On behalf of the Eelam Tamil diaspora organisations around the world we write this letter to seek your support
On behalf of the Eelam Tamil diaspora organisations around the world we write this letter to seek your support for our campaign against the web series Family man 2.
We, as victims of the biggest genocide in this century, note with concern the falsification of the just struggle of Eelam Tamils against the state oppression in the above web series and strongly condemn it.
As the first step, we have registered our protest through memorandums to Amazon Prime head offices for their part in releasing this web series on their platform. Despite the difficult period of COVID-19 pandemic, the worl d-wide Tamil diaspora has spontaneously started to demonstrate in front of the Amazon Prime offices. First of such demonstration was in front of Amazon Offices in London on Monday, 21 June 2021 adhering to COVID-19 regulations.
It is very sad to note that the series has been produced using our own Tamil brothers and sisters, especially since some of the actors and the script writers are from Tamil Nadu. Even though we tend to believe that they have pa rticipated through their lack of understanding of the atrocities encountered by the Eelam Tamils and the micro political agenda in this series that try to tarnish the image of a victim community, such behaviours have hurt us very much and pained immeasurably.
Although the directors/producers of Family Man 2 series have stated that the series have been a fictional produ ct, the usage of words such as ‘Eelam Tamils’, ‘Point Pedro’, ‘Eelam’ and ‘North Sri Lanka’ as well as similarity of sc enes to the last stages of the genocidal war in Sri Lanka and violent streaks exhibited by the characters clearly de monstrates the fabricated agenda to illustrate the Eelam Tamils as people prone to mindless violence.
The life of Tamil women in the freedom struggle has been falsely characterised, showing that these women wou ld go to any extent, even to sexually expose themselves, to achieve their goals and this has spread shock waves to the world at large. This is deplorable.In addition, this series depicts Eelam Tamils as terrorists, wherever they reside while the reality is the opposite. For the past twelve years, we have been seeking remedies against the injustices caused by the genocide in a pe aceful manner and in accordance with the mechanisms of international laws. Still these kinds of steps are being taken with the aim of suppressing our efforts. All the Tamil people in Ta mil Nadu have always supported and continue to support their brothers and sisters in Eelam. Tamil Nadu film in dustry has also always supported the Eelam Tamils cause.
Therefore, we humbly requ est that they should avoid the production of these types of films in the future. We also request that a resolution is passed in the South Indi an Artists Association, Directors Association and the Producers Council not to produ ce or release this sort of films in the future. We therefore request our brothers and sisters in the Tamil cinema field especially actors, script writers, dire ctors, producers, and any other film industrialists not to take part in any similar actions in future.
Australian Tamil Congress (ATC), British Tamils Forum (BTF), Irish Tamils Forum (ITF), La Maison du Tamil Eelam (MTE), Norwegian Council of Eelam Tamils (NCET), National Council of Canadian Tamils (NCCT), Solidarity Gro up for Peace and Justice (SGPJ – South Africa) and United States Tamil Action Group (USTAG) have collectively written a letter to Tamil Nadu Films Directors Association, Tamil Film Producers Council, and the South Indian Artists Association in this respect.
We attach a copy of a letter sent to the South Indian Artists Association (SIAA) and request you to convey it to th e public at large.
President South Indian Artists Association (SIAA) Chennai, Tamilnadu India
Dear Sir
We presume that you are well aware of the release of “The Family Man a Web Series” in Amazon Prime.
The falsification and misinterpretation of the true history of Eelam Tamils and their free d om struggl e in this web se ries containing po rtrayal of debauched & shady stories and slander dialogues have caused us severe pain. Port rayal of military atr ocities against Tamil civilians as attempts at abatement of te rrorism conceals the genocide co mmitte d against Eelam Tamils. in Sri Lanka. No wonder that this series has created shockwaves of agony to all Ee lam Tamils.
Following the Mullivaikkal massacre, the Tamils in Eelam and dispersed around the world are living a life of un spe akable sorrow. The Sri Lankan government continues to slander and marginalise the Tamil people by port ra ying the Tamils as a terrorist community. As law abiding citizens in many of their adopted countries, Tamils con tinue their st ruggle to seek justice and establish that they were subjected to Genocide by the Sri Lankan state. While the world at large begins to recognise us as the victims of oppression, the ‘Family Man 2’ series delib era tely paints the mali cious picture that Eelam Tamils are committing terrorist acts in collaboration with internati onal terrorists breachin g the laws of the countries they live in.
We sense that this series helps the Sri Lankan government to characterise the Tamils around the globe as terrois ts and to disguise its genocidal acts. The series is a politically motivated sinister plot to transform the freedom se eking Tamil community as a violent people. We strongly condemn the characterisation of the liberation struggle against subjugation as terrorism.
This series tries to picture the community that fought for the liberation as immoral radicals, violent extremists, sexual predators. alcoholics, users of foul languages, wanderers with revenge motives and similar numerous de graded images to tarnish the truth.
The producers cannot relinquish their responsibility by merely stating that it is fiction. Through various screen plays, the series directly relates its story to the Eelam Tamil people by using the words such as “Eelam Tamils”, “Point Pedro” and “North Sri Lanka”. Even the scenes match the events of the last phase of war that occurred in Eelam. It clearly shows that the series was planned and produced to criminalise Eelam Tamils. It is an instrument designed to show the world that the Eelam Tamils remain terrorists no matter where they live.
We, the Eelam Tamils, are fighting against injustice on international platforms in a peaceful manner for the past 12 years. The Sinhala Buddhist nationalists, despite the worst genocidal acts in Mullivaikkal, see the rise in inter national support to the Tamil victims as a threat and thus would exploit the opportunity presented by the Family Man 2. After seeing the series in full, you will realise the true motives of the producers.
The Tamil Nadu people were with us at all times when we suffered. They sympathised, voiced and supported us during our struggles. They are still with us as inseparable with the same feelings. The participation of the film in dustry is also substantial in our struggle. The diaspora of Eelam Tamils’ has made significant contributions to the incomes of the Tamil film industry by the countless release of the Tamil films overseas. The good relationship bet ween Eelam Tamils and the Tamil Nadu film industry should continue.
For the foregoing reasons, we appeal to your Association to request the South Indian Tamil actors to refrain fro m accepting part in any screen production that discredits, defames, twists of Eelam liberation struggle. We stron gly feel that such a request from you and from the film producers and directors would not only serve to soothe t he pain of Eelam Tamil community, but also will curtail the continuing genocide. We call upon all of you to unite with us in carrying forward the struggle for justice and rights to Tamils.
Thank you. Yours truly, Diaspora Tamil Organisations
Contact details:
Australian Tamil Congress (ATC) – T: +61 300 660 629, Email: Mano_manics@hotmail.com British Tamils Forum (BTF) – T: +44 (0) 7814 486087, Email: info@britishtamilsforum.org Irish Tamils Forum (ITF) – T: 00353 899592707, Email: irishtamilsforum@gmail.com La Maison du Tamil Eelam (MTE) – T: +33 652725867, Email: mte.france@gmail.com Norwegian Council of Eelam Tamils (NCET) – T: +47 90 64 16 99, Email: stevenpush.k@gmail.com National Council of Canadian Tamils (NCCT) – T: +1.416.830.7703, Email: krishanthy@ncctcanada.ca Solidarity Group for Peace and Justice (SGPJ – South Africa) – Email: pregasenp@telkomsa.net United States Tamil Action Group (USTAG) – T: +1(202) 595 3123, Email: info@ustag.or
