TGTE Prime Minister Rudrakumaran Speaks on Norwegian Peace Talks on Peace Lawyering Podcast

“External Actors Disrupted the Power Symmetry Between the Sri Lankan State and LTTE” - Rudrakumaran

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, August 26, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- On August 8, 2024, Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) Prime Minster Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran was interviewed on the Lawyering Peace podcast, an interview series hosted by Dr. Paul R. Williams, co-founder of the Public International Law & Policy Group (PILPG). Lawyering Peace is an interview series that "explores the intricacies of diplomacy and law in peace processes" and hosts "discussions with individuals who have played key roles as diplomats in negotiating peace."

Invited to explore the theme "Peace Negotiations and Atrocity Crimes: Behind the Scenes" with Dr. Williams, Prime Minister Rudrakumaran discusses his experiences and expertise as a non-state legal advisor and peace negotiator before, during, and after his time serving in this capacity the LTTE. Together they cover wide ranging and critical topics about the what aided and undermined the Sri Lanka- LTTE Peace Process, including but not limited to establishing parity in an asymmetrical context, strategies for negotiating with government delegations, strategic lawfare, key takeaways for fellow and future non-state actor legal advisors and peace negotiators, and advice for involving a diaspora.

* WATCH: The podcast is available on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvK0gAEO0Fw&t=0s

* The PILPG’s News Release Regarding the Podcast:

Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran joins Dr. Paul R. Williams on a compelling new episode of Lawyering Peace. Mr. Rudrakumaran (aka Rudra) served as the former legal advisor to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during the peace talks with the Government of Sri Lanka that commenced in 2000. He is a US-based lawyer and Prime Minister of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE).

Rudra provides a vivid recount of the context leading to the Norwegian-facilitated peace process in Thailand, detailing his journey to becoming the LTTE’s chief legal advisor. He delves into the unique challenges faced by lawyers representing non-state armed actors in peace negotiations, particularly the struggle to achieve and maintain parity with state actors amidst international perspectives favoring states.

Through gripping narratives, Rudra illustrates how the LTTE sought to counterbalance the government’s legal and resource advantages by leveraging the Tamil diaspora and engaging in strategic lawfare. On this topic, Rudra discusses how the designation of the LTTE as a terrorist organization by international powers rendered the peace process impotent and biased from the start and continues to undermine reaching resolution about the Tamil National Question. Rudra offers practical advice for lawyers on how to effectively integrate into their client's team and utilize soft power to influence negotiations.

Rudra's experiences underscore Dr. Williams’ frequent assertion about the need to understand and navigate the parallel agendas of international mediators and candidly discusses how these separate interests contributed to the challenges faced by the LTTE and the eventual collapse of the peace process. The episode also touches on the importance of diaspora involvement, the dynamics between local communities and the diaspora, and the pursuit of justice through international mechanisms.

Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of the Sri Lankan peace talks, the role of lawyers in representing non-state actors, and the impact of international third-party mediators in peace processes.

* WATCH: The podcast is available on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvK0gAEO0Fw&t=0s

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* About PILPG: The PILPG is a pro bono legal organization that offers free legal support for peace negotiations, constitution drafting, war crimes prosecution, and transitional justice.

About Lawyering Peace: A Lawyering Peace interview series, Dr. Williams explores peace negotiations, diplomacy, and international criminal justice with a diverse range of guests, including peace negotiators, legal advisors, and former ambassadors. They discuss the challenges and successes of peace negotiations, negotiation tactics, the pursuit of justice after violence, and lessons learned from setbacks.


* ABOUT THE TRANSNATIONAL GOVERNMENT OF TAMIL EELAM (TGTE):

The Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) is a democratically elected Government of over a million strong Tamils (from the island of Sri Lanka) living in several countries around the world.

TGTE was formed after the mass killing of Tamils by the Sri Lankan Government in 2009.

TGTE held four internationally supervised elections among Tamils around the world to elect 132 Members of Parliament. It has two chambers of Parliament: The House of Representatives and the Senate and also a Cabinet.

TGTE is leading a campaign to realize the political aspirations of Tamils through peaceful, democratic, and diplomatic means and its Constitution mandates that it should realize its political objectives only through peaceful means. It’s based on the principles of nationhood, homeland and self-determination.

TGTE seeks that the international community hold the perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide against the Tamil people to account. TGTE calls for an internationally conducted and monitored referendum to decide the political future of Tamils.

The Prime Minister of TGTE is Mr. Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran, a New York based lawyer.

Email: pmo@tgte.org
Twitter: @TGTE_PMO
Web: www.tgte-us.org

* WATCH: The podcast is available on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvK0gAEO0Fw&t=0s

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