US Secretary of State Blinken Asked to List Archaeological & Forest Departments of Sri Lanka as Terrorist Organizations

Land seizures and ethnic cleansing overseen by two cabinet ministers in Tamil regions, done under the guise of archaeological research and forest conservation.

SCARSDALE, NY, UNITED STATES, December 23, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Tamils for Biden, a Tamil diaspora advocacy group, has petitioned the U.S. State Department to identify Sri Lankan officials Anura Manatunga, Director General of Archaeology, and Dr. K.M.A. Bandara, the Conservator General and head of the Forest Department, as terrorists.

The group's spokesman noted the land seizures and ethnic cleansing overseen by the two cabinet ministers in Tamil regions, done under the guise of archaeological research and forest conservation. In what is described as a "clear violation of international human rights," Tamils in the North-east of the country have been displaced from ancestral farmlands by Sinhalese settlers from the south of the island and centuries-old Hindu temples removed. The latter is because of what are claimed to be "planted" Buddhist artifacts that are then "conveniently found." Buddhist temples are then erected in those locations. "Day by day," the letter to Secretary of State Blinken asserted, "Tamils lose more and more of their property and cultural heritage because of the Sri Lankan government's systematic attempts to eradicate" the Tamil people and their culture from the island through these "thuggish, criminal acts."

Similarly, the Mahaweli Project, first created in 1961, has regularly removed Tamils from their lands because of irrigation and hydroelectric development, supplanting the local residents in a designated area with Sinhalease workers who then permanently settle for the purpose of "maintenance," the spokesman commented in a later interview.

The Tamils for Biden organization retains hope for a political solution in the decades-long conflict between the Tamils and Sinhalese in Sri Lanka, but, as the letter explains, "the first step would be recognizing the Archaeological and Forest Departments for what they are: terrorist organizations ruled by terrorist leaders. When the mask is torn away, it is clear that they are nothing more than the advance guard of a brutal, genocidal regime."

The letter concluded by requesting the help of the United States in arranging a referendum for Tamil independence. "To ensure our survival and preserve peace, Tamils need a secure and protected sovereign state."

Link to the Letter: https://tamilsforbiden.com/?p=2732

Links Related to Current Release:
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[https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/tamils-protest-efforts-grab-617-acres-land-gotabaya-naval-base] (https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/tamils-protest-efforts-grab-617-acres-land-gotabaya-naval-base)


2. Land Grabbing – The Real Pandemic For The Tamils In Sri Lanka
[https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/land-grabbing-the-real-pandemic-for-the-tamils-in-sri-lanka/] (https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/land-grabbing-the-real-pandemic-for-the-tamils-in-sri-lanka/)

3. Local Tamils push back yet another land grab attempt in Mullaitivu
[https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/local-tamils-push-back-yet-another-land-grab-attempt-mullaitivu] (https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/local-tamils-push-back-yet-another-land-grab-attempt-mullaitivu)

4. 'Stop the land grabs' - Tamil MPs decry ploy to steal Tamil land
[https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/stop-land-grabs-tamil-mps-decry-ploy-steal-tamil-land] (https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/stop-land-grabs-tamil-mps-decry-ploy-steal-tamil-land)

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