'Tamils for Obama,' a politically active group of Tamil Americans, wrote to the U.N. secretary general and member states urging them to appoint a special envoy to Sri Lanka who would offer a clear analysis of the situation there and propose a solution.
A spokesman for 'Tamils for Obama' explained that reliable information about Sri Lanka and the conflict there does not seem to reach people outside of Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan government expelled international journalists and closed the conflict area to humanitarian aid workers, the spokesman explained, and what reports do reach the world are usually heavily colored by partisan interpretation. The appointment of a special envoy who could go to Sri Lanka, gather facts, and report to the U.N. and the world would alleviate this situation, the spokesman said.
In their letter, 'Tamils for Obama' suggested that former U.S. president Bill Clinton or former U.N. secretary general Kofi Annan, both of whom have prior experience with Sri Lanka, would be a credible appointment. The spokesman explained that it was essential to appoint an envoy with stature, one whom the rest of the world would be disposed to hear.
He noted that diplomats generally and the U.N. especially tend to listen to states and to ignore non-state actors. As a result, the spokesman said, the highly partisan and often untruthful accounts issued by the government of Sri Lanka are given more weight than they deserve. It is hoped by Tamils for Obama, the spokesman explained, that a report from a neutral U.N. envoy would provide the U.N. with the reliable information it now lacks.
Tamils are an ethnic group living mainly in the northeast of Sri Lanka and southern India. They are a minority population in Sri Lanka, and are currently bearing the brunt of a civil war they regard as genocide. One third of the Tamil population has fled the island and formed a substantial diaspora overseas. Tamils for Obama is comprised of Tamils who have settled in the U.S. or who were born in the U.S.
Read the letter:
Re: U.N. Envoy to Sri Lanka
Dear Secretary Ban and U.N. members:
We are writing in support of proposals to appoint a special U.N. envoy to Sri Lanka. This envoy's task would be to find a clear vision of and a meaningful end to the conflict there.
We are disappointed with the bickering that always arises between representatives of the belligerent parties in Sri Lanka and the conflicting accounts of events they always seem to offer. We hope that the new U.N. envoy will be able to discover a clear and truthful picture of the situation in Sri Lanka. This envoy might then be able to propose a solution to the sixty-year-old conflict.
The U.N. envoy should be a person of stature to whom U.N. members and the world at large will listen. We suggest former U.S. president Bill Clinton or former secretary general Kofi Annan, both of whom have prior experience with Sri Lanka.
Thank you for your attention.
Sincerely,
Tamils for Obama
