Shadows of Erasure: Psychological Warfare and Diaspora Challenges

A Comparative Study of Psychological Warfare and Diaspora Challenges Facing Armenians and Eelam Tamils

Final Appeal: Collective Vigilance Against Identity Erasure

We urge the Eelam Tamil community, both within Sri Lanka and across the diaspora, to remain vigilant against renewed tactics designed to divert global attention from the ongoing state-sponsored campaign to erase Tamil identity. These efforts include reframing repression as "development," promoting cultural assimilation under the guise of peace-building, and continuing covert land occupation under Sinhala-Buddhist expansionism.

The community must stay alert to:

• Disinformation masquerading as reconciliation initiatives
• Economic programs that mask demographic engineering and territorial dilution
• International aid or investment projects that entrench militarized control of Tamil homelands
• Narrative shifts that deny Tamil indigeneity and reduce post-war grievances to historical footnotes

History has shown that denial and diversion are tools of erasure. Only through sustained advocacy, documentation, legal intervention, and international coalition-building can Eelam Tamils assert their identity, protect their lands, and demand recognition under global human-rights frameworks.

Let this serve not only as a warning but as a call to action:
“Protect your history. Preserve your voice. Claim your rights. Remember, resistance is not rebellion—it is remembrance.”

Editor’s Note

This analysis explores how state-sponsored psychological warfare tactics contributed to the marginalization, cultural erasure, and diaspora formation of two communities: Armenians after the 1915–1923 genocide and Eelam Tamils during Sri Lanka’s civil war and post-war period (2008–present). Drawing on eyewitness testimony, human-rights reports, academic literature, and legal documents, the report highlights parallels in narrative control, forced displacement, and memory politics. Our goal is to inform community advocates, policymakers, and scholars of enduring patterns of repression and the resilience strategies deployed by both diasporas.

Disclaimer

This report contains descriptions of genocide, war crimes, and cultural erasure that may be distressing. It is intended solely for educational and advocacy purposes. The analysis does not condone violence or political extremism and adheres to international norms of peaceful expression and historical preservation.

A Comparative Study of Psychological Warfare and Diaspora Challenges Facing Armenians and Eelam Tamils

Introduction

Across different eras and regions, governments have wielded psychological warfare to fracture collective identities, suppress inconvenient histories, and control displaced populations. The Armenian genocide (1915–1923) precipitated a stateless diaspora confronted by denialism and cultural repression (Dadrian, 1995; Hovannisian, 2001). Similarly, Tamil civilians endured systematic violence, cultural erasure, and memory suppression in Sri Lanka’s northern and eastern provinces—tactics persisting from the final phases of the civil war through the present (Hoole, 2017; Adayaalam Centre for Policy Research, 2022).

Comparative Analysis of Psychological Warfare Tactics

Tactic	Armenian Context	Eelam Tamil Context
Narrative Control	Ottoman and Turkish denial of genocide; suppression of survivor testimonies (Akçam, 2006).	Sri Lankan state media branding LTTE as “terrorists,” blackout of civilian casualty reports (Hoole, 2017).
Cultural & Linguistic Erosion	Prohibition of Armenian‐language schools; destruction of churches and manuscripts (Hovannisian, 2001).	Sinhala‐only policies; demolition of Jaffna Public Library (1981); restrictions on Tamil festivals (Satkunanathan, 2020).
Forced Displacement	Mass deportations to Syria, Lebanon, and beyond; Treaty of Lausanne barring return (Dadrian, 1995).	Military offensives, “no-fire zones,” and scorched-earth tactics displacing Tamil civilians (Oakland Institute, 2021).
Legal Exclusion & Statelessness	Law on Abandoned Properties stripped survivors of land and citizenship (Akçam, 2006).	Tamil plantation workers rendered stateless under citizenship amendments (Amnesty International, 2023).
Memory Politics & Monument Erasure	Vandalism of Armenian memorials in Turkey; denial of commemorations (Dadrian, 1995).	Bulldozing of Mullivaikkal memorial; removal of LTTE gravesites under security pretexts (Al Jazeera, 2021; The Guardian, 2021).
Disinformation & Fear Conditioning	Rumors of reprisals against Armenians harboring fugitives; forced confessions (Akçam, 2006).	Propaganda leaflets urging LTTE surrender; loudspeaker warnings equating civilians with combatants (Hoole, 2017).

