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| Late Kumar Anna addressing at an event. |
The voice of Kumar Anna, which resonated tirelessly in Tamil national politics, has fallen silent today.
Condolence Statement of the Pottuvil to Polikandi People’s Uprising Movement on the Passing of Muthukumaraswamy (Kumar Anna)
The news of the passing of Thambithurai Muthukumaraswamy, who transformed his entire life into a struggle for the political rights, human rights, and self-respect of the Tamil people, has plunged our hearts into deep sorrow and shock.
From his student days, Mr. Kumar chose a life of resistance. Until his final breath, he lived thinking and acting solely for the liberation of the Eelam Tamil people. That such an unwavering political journey has come to a halt today is something we find impossible to accept.
In his early years, he stood at the forefront of anti-caste struggles. When the Tamil liberation struggle rose with force, and at the historic moment when it shifted from non-violent resistance to armed struggle, he emerged as one of its pioneers.
Standing shoulder to shoulder with martyr Ponn Sivakumaran, he mobilized Tamil students and played a key role in building a national liberation movement that went beyond electoral and party-based politics—events that are now part of recorded history.
He was one of the key figures behind the formation of the Eelam Tamil Youth Movement in 1968, marking the first step toward the emergence of young political leadership in the Tamil Eelam liberation struggle.
Although his father, Justice Thambithurai, served as Secretary of the Federal Party, Kumar Anna pursued his political journey with the conviction that liberation could only be achieved through politics that transcended party boundaries. A historic testament to this vision was the time when, under the same roof, a Federal Party meeting was held upstairs while a liberation movement meeting took place downstairs.
In 1972, due to his intense political activities, he was arrested and imprisoned first at Jaffna Fort and later at Bogambara Prison in Colombo. While in prison, he began studying law, and after his release, he continued his legal education at Colombo Law College.
During the anti-Tamil pogrom of 1977 carried out by Sinhala mobs, he took charge of the refugee camp established at Colombo Hindu College and saved hundreds of lives. He also played a crucial role in safely returning thousands of Tamil people to their homeland via the ship Lankarani.
After moving to the United States, he earned a Master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He served as an election supervisor in the city of Philadelphia, as the UN representative for Peace Brigades International, and later worked for over 22 years as the International Advocacy Director of Amnesty International.
Through The Carter Center and OSCE, he played a significant role as an international expert in independence referendums held in South Sudan, East Timor, and Montenegro.
When the Sri Lankan state’s genocidal war reached its peak in 2009, the high-level international efforts he undertook to protect civilians and fighters remain unforgettable in history. Although these efforts were thwarted by the political conspiracies of regional power, he never abandoned the struggle for justice.
He was the architect of the referendum strategy to achieve Tamil Eelam. From the very inception of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam, he served as its principal advisor and guide.
He stood uncompromisingly against repression, ethnic oppression, and political deceit at all times. Having studied in the Batticaloa District during his youth, he possessed a deep understanding of the Eastern Province. On all matters, he never compromised on North–East parity, gender equality, or religious equality. At the United Nations, within U.S. foreign policy circles, and on international human rights platforms, he carried the suffering of the Tamil people and their demand for justice to the ears of the world.
The political support and strategic guidance he provided to the non-violent struggles led by the Pottuvil to Polikandi People’s Uprising Movement remain indelible marks in our history of resistance. During the early phase of the Pottuvil-to-Polikandi protests, he helped dismantle Sri Lankan state repression through international diplomatic channels, enabling the movement to grow into a mass uprising.
Whenever political arrests occurred in the homeland, even in his later years, he worked tirelessly—day and night—to secure the release of detainees. Until his final days, he remained in constant contact with the homeland, working relentlessly. What he has left us is not merely memories, but a duty to struggle and a responsibility never to retreat.
His passing is not an end.
It is a call to intensify our struggle.
To his grieving family, comrades, and people,
we extend our revolutionary condolences.
Rev. Fr. Joseph Mary - President
Thavaththiru Velan Swamigal - Chief Coordinator
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