My beloved and esteemed people of Tamil Eelam,

Today we mark Great Heroes’ Day.
 
I consider it a great privilege that time has provided me the opportunity to make an appearance on this sacred day when we commemorate in the temples of our hearts the defenders of our nation who laid down their precious lives to achieve our eminent goal of Tamil Eelam.
 
I had never anticipated such an opportunity will arise in my lifetime. I am making this appearance after having surmounted numerous dangers, obstacles, challenges and betrayals. At the same time, I have inexorable faith that time will one day provide me the opportunity to return to my homeland, Tamil Eelam, where I can live with my people and serve them.
 
 
My beloved people,
 
Our Great Heroes achieved many unimaginable feats on battle fields, making the entire world look at them in amazement. The Sinhala state which lacked the will to confront us on its own rallied powerful nations behind it. Whenever the Sinhala state was on the verge of defeat, it bowed down to alien forces and powerful nations and sought their support. Our national liberation movement was proscribed in many countries and our resources were frozen. All supply routes to our homeland, Tamil Eelam, were shut down. On every occasion that our national liberation movement weakened the Sinhala military machinery, powerful nations intervened and resuscitated it. This was the reason why the armed struggle spearheaded independently by our national liberation movement in the corner of the world, and depending solely on the support of our people, was silenced in Mullivaikal.
 
Yet, our struggle for political independence is far from over. The political conditions that led to the emergence of our aspiration for Tamil Eelam remain very much alive today. The Sinhala state has embarked on a full-scale Sinhala-Buddhisation programmes in our homeland, and encourages the disorientation of our culture, thereby making it difficult for our people to safeguard their language, cultural values and their religious ways of living.
 
To make matters worse, Tamil Eelam is the only region in the island of Eelam where the Sinhala state has imposed total military rule. Tamil Eelam has become a nation that has been deprived of all freedoms and human rights. The Sinhala state has deprived our people the rule of law and constantly imposes Satanic rule in the form of counter-terrorism and emergency laws. Our people live in the island of Eelam with their voices silenced.
 
On the other hand, the powerful nations that promised our people and made them believe during the armed conflict that if the armed struggles came to an end our people will be able to realise their aspirations through political means have not delivered a constructive political solution. Neither the UN that filed reports within the past fourteen years that the atrocities inflicted against the Tamil people in the island of Eelam to be war crimes and crimes against humanity, nor the powerful nations that passed resolutions at the UN Human Rights Council, have taken steps to deliver remedial justice to the Tamil nation that became a victim of genocide.
 
These are the reasons why our struggle for political independence continues to remain alive. The non-violent struggle launched by our nation in the 1950s to create a Tamil federal state was crushed in the 1960s by the Sinhala state through military violence. It was against this backdrop that the valiant youth emerged in the 1970s. Our youth resisted, through a valiant armed struggle, the Sinhala armed forces and the oppressive state machinery. Our men and women, who rallied in their tens of thousands under the leadership of my father, our National Leader Hon. Velupillai Pirapaharan, demonstrated that the Eelam Tamils are a nation of tigers. It was our Great Heroes who sacrificed their lives in the Tamil Eelam national liberation war who made this possible. Our Great Heroes have transcended time. Let those great, revered ones be honoured in eternity in the temples of our conscience.
 
 
Although the armed struggle has come to an end, our political struggle to realise our aspirations and achieve national independence continues to remain alive because of our people, political leaders, and cadres and activists who served in our national liberation movement, both in our homeland and abroad. Our struggle for independence continues with vigour. Under these circumstances, it would be meaningless to differentiate Eelam Tamils as the people and the Tigers. Our political struggle has evolved to the stage where the people and the Tigers have become one entity.
 
Yet, we must move forward our political struggle more effectively and achieve our political rights. Every Tamil, both in our homeland and abroad, has the duty to transcend party differences and differences between various organisations, and work in unity and efficacy to realise the political aspirations of the nation of Tamil Eelam and deliver justice to our loved ones who were subjected to genocide. We may have differences of opinion. Despite the differences, when it comes to the subject of our people’s political rights, we all must travel along the same path in unity.
 
At the same time, the wealthy sections of our nation have the duty uplift our people at home living below the poverty line, and build the lives of our former cadres who selflessly fought in the past. In particular, this duty falls on Eelam Tamils living abroad. We do not have to rely on the aid of foreigners if we take responsibility for all of our loved ones living below the poverty line.
 
I thank our loved ones and political leaders in our mother Tamil Nadu, and the global Tamil Diaspora for acting as our voice and their unwavering support for many years. I also extend my hand of love to the non-Tamils in India and other parts of our world who voice for us and support us. I have inexorable faith that the people of Tamil Nadu and the Global Tamil Diaspora will stand by our people and voice for them so that they would be able to achieve their rights.
 
 
My beloved people,
 
Our goal is of high esteem, and the cost borne by our Great Heroes, the sacrifices made by our nation and the loses we sustained were innumerous. These will never go to waste. You, the people, were the ones who stood as our pillars during difficult times. I urge you all to come together as a people united by our goal so that we would be able to achieve our independence.
 
In accordance with the norms of the current global order we will continue our struggle through just and political means. Out of all struggles, a political struggle is the most difficult one. Patience, faith and resilience in our goal are the foundations of this form of struggle. I am not ignorant of this.
 
I have inexorable belief that only the creation of an independent state of Tamil Eelam would ensure the sovereignty and the right to self-determination of our nation. You all know very well that this is also the stance of our National Leader. I have inexorable faith that time will one day generate the conditions to establish the state of Tamil Eelam which will respect democratic norms, the rule of law, civil liberties and human rights, and which will allow our people to preserve, protect and develop their language, culture, their own religious ways of living, and economic resources in our motherland.
 
At the same time, I am not unaware of the fact that our nation should be willing to explore any political solutions that may be presented by the world to pave the way for the people of Tamil Eelam to live in the Tamil Eelam homeland as a nation with the right to self-determination.
 
At this conjuncture, I would like to also make a statement to the Sinhala people. We have never been against the Sinhala people. Nor are the Sinhala people our enemies. You are aware that we have never acted against the Sinhala people. I am aware that innocent Sinhala people were turned against the Tamil people by selfish politicians and the racist state machinery that planted malicious ideas in their minds. I therefore have faith that you will recognise the moral rights of our people and our just struggle.
 
My beloved people,
 
To cite our National Leader, “Our paths may change but our goal will always remain the same.” The sacrifices made by our Great Heroes and our people who lost their lives will bear witness to the truth and guide our nation. We will continue our journey on this path of truth and realise our goal one day.
 
“Tigers Yearn for the Tamil Eelam Homeland”