Medya News
Subscribe
  • Home
  • All News
  • Opinion
  • Kurdistan
  • Women
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
  • More
    • Audio Articles
    • Economy
    • Culture & Art
    • Ecology
    • Newsletter
    • Daily Review
Youtube
PODCAST
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • All News
  • Opinion
  • Kurdistan
  • Women
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
  • More
    • Audio Articles
    • Economy
    • Culture & Art
    • Ecology
    • Newsletter
    • Daily Review
Youtube
PODCAST
No Result
View All Result
Medya News

Tamils and Kurds, and the end of armed resistance

1:20 pm 31/08/2022
A A
Tamils and Kurds, and the end of armed resistance
Share this
FacebookTwitterRedditEmailLinkedInWhatsApp

Frederike Geerdink

https://medyanews.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/210822-G585-Frederike-Geerdink-Audio-1.mp3

It was interesting to welcome a member of the massive Tamil community to the podcast series I make for Medya News about their struggle for self-determination. The conversation with Viruben Nandakumar, who is in the editorial board of the Tamil Guardian, was very insightful. The similarities I saw with the Kurdish struggle were remarkable, but I saw an important difference too – a difference that strengthens my belief that laying down arms before a political settlement is reached would lead to a catastrophe.

It’s been a couple of years since I’ve known that the Kurds are not, as they often claim, the largest nation on earth without their own country. Those are the Tamils, with more than 80 million souls, twice as many as the Kurds. It’s not a competition, of course, but that such a large nation (as many people as there are in Turkey or Germany) is generally overseen, says a lot about which nations make it to the conversation and which don’t.

Draw attention

The Kurds may have few friends, but their location in the world automatically makes them part of the conversation and they have, especially in the last decade or so, managed to define the conversation with their skills and determination on the battlefield and their humane resistance against oppression. The Tamil homelands are of less geo-strategic and economic importance, which makes it even harder for them to draw attention to their fate.

Like Kurds, Tamils originally live in different countries: the south of India and the north and east of Sri Lanka. Most Tamils live in India, some 70 million, and more than three million live in Sri Lanka. Besides that, again like Kurds, there is a large diaspora, with significant Tamil communities in for example Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, the United States and Britain. Viruben Nandakumar said the Tamils are united in a common struggle for self-determination.

The level of this self-determination differs between India and Sri Lanka. India is a federal state, with an imperfect settlement between the central government and the Tamil community (mostly living in the state of Tamil Nadu), so that Tamils can govern themselves to a certain extent, while in Sri Lanka suppression is complete. Any resistance against the state is considered separatism. Ring a bell?

Tamil demands

We talked about the uprising that happened in Sri Lanka this summer too, in which common people managed to send the president into exile. When I asked what this meant for Tamils and whether they participated in the demonstrations, he pointed out that the protestors were mainly from the South, a part of the country that had in general been served well by the state. They wanted the president gone, but didn’t have a real vision for what should come next. “The slogan was ‘Go home Gota!’ [referring to president Gotabaya Rajapaksa], and that was the most important goal. There was nothing about recognition of genocide or Tamil demands for justice,” Nandakumar said.

Ring a bell? I lived in Diyarbakır when the Gezi protests happened [in Istanbul] in spring and summer 2013. You won’t hear me saying the Gezi protests weren’t important because they were, but the slogan ‘Hükümet istifa!’ (Government resign!) didn’t reveal much vision about an alternative to the destructive nature of the Turkish state. ‘Kürdistan faşizme mezar olacak!’ already sounds more comprehensive – Kurdistan will be the grave of fascism. While Tamils and Kurds alike have known the state for decades (the Tamils since 1948, when Sri Lanka became independent), the dominant group in society just doesn’t seem to see how deeply flawed the foundation of the state is, and demonstrates against the outcomes that affect them instead of against the root of the problem.

Militarised

But let me talk about that genocide in Sri Lanka. It happened in 2009, when the 25-year-long civil war ended with the final defeat of the armed resistance group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or LTTE, in short the Tamil Tigers. It was an explosion of state violence, in which thousands of civilians were slaughtered. Of course, there is no accountability from the perpetrators, and the UN has written some report but hasn’t given any sign that it actually cares for justice. The Tamils are on their own.

They continue their struggle in any way they can, not just in the diaspora but on the ground as well, but it’s hard. The district of Mullaitivu, in the east, where the Tamil Tigers had their last base, has one soldier for every two citizens. The rest of Tamil lands have one soldier for every six citizens, which makes it one of the most militarised regions in the world. Every dissent is suppressed, whoever speaks out is a ‘terrorist’, and the state uses the fear among Sri Lankan citizens of the Tamil Tigers as an excuse to suppress the whole Tamil community, left without self-defence.

Experience

The Kurdish armed resistance is alive. Turkey is doing everything it can, both within and outside its borders, to crush the armed movement. The Sri Lankan experience shows what this takes and what it leads to: genocide, and even harder suppression of defenceless people under full militarisation. The end of armed resistance without a political settlement doesn’t mean peace, it means absence of open conflict but intensification of the denial and annihilation of a nation. Kurdistan becoming the grave of fascism is a much better option.

Fréderike Geerdink is an independent journalist. Follow her on Twitter or subscribe to her acclaimed weekly newsletter Expert Kurdistan.

Share this
FacebookTwitterRedditEmailLinkedInWhatsApp

Related Posts

Democratic Republic Conference discusses a new republic conception in Turkey

Democratic Republic Conference discusses a new republic conception in Turkey

February 4, 2023
PKK commander calls on international powers to change policies on Kurds’ fight for freedom

PKK commander calls on international powers to change policies on Kurds’ fight for freedom

February 4, 2023
Existential Questions in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq – a weekly news review

Existential Questions in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq – a weekly news review

February 4, 2023
The Codename is “The Boss”

Journalists from Turkey are under threat, says German intelligence

February 4, 2023
Kurds celebrate traditional fest in ancient Iranian village

Kurds celebrate traditional fest in ancient Iranian village

February 4, 2023
Threat of Syrian rebels the reason behind consulate closures in Turkey, says journalist

Threat of Syrian rebels the reason behind consulate closures in Turkey, says journalist

February 4, 2023

Videos

PKK commander calls on international powers to change policies on Kurds’ fight for freedom
KURDISTAN

PKK commander calls on international powers to change policies on Kurds’ fight for freedom

February 4, 2023

All News

Democratic Republic Conference discusses a new republic conception in Turkey

PKK commander calls on international powers to change policies on Kurds’ fight for freedom

Existential Questions in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq – a weekly news review

Journalists from Turkey are under threat, says German intelligence

Kurds celebrate traditional fest in ancient Iranian village

Threat of Syrian rebels the reason behind consulate closures in Turkey, says journalist

Medya News

Impressum

About us

Privacy Policy

Subscribe
Contact
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • All News
  • Opinion
  • Kurdistan
  • Women
  • World
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
  • Ecology
  • Economy
  • Culture & Art
  • Daily Show
  • Newsletter
  • Authors
  • Podcast

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT

Add New Playlist

Loading
Contact