombo. They are forced to go back to the plantation areas where they live in abject poverty as they cannot find employment.
`However, with all these negative aspects the situation in the plantations is changing slowly and the community is beginning to respond positively to the national and global demands and challenges. With a little support from the international community we also can catch up fast and try to come up to the levels of other communities of this country.
`Hence, the time is ripe and opportune that Japan comes in and extends her helping hand as she has done to the disadvantaged communities all over the world to redeem our unfortunate community from extreme poverty, ignorance, backwardness and underdevelopment. Being a great contributor towards international development we anticipate Japan should positively consider our position and give humanitarian assistance to our community.`
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Damed
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 280
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16 Jun 2007 09:05:23 GMT Report for Abuse
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Plantation community What's ? UPF Kallathoni ?
Mr.Chandrasekaran learn from Japan.
Japan is a country which has never helped even their own citizens in simple natural disasters.Still people stay in temporary shelters in Kobe after the Hanshin Awaji Earth Quake.
Even in other parts of Japan they have simply dumped most of there citizens.
learn nothing is given free.
Japan strip citizens for taxes and lend that money overseas.
Understand 30,000.- people take there life's yearly in Japan.
Sri lanka is a paradise to human beings if not politicians with ethnic tragedies.Harmony is not going to come from outside world its a way of life.
Japan has neglected there supporters in world war, nationalities from Korea,china,Vietnam and Cambodia whom are left here without even voting rights,Discrimination even in schools public and at work places.
You mad praying feathers from tortoise. |
kankun
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 387
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17 Jun 2007 15:48:20 GMT Report for Abuse
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I am with plantation Tamil. Some live very sad life and we need to help them.
The plantation Tamil community comprises 7.4% of the Sri Lankan population and the UPF represents the aspirations of our people and we work tirelessly towards upliftment and betterment of the community as well as for inter-ethnic harmony, cohesion and national integration and also for the restoration and protection of the legitimate rights of all Sri Lankans.
At least up country Tamils try to live with us peacefully comparison to LTTE and their helpers. |
magha
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17 Jun 2007 16:28:21 GMT Report for Abuse
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Plantation workers every where in the world are a poor community. Conditions of workers in Tea plantation in Sri Lanka are better than in India, though it does not mean that something need not to be done to up lift their socio economic standards.
The author of this article failed to say that today ,Plantation workers are citizen's of Sri Lanka and since 1983 , for 25 years there had not been ethnic violence towards them even in the middle of a 25 year war with LTTE who claims to be the sole representatives of the Tamil of Sri Lanka.
The author also failed to say that Tamils of Sri Lanka collaborated with Singhalese in disenfranchising them after independence and never considered giving them equal social status with rest of the Tamils of Sri Lanka.
Did this author mention that not a single Jaffna Tamil wanted to teach the kids of the poor Tamil plantation workers? Does he acknowledge that GOSL has to bring teachers from South India even today to teach those kids?
The question of poor socio economic status of the Plantation workers is not unique to Sri lanka nor it is a consequence of Singhalese Chauvinism. It is a consequence of Capitalist mode of production exploiting these workers. In order to improve the standard of living of these workers, wages need to be raised, then the Capitalists cannot make profits competing in the world market. If the present generation of plantation workers' standard of living improves even a little bit more, then their children will get better education and not join the industry as hourly paid laborers. That will deprive a work force to be exploited in this 300 year old industry the British introduced to our country. So obviously the capitalists want to keep them poor.
It is the time that the country invest in inventing mechanized devices for Tea plucking maintaining the quality of the Tea produced. That will reduce the labour force with more skills and better paid. The Children of the plantation industry then have an opportunity to either join the industry which offer higher wages or engaged in different professions what their level of education offerers as the rest of the country.
Edited By - magha - 17 Jun 2007 16:31:06 GMT |
magha
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17 Jun 2007 16:33:09 GMT Report for Abuse
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Mr. Brown,
where is this br- br- coming from. LTTE had infiltrated this web site with a virus. |
justman
Joined: Mar 2006
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17 Jun 2007 19:40:18 GMT Report for Abuse
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| One way to help the poor plantation workers is to raise their wages,by increasing the demand for Ceylon tea,by everyone drinking more tea grown in SL.Perhaps we may not need any kind of aid,should we all work towads a better country. |
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