Diaspora Formation and Resilience

4. Institutional Infrastructure
• Armenian diaspora chapters such as Homenetmen (Armenian General Athletic Union) and AYF (Armenian Youth Federation) in Lebanon, France, and the United States built a network of community centers, sports clubs, and cultural halls. At the annual Panagoum summer camp—attended by over 500 youth each year—participants engage in language immersion, historical seminars, and civic activism (Dadrian, 1995).
• Eelam Tamils organized the Canadian Tamil Congress branches in Toronto and Ottawa*, the Tamil Resource and Development Centre in Paris, and the Tamil National Learning Centre in London. These institutions operate weekend schools that teach Tamil language, classical dance forms (Bharatanatyam), and Tamil literature to more than 1,200 students monthly (Oakland Institute, 2021).
5. Educational and Cultural Transmission
• In the United States, diaspora-funded Armenian Saturday schools and the Armenian Virtual College offer accredited courses in Western and Eastern Armenian, as well as modules on genocide studies. Radio Azatutyun (Freedom Radio) broadcasts oral histories from survivors, ensuring first‐person testimonies reach remote diaspora communities (Hovannisian, 2001).
• Tamil webinars, digital archives (e.g., TamilNation.org), and annual Tamil Heritage Month events in Ontario feature documented survivor narratives from Mullivaikkal. Virtual‐reality memorial tours launched in 2023 allow global audiences to witness reconstructed sites of displacement (Satkunanathan, 2020).
6. Political Advocacy and Lobbying
• The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) in Washington, DC, drafted and lobbied for House Resolution 296, which secured a formal U.S. Congressional acknowledgment of the Armenian genocide in 2021. Diaspora delegations regularly meet with senators, organize “Genocide Education Days,” and mobilize letter‐writing campaigns to press for sanctions on denialist Turkish officials.
• The Canadian Tamil Organizations and Politicians spearheaded the successful campaign for Ontario’s Bill 104, coordinating meetings with MPPs, drafting policy briefs, and holding public hearings that drew over 2,000 attendees. In Brussels, Tamil advocacy groups petitioned the European Parliament to condemn Sri Lanka’s wartime conduct, contributing to a nonbinding resolution in 2022 (Adayaalam Centre for Policy Research, 2022).
7. Commemorative Practices and Digital Activism
• Every April 24, Armenian communities worldwide hold candlelight vigils at local municipal halls and at Tsitsernakaberd replicas in Buenos Aires, Marseille, and Los Angeles. Social‐media hashtags like #NeverAgainArmenia trend annually, amplifying grassroots remembrance to over 10 million impressions (Dadrian, 1995).
• On May 18—designated Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day—diaspora groups erect temporary memorials in Trafalgar Square (London) and Nathan Phillips Square (Toronto), featuring photo exhibitions and live poetry readings in Tamil and Sinhala. TikTok campaigns under #TamilRemembers2023 reached 5 million users, highlighting civilian testimonies recorded within refugee camps in India (Satkunanathan, 2020).
8. Legislative & Official Recognition
• Ontario’s Tamil Genocide Education Week Act (Bill 104), proclaimed May 12, 2021, mandates that schools deliver at least one instructional module on the Tamil genocide, encourages public libraries to host speaker series, and requests municipalities to fly the Tamil Eelam flag during the week ending May 18 (Legislative Assembly of Ontario, 2021).
• On May 18, 2022, the Canadian House of Commons unanimously adopted Motion M-62—introduced by MP Gary Anandasangaree—formally recognizing Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day. The motion passed 265-0, accompanied by statements from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and all opposition leaders, making Canada the first national parliament to acknowledge the Tamil genocide (House of Commons of Canada, 2022).

Conclusion

The comparative study reveals that both Armenian and Eelam Tamil communities were subjected to narrative control, cultural erasure, forced displacement, and memory politics as instruments of state-sponsored psychological warfare. In each case, these tactics fractured communal bonds and sought to obliterate collective identity. Yet, diasporas responded by building institutional networks, educational platforms, political advocacy campaigns, commemorative practices, and securing legislative recognition. Understanding these parallel resilience strategies highlights the pathways through which oppressed communities can reclaim history, territory, and rights.

Recommendations for Eelam Tamil Advocacy

To prevent recurrences of atrocities, secure indigenous rights, and challenge covert “development” that functions as ethnic cleansing, the Eelam Tamil community should consider the following multilevel strategies:

