Tamils protest on SL ‘independence day’, remind UK of its moral, legal responsibility

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 February 2015, 23:29 GMT]
The grassroots activists of Eezham Tamils in UK commenced a torch relay towards Geneva from London on the so-called independence day of Sri Lankan State on Wednesday. The Tamil activists have also launched a signature campaign recalling the role of the United Kingdom in the genocide of the Eelam Tamil nation by: (a) Forcibly transferring Eelam Tamils' sovereignty to the Sinhala nation in 1948 and; (b) Internationally aiding Sri Lanka, including by training the armed forces of the Sinhala state, to carry out its protracted campaign of genocide against Eelam Tamil nation. The torch will travel across UK for next 10 days, then France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland to reach Geneva on 16th March, nine days ahead of OHCHR discussion on Sri Lanka.

Reminding UK of its geostrategic injustice against Eezham Tamils, the activists in UK have put the following demands in their petition of the torch relay and the signature campaign that commenced on Wednesday:

Torch campaign

1. Stop the ongoing structural genocide of the Eelam Tamil nation, including by rejecting Sri Lanka's Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission report that seeks to serve as a blueprint for future genocide;
2. Internationally and impartially investigate and hold to account those responsible for the genocide since 1948;
3. Ensure historic and remedial justice is served to the Eelam Tamil nation by holding a UN sponsored referendum among the Eelam Tamil nation living in the Tamil homeland and as diaspora for them to decide their own political future, including the desire to exercise national sovereignty over their homeland.

The grassroots activists in UK said the main focus of their campaign was to remind the United Kingdom of its moral and legal responsibility to work unilaterally and as part of institutions such as the European Union and the United Nations to take all necessary measures to address the above three demands.

Meanwhile, news sources in Jaffna said that the Vice President of Ilangkai Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK), Professor S.K. Sitrampalam, has condemned the Sampanthan polity for hurting Tamil sentiments on Sri Lanka's ‘Independence Day’.

The veteran ITAK leader has demanded immediate politburo meeting to discuss the controversial conduct by ITAK Parliamentary Group Leader Mr R. Sampanthan, the sources in Jaffna said.

In the meantime, a section of youth participants at the UK protest burnt the photos of R. Sampanthan and MA Sumanthiran, the national list MP of the ITAK, condemning the duo for their ‘Sri Lanka’ conduct.

Mr Sampanthan attended the official 67th Independence Day celebrations organized by the Government of Sri Lanka in the Jayawardhanepura parliamentary complex in Colombo on Wednesday morning.

Media sources in Colombo observed that a Tamil leader had attended the ‘Independence Day’ celebrations for the first time after forty three years.

The Tamil United Front (TUF) in 1972 took a decision not to participate in the Independence Day celebrations organised by the Colombo government thus stating that Tamils had been suffering under the Sinhala government. The ITAK joined the TUF in 1976 forming the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF). Hence the TULF also decided to observe the so-called Sri Lankan Independence Day as a day of mourning with black flags.

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