Archbishop Tutu, you will remain in the hearts of Eelam Tamils forever: Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE)

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor” was his philosophy in life”

The Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE)* deeply mourns the passing of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the South African anti-apartheid campaigner, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and conscience of the world.

In his long and remarkable life, he tirelessly fought for the rights of victimized peoples all around the world. He not only championed for black South Africans in their effort to dismantle Apartheid, but he was also an ally and friend to persecuted peoples around the world including Eelam Tamils in the island of Sri Lanka.

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor” was his philosophy in life, a viewpoint he gave meaning to through his courageous actions – starting first as a leading part of the anti-apartheid movement and later as a champion of human rights globally.

Eelam Tamils will never forget how he openly and loudly spoke up on our behalf time and again against the racist regimes in Sri Lanka. He criticised not only the Colombo government but also the international community for allowing nothing short of a genocide to be perpetrated against the Tamils by the country’s armed forces with full impunity.

And in 2014 he along with 38 human rights activists and organisations from around the world demanded that the UN Human Rights Council set up a Commission of Inquiry to investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Sri Lanka.

Bishop Tutu was not afraid to talk truth to power. He openly criticized the South African government for caving to China’s pressure in denying the Dalai Lama a visitor’s visa. Despite his global fame and stature, he never patronized the downtrodden. Bishop Tutu empathized with the victims. He danced when they danced. He laughed when they laughed. He cried when they cried.

Not only have the Eelam Tamils lost a powerful ally, but the world has lost a moral compass. Bishop Tutu was the physical embodiment of courage, morality, and justice. The world will feel a little darker without him in it.

Let us be guided by his passion for justice and his solidarity for the poor and for the persecuted.

In Archbishop Tutu’s passing away Eelam Tamils have lost a very dear friend and global champion of their cause. He will remain etched in our memory and hearts forever.