TNS Corner
The Co-Chairs gives the Genocidal Government of Sri Lanka the Licence to Kill Tamils - BTF

Feb 4, 2009, 07:35

Shiva Sharma - TNS

London - British Tamil community and Tamil Diaspora’s trust shatters on the international community as today’s statement from the Co-Chairs demonstrates that the Co-Chairs are either out of touch or colluding with Colombo to oppress the legitimate aspirations of the Tamil people.

Whatever the reasons may be, the statement has shattered the trust that the British Tamils and the Tamil Diaspora have placed upon their respective governments and the trust the Tamils of Sri Lanka had in the international community. British Tamils Forum wishes to urge the international community to understand that today’s statement by the Co-Chairs, will pave the way for the racist State of Sri Lanka to ethnically cleanse the Tamils.

Full Text of Press Release from British Tamils Forum (BTF)

Statement by the Co-Chairs gives the Genocidal Government of Sri Lanka the Licence to Kill – British Tamils Forum

The statement demonstrates that the Co-Chairs are either out of touch or colluding with Colombo to oppress the legitimate aspirations of the Tamil people. Whatever the reasons may be, the statement has shattered the trust that the British Tamils and the Tamil Diaspora have placed upon their respective governments and the trust the Tamils of Sri Lanka had in the international community. British Tamils Forum wishes to urge the international community to understand that today’s statement by the Co-Chairs, will pave the way for the racist State of Sri Lanka to ethnically cleanse the Tamils.

The statement that expresses ‘great concern’ but no actions except the call for “LTTE to discuss with the Government of Sri Lanka the modalities for ending hostilities, including the laying down of arms” will not bring an end to the suffering of Tamils in the island or a permanent end to the conflict. The statement shows that the international community has not learnt from lessons of the past. During the apartheid regime in South Africa, the ill advised, then UK government’s refusal to impose sanctions made Britain being isolated in the international arena. The lack of political will from the international community to act on time in Darfur and Rwanda which resulted in millions of innocent civilians being displaced and killed. Once again, instead of demanding the aggressor to stop instead the international community has decided to punish the oppressed.

The Co-Chairs statement ignores the democratic mandate given by the Tamils of Sri Lanka for the liberation struggle. Through various demonstrations and protest marches, the support shown for the same by the Tamil Diaspora, including over 100,000 British Tamils who turned up on bitterly cold Saturday afternoon in London, only last week to show their solidarity for the liberation struggle have been blatantly ignored as well.

The Forum urges the international community, particularly the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to respect the will of the British Tamils and Tamils around the world.

Once again the British Tamils Forum demands that the international community, including HM’s Government not just to call for a ceasefire but to implement a permanent ceasefire through a United Nations Resolution, instead of placing unrealistic demands on one party to the conflict. We also urge that the international community to send immediate humanitarian relief and calls for immediate political negotiations to begin between the two principle parties to the conflict, which are the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL).