( September 27, 2012, New York
City, Sri Lanka Guardian) On September
9, 2012 the first meeting of the TGTE was called to order with all Senators in
attendance. The newly appointed Senators of the Transnational Government of
Tamil Eelam (TGTE) are tasked with drawing up a roadmap to achieving Tamil Eelam.
The roadmap created by the Senators will be presented to the TGTE Parliament
for consideration and action and will take into account the current global,
economic and geopolitical realities.
In his address to the new members
of the Senate, TGTE Prime Minister Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran stated that the
formation of the TGTE Senate has created excitement and enthusiasm among the
Tamils at large and has caused concern in the political establishment in the
island. The Tamils have high expectations of the TGTE Senate, he continued, and
asked the Senate to work to realize the TGTE’s goal of establishing an
Independent and Sovereign State of Tamil Eelam.
At its first session, the TGTE
Senate focused on strategies to mobilize world opinion including India and
South Asia on the necessity for establishing Tamil Eelam, on the Genocide,
human rights abuses and continued persecution of Tamils in the island, on
delivering justice for the victims of war crimes and for releasing those
refugees kept in custody in special detention camps in India.
Usha Sri Skanda-Rajah, who was
elected unanimously as the Chairperson of the new Senate, said that the TGTE
should strengthen its influence in the Tamil Diaspora, while remaining a
credible, dignified and well respected organization committed to democratic
principles, non-violence and continued engagement.
She expressed concern that the
Sri Lankan government, feeling threatened by the TGTE, will attempt to tarnish
its image and even lobby countries to ban the organization. “We must never
allow that to happen but remain vigilant of forces that are there to malign
us,” she said.
The members of the TGTE Senate
are spread across the globe and come from different backgrounds, ranging from
physicians and lawyers to journalists and human rights activists. The nine
Senators were appointed on August 15, this year by the TGTE Prime Minister and
the appointments of another six Senators are expected to be announced sometime
in the future. The TGTE Senate has a term of three years and members can
provide only non-binding advice to the elected TGTE Parliament.
 On September 9, 2012 the first meeting of the TGTE was called to order with...){kind=link}