Chennai, Aug. 22 (PTI): Tamil Eelam, a separate nation for Tamils, "is the only solution to the Sri Lankan Tamils issue", MDMK chief Vaiko has said. Addressing a public meeting here last night, Vaiko flayed the Centre for advocating a solution within the framework of a united Sri Lanka and said only the Tamils of the island nation had the right to decide their destiny.

"The Sri Lankan Tamils will decide for themselves. The final battle for Tamil Eelam is on and LTTE is capable of winning a separate nation for Tamils on their own. We want the LTTE to win and they will be victorious", he said.

Vaiko said 22 of the 23 Tamil MPs in the island, belonging to the Tamil Nationalist Federation, were backing a separate homeland for Tamils and the self-determination rights of Sri Lanka's Tamils should be respected.

He recalled that the Vattukottai resolution, which called for a separate Tamil Eelam, had the overwhelming support of Sri Lankan Tamils during the general election held in the island before the 1983 anti-Tamil riots.

"Tamils should have the same rights as Sinhalese. If Sinhalese can have a separate nation in the island, why not the Tamils, who were the orginal habitants of Sri Lanka before Sinhalese settled there," he asked.

Vaiko said any assistance to Sri Lanka would create another Kashmir-like situation if angry Tamil youths took over the political leadership in Tamil Nadu, making democratic leaders like himself irrelevant.

Source: The Hindu-PTI
Date: 22 August 2006