• Strengthen documentation and reporting to UN mechanisms by submitting comprehensive shadow reports to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights under Resolutions 30/1 (2015) and 46/1 (2021), detailing ongoing land grabs and human-rights violations【UN Human Rights Council, 2015】【UN Human Rights Council, 2021】.
• Leverage the Universal Periodic Review to bring systematic evidence of discrimination, forced displacement, and cultural erasure directly before UN member states, mobilizing diaspora networks to coordinate country-specific submissions (Adayaalam Centre for Policy Research, 2022).
• Initiate strategic litigation in international courts, including referrals to the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity and injunctions at the International Court of Justice to halt illegal development projects on occupied Tamil lands (Oakland Institute, 2021).
• Forge alliances with global indigenous-rights bodies such as the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and regional minority-rights coalitions to frame the Tamil struggle within broader movements for self-determination and cultural survival.
• Engage sympathetic parliaments and legislatures—modeling the Ontario Bill 104 campaign—to pass resolutions recognizing Tamil indigenous rights and condemning state-sponsored land appropriation under the guise of development (Legislative Assembly of Ontario, 2021).
• Advocate for targeted sanctions under global human-rights statutes (e.g., Magnitsky Acts) directed at Sri Lankan officials responsible for ethnic-cleansing policies, leveraging documentation from Amnesty International (2023) on shrinking civic space.
• Expand digital activism by linking #TamilRemembers and #LandBackEelam campaigns, producing virtual tours, augmented-reality reconstructions of occupied sites, and crowdsourcing geolocated evidence of new settlements built on Tamil lands (Satkunanathan, 2020).
• Demand formal recognition of territorial and resource rights under international law, invoking principles of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to support claims for restitution, self-governance, and reparations.

By integrating these recommendations into a coordinated global advocacy framework, the Eelam Tamil community can reinforce accountability mechanisms, secure the recognition of its indigenous status, and safeguard its ancestral homeland against future attempts at erasure.

     In solidarity,

     Wimal Navaratnam

     Human Rights Advocate | ABC Tamil Oli (ECOSOC)

      Email: tamilolicanada@gmail.com

Methodology

This study employed a triangulated research design:

• Primary Sources: Survivor interviews, diaspora leader testimonies, and local media archives.
• Secondary Literature: Peer-reviewed journals on genocide studies, psychological warfare, and collective memory theory.
• Human Rights & Legal Documents: UN Human Rights Council Resolutions 30/1 (2015) and 46/1 (2021); Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Terrorism Act and Online Safety Act (2024).
• Digital & Visual Data: Satellite imagery of demolished memorials; geolocated social media posts of commemoration events.
• Theoretical Frameworks: Trauma psychology, military psy-ops doctrine, and memory studies.

References

Adayaalam Centre for Policy Research. (2022). Memory erasure in Sri Lanka: A policy review. Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

Akçam, T. (2006). A shameful act: The Armenian genocide and the question of Turkish responsibility. Metropolitan Books.

Amnesty International. (2023). Sri Lanka’s shrinking civic space. London, UK: Amnesty International.

Armenian National Committee of America. (2021). Congressional resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide. Washington, DC: ANCA.

Dadrian, V. N. (1995). The history of the Armenian genocide: Ethnic conflict from the Balkans to Anatolia. Berghahn Books.

Hovannisian, R. G. (2001). Remembering Armenia: Armenia in crisis. Palgrave.

Hoole, R. (2017). The politics of memory and the Tamils (UTHR(J) Special Report). University Teachers for Human Rights – Jaffna.

House of Commons of Canada. (2022). Debates (Hansard), 44th Parliament, 1st Session, No. 074, May 18, 2022. Retrieved from https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/44-1/house/sitting-74/hansard

International Crisis Group. (2014). Sri Lanka’s civil war legacy (Asia Report No. 253). Brussels, Belgium: International Crisis Group.

Jayawickreme, E. (2016). Post-war narratives and crude triumphalism. Journal of Peace Psychology, 22(3), 276–285.

Legislative Assembly of Ontario. (2021). Tamil Genocide Education Week Act, S.O. 2021, c. 11. Toronto, ON: Queen’s Printer for Ontario.

Oakland Institute. (2021). The militarization of Tamil land: Displacement and occupation. Oakland, CA: Oakland Institute.

Satkunanathan, A. (2020). Militarized governance and surveillance in the North (ICES Working Paper). Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Centre for Ethnic Studies.

United Nations Human Rights Council. (2015). Resolution 30/1: Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka. Geneva, Switzerland: United Nations.

United Nations Human Rights Council. (2021). Resolution 46/1: Promoting reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka. Geneva, Switzerland: United Nations.

Sri Lanka Official Gazette. (2024). Online Safety Act No. 9 of 2024. Colombo, Sri Lanka: Government of Sri Lanka.

Human Rights Watch. (2019). Recurring violations of free expression in Tamil regions. New York, NY: Human Rights Watch.

Al Jazeera. (2021, January 12). Demolition of Mullivaikkal monument sparks outrage. https://www.aljazeera.com/

The Guardian. (2021, January 13). Tamil war memorial bulldozed in Sri Lanka. https://www.theguardian.com/