Gajan Ponnambalam is effectively suggesting that it is acceptable for Sinhalese to settle in the Tamil homeland — similar to how, in parts of the Middle East, dominant oppressor groups bought the lands of the original inhabitants and displaced them.
Source is given here at the bottom.
The US Tamil Diaspora strongly and unequivocally opposes any form of Sinhala settlement in the Tamil homeland — whether state-sponsored or voluntary. The North and East are the historic homeland of the Tamil nation, and their demographic security is the foundation of Tamil political survival.
“Allowing Sinhalese individuals or groups to settle in Tamil areas at this stage is not coexistence — it is demographic erasure,” stated a spokesperson for the US Tamil Diaspora. “The Sinhala population has full access to state funds, government-backed loans, and political power. With that advantage, they can easily purchase Tamil land and displace an already vulnerable people.”
The diaspora emphasized that the issue is not about ordinary Sinhalese citizens, but about the structural imbalance created by the Sri Lankan state.
“When the state itself is Sinhala-majoritarian, when state institutions serve Sinhala interests, and when centuries of oppression remain unresolved, calling for voluntary Sinhala migration into Tamil areas is not harmless — it is dangerous,” the spokesperson added.
The US Tamil Diaspora respectfully but firmly rejects the recent remarks made by Mr. Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam suggesting that voluntary Sinhala settlement should be accepted.
“We cannot agree with Mr. Ponnambalam’s statement,” the spokesperson said. “Before a political solution is achieved, before justice is delivered, and before the Tamil right to self-determination is recognized, any form of Sinhala settlement — voluntary or sponsored — poses a grave threat to Tamil existence.”
The statement stresses that the Tamil nation must not be placed in a position where state-backed economic power can be used to buy out or overwhelm the Tamil population.
“If unrestricted settlement is allowed now, the Sinhalese — backed by government wealth — can buy the entire Tamil homeland. Tamils will lose political power and become a powerless minority in their own land. We will not allow that to happen,” the spokesperson warned.
The US Tamil Diaspora calls upon the international community to understand this danger and to support a political settlement that guarantees Tamil national security, territorial integrity, and sovereignty.
“Only after a just solution is reached can we discuss how Tamils and Sinhalese can coexist on the island. Justice must come first. Survival must come first.”
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