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Tamils step up London protest
Ed Harris20 Apr 2009
THOUSANDS of Tamil protesters calling for a ceasefire in Sri Lanka brought traffic to a standstill outside the Houses of Parliament today.
Crowds began to congregate for a rally shortly after 8.30am and at least 2,500 demonstrators, many bearing red and yellow Tamil flags, gathered outside Parliament.
Barriers were set up and Bridge Street, which leads to Westminster Bridge, and part of Whitehall were temporarily closed to traffic.
Demonstrations have flared around the world in protest at the deaths of civilians and alleged human rights abuses during fighting in Sri Lanka.
Rebels have been fighting to create an independent homeland for ethnic minority Tamils, who have faced decades of marginalisation by Sinhalese governments. More than 70,000 people have been killed in the violence.
Today, Sri Lanka's military warned the rebels that they face military action if they do not surrender in 24 hours.The military said it broke through rebel defences in a designated no-fire zone and freed 25,000 people trapped there.
Last week thousands of protesters marched through central London. Two men jumped into the Thames and there were several arrests.
Hunger striker Sivatharsan Sivakumaraval, 21, agreed to suspend his fast before talks with political leaders. A second hunger striker, Prarameswaran Subramaniam, 28, is continuing without food.
A Met Police spokesman said officers were alerted to today's protest and that there had been no arrests. He said: “We are policing it as a protest and will amend our operation as necessary.”
Foreign Secretary David Miliband said he was “gravely concerned” about the situation and is “urgently” consulting the UN. Yesterday, he repeated a call for a ceasefire, something rejected by the Sri Lankan government as it does not want to give rebels time to regroup.
The Prime Minister's Special Representative, MP Des Browne, has travelled to New York for talks with the UN.
At the demonstration, more than a dozen police vans hemmed in the protesters, preventing them from spilling into other streets.
Local authority workers were hurriedly removing metal fencing installed to protect the grass during reseeding. Sureen Surendiram, of the British Tamils Forum, said the demonstration was “spontaneous” and coincided with the reopening of Parliament.
He said: “There have been texts going around as Parliament opened today after the Easter recess and people have been encouraging their friends and families to gather.
“There is no point issuing statements. The British Tamil community do not want words any more, we want action. We want to see a British Government take the matter to the UN Security Council to get a ceasefire implemented.
“This protest will make a difference because where else can people go? This is a peaceful demonstration. This is about brothers and fathers and sisters being killed. I know people who have lost 15 members of their family.
“These are people exercising their democratic right when people across the world are having their human rights trampled on.”
Reader views (12)
The legacy of British colonialism in Srilanka ended 61 years of “failed democracy” and bloodbath of the minority Tamils. Since 1983, Tamils are been marginalized, discriminated and kept on their toes in permanent camps and this arrogant military regime in Srilanka started the killing in 100s ; now in 1000s daily behind closed doors.
Can anyone genuinely believe Srilanka government’s claim of fighting the “War against Terrorism”. Surely, it is a good cover to continue the extreme policies against Tamils and the extermination behind closed doors of ‘fighting terrorism’. Also, its obvious the Srilanka government playing down the massager as claiming only 15-19000 civilians are still trapped in Vanni, where as the facts are coming from UN and Tamils group as 50,000 to 150,000 still trapped there. Now, ICs know the caring Srilanka government and the jumbo cabinet didn’t account for the 200,000 managed to walked in to the camps reluctantly. This shows the caring nature of Srilanka government of her own people.
For the past 61 years, Tamils outcry fell on dead ears at UN and other western democracies who were too busy preventing World War III & IV. There is no justice for any minorities and their rights in any democracies in the World.
Can anyone blame the Tamils for taking arms and defending their right to live in their land? Or can anyone blame Tamils for taking their protest to the Westminster?
- Rasty Ganendran, Burton on Trent, 15/05/2009 13:51
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Tamil tigers aren't terrorists, they are freedom fighters, fighting for thousands and thousands of tamil people in Sri Lanka who are dying right now.
- Nilani, London, England, 14/05/2009 23:44
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It is not just about Tamils or sinhalese fighting. Its about innocent tamils being killed by sri lanka. Where else can tamils ask ? Think this in terms of humanatarian view. Did any one saw a government killing their own citizens in thousands saying its war on terror ?? The sri lankan government has the same mentality as Saddam or Hitler. Its the moral responsiblity of every others to save the people who will be killed sooner or later. It is also a crime to ignore someone who dying out there whom we could save.. UK please come forward to save our people there.
- Tamilan, st louis, usa, 14/05/2009 22:44
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If there was huge amounts of oil in Sri Lanka this war would be over, the UN and Nato would have stepped in long ago and put an end to the Bloodshed and Human right contraventions by BOTH sides.
If the Un and NATO wants to hold onto any credibility after the middle east debacle then step in here and sort this out now.
- Brian, Wiltshire, 14/05/2009 22:44
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Tamil Tigers.. Aren't they a banned terrorist organisation ? Can't believe our government has allowed these people to protest in public like this.
- Chris, Bristol, 14/05/2009 22:44
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Is this protest legal? If not why is not be stopped?
- Bob, Cheam, 14/05/2009 22:44
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If there was oil in Sri Lanka then the conflict might be of some interest - but there isn't any. Oil would have had an influence outside of their country, but all they are exporting is people who want other people to fight their insurrection for them. Bad luck - it ain't gonna happen!
- Rogan, Irving, 14/05/2009 22:44
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UN and NATO are placing a blind eye because Briton created this problem when they decided to leave the country after occupation. UN is no longer a common body who are manipulated by russians and chinees.
- Uk Resident, London, 14/05/2009 22:44
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http://www.tamilnet.com/
Hundreds of dead bodies and wounded civilians were still lying in Maaththa'lan and Pokka'nai, and more than 600 seriously wounded have been brought to a makeshift hospital functioning at a school in Mu'l'li-vaaykkaal in LTTE held area throughout Monday, TamilNet correspondent reports from Vanni. The correspondent personally witnessed nearly 300 dead bodies while fleeing from the area. Cluster shells and smoke or white-dust-emitting shells that made people to faint were widely deployed on civilians by the Sri Lanka Army in its effort to capture them. However, a large majority of the civilians fled towards LTTE held areas while around 8,000 were trapped and captured by the SLA.
- Giri, Canada, 14/05/2009 22:44
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Tamilan, st louisa may I ask you Why are they waving the LTTE flag and not the SriLankan flag? This clearly demonstrates that they are supporting the LTTE which is a banned terrorist organisation. It must be easy for you to sit in the states and probably fund the LTTE (who knows) and make comments like the above, how about you moved back to Srilanka and see for yourself how scary it is to even go shopping in Colombo with the fear of a suicide bomber blowing off?
- S.W, UK, 14/05/2009 22:44
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I am one of the Tamil protester. I joined 20.04.2009. Thank you published the news. I would like to say more than 15,000 British Tamil people gathered together. It is not accaptable 2,500. Thank you
- Sasi, Harrow, 14/05/2009 22:44
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Yes, you're absolutely right. In the absence of oil and nuclear weapons International Community has no interest in stopping this war. We're witnessing another Rwanda in making. It's hard to imagine that a government of a small country can kill thousands of its own citizens under the watch of many civilized nations. UN appears to be good at predicting bloodbath yet happy to fly around in their private jets and sit tight hoping someone will bury the dead before their next (holiday) trip.
- Jey, Edmonton, 14/05/2009 22:44
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