British Tamils Urges Britain to Recognize Tamil Eelam also