▣. Introduction
The Tamil liberation struggle in Sri Lanka stands as one of the longest and most intense resistance movements of the modern era. Rooted in deep historical grievances, systemic ethnic oppression, and a demand for national self-determination, it evolved from a people’s movement into a formidable de facto state. At the forefront was the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), whose administrative structures, military capabilities, and political vision made it an unprecedented resistance force.
However, no struggle in history has been immune to internal betrayal. While external enemies are expected in any liberation movement, the most severe damages often come from within. One such internal faction — UTHR(J) (University Teachers for Human Rights – Jaffna) — played a pivotal role in undermining the Tamil resistance from the inside, cloaking themselves in the language of human rights, yet systematically contributing to the global delegitimization and criminalization of the Tamil national cause.
✹. Who Were UTHR(J)?
Founded in 1988 by a small group of academics from the University of Jaffna, UTHR(J) claimed to stand for human rights and impartial truth. Key figures included:
● Rajani Thiranagama
● Rajan Hoole
● K. Sritharan
● Daya Somasundaram
Although publicly projecting neutrality, their writings, publications, and international engagements increasingly revealed a pattern of targeting the Tamil resistance, particularly the LTTE, while often underplaying or equalizing the massive crimes of the Sri Lankan state.
✹. Primary Acts of Betrayal
Action/Event Description
Systematic Negative Portrayals of the LTTE UTHR(J) consistently framed the LTTE as a totalitarian, brutal, and anti-democratic force. While some criticisms may have had merit, the tone, frequency, and imbalance of their reports disproportionately demonized the liberation movement.
False Documentation and Interpretation. They were widely accused of exaggerating incidents, using highly interpretive methods, and sometimes constructing misleading narratives or documents that lacked verifiable sources.
Release of “The Broken Palmyra” (1989), their most influential and damaging publication. While praised in Western circles, it painted the Tamil armed struggle as violent extremism and deeply influenced foreign perceptions.
Deepening Internal Divisions. Their Christian-centric academic base was often accused of creating rifts between Hindu, Muslim, and Christian Tamils through selective narratives.
Backchannel Work with Foreign Powers. Their reports were widely used by Western embassies, UN agencies, and even intelligence services. These were then weaponized in global platforms to justify sanctions and bans against the LTTE.
✹Were They Working with Intelligence Agencies?
Numerous independent observers and leaks — including segments from WikiLeaks — suggest that UTHR(J) had regular communications with Western diplomatic missions in Colombo. Rajan Hoole and others were seen as “credible Tamil insiders” whose reports were used by the US, UK, Norway, Canada, and other governments. These reports were later cited in official decisions to ban the LTTE as a terrorist organization, effectively crippling global Tamil advocacy.
Moreover, their language mirrored the counterinsurgency logic often used by occupying powers: equating national liberation with terror, and resistance with dictatorship. They were also regularly used by Norwegian peace brokers, who were later revealed to have compromised neutrality during the peace process.
✹International Consequences of Their Work
Outcome Description
LTTE Declared a Terrorist Organization.UTHR(J)’s reports were heavily cited by Western governments in the early 2000s as justification for outlawing the LTTE.
Undermined Tamil Nationalism. Their framing eroded international sympathy for the Tamil cause, replacing it with fear and suspicion.
Legal Use in Sri Lankan Courts UTHR documents were introduced as evidence in trials against Tamil prisoners, sometimes leading to convictions under anti-terror laws.
Stifled Diaspora Activism Tamil activists in Europe, Canada, and Australia were surveilled, detained, or deported based on narratives shaped partly by UTHR publications.
✹Reactions from the Tamil Community
The Tamil people, especially those in the diaspora and Tamil Eelam, have widely viewed UTHR(J) not as impartial observers but as academic collaborators in state violence. Despite facing real threats for their writings, their legacy among Tamils is deeply controversial, and in many quarters, condemned.
More than external critics, they became internal saboteurs, weakening international support and poisoning the political space for Tamil advocacy. Their role was not merely analytical, but consequential and destructive.
✹Final Thoughts: A Historical Record of Treachery
UTHR(J) stands as a case study in how “human rights” language can be weaponized to dismantle liberation movements. Their betrayal was not simply about disagreement or criticism — it was about systematically enabling the global criminalization of Tamil self-determination.
As of today, the long-term effects of their actions are still being felt: from UN narratives that erase the Tamil genocide, to Western political apathy, to lingering bans on Tamil diaspora organizations. Their writings, cited as “truth,” helped shape policies that continue to harm the Tamil nation.
✦. Note to Future Generations
Young Tamils, both in Eelam and the diaspora, must critically examine sources and understand the hidden structures of power that shape public narratives. Not all internal voices are benevolent. Some operate as intellectual proxies for the very regimes our people resist.
UTHR(J) was not merely a group of scholars — it was a domestic extension of global state power, and its legacy is a stark reminder of the devastating power of internal betrayal.
「 Eelaththu Nilavan 」
01/07/2025
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Amizhthu’s editorial stance.
