New York, Sept. 20, 2025 – Tamil Diaspora News
Justice pour Tous Internationale (JPTi), in cooperation with the International Probono Legal Services Association (IPLSA), recently held an event at the United Nations Office in Geneva highlighting Scotland’s right to self-determination under international law.
At the conference, experts argued that Scotland’s 1707 Treaty of Union with England was coercive, leaving Scotland a dependent territory rather than an equal partner. They noted that Westminster retains ultimate authority over taxation, natural resources, and foreign policy, thereby undermining Scotland’s autonomy.
Legal specialists pointed out that Scotland could qualify as a Non-Self-Governing Territory (NSGT) under UN decolonization principles. Petitions have already been submitted to the UN Secretary-General, the General Assembly’s Fourth Committee, and the UN Decolonization Committee (C-24). The discussions also emphasized the international security implications of the UK’s nuclear arsenal stationed in Scotland, which would come under scrutiny in the event of independence.
Parallels with the Tamil Struggle
The Tamil Diaspora notes strong similarities between Scotland’s pursuit of justice and the Tamil people’s long-standing demand for the restoration of sovereignty in the North and East of Sri Lanka:
- Colonial Legacy Ignored: Just as Scotland’s treaty-based union is questioned, Tamils recall how British withdrawal in 1948 forced Tamils into a Sinhala-majority state without consultation or consent.
- International Right, Not Domestic Permission: Both Scotland and the Tamil nation insist that self-determination is a fundamental right under the UN Charter, ICCPR, and ICESCR – not something granted by central governments.
- Occupation & Militarization: While Scotland highlights control from Westminster, Tamils suffer direct military occupation, land grabs, and systemic repression in their historic homeland.
- Path to the UN: Scotland’s petitions to UN bodies provide a clear model for Tamils to follow – using international legal mechanisms, mobilizing diaspora networks, and exposing injustices in global forums.
Call to Action
The Tamil Diaspora urges the United Nations, the United States, the European Union, and other democratic nations to view Scotland’s case as a reminder that peoples under coercive union or occupation have the right to freedom and self-rule.
The struggle of the Tamil nation for sovereignty in Sri Lanka must be recognized in the same spirit as Scotland’s pursuit of independence. Both are matters of international justice, human rights, and global security.
https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/49/NGO/218?utm_source
Thank you,
Tamil Diaspora News,
September 20, 2025,
Email: news@TamilDiasporaNews.com,
www.TamilDiasporaNews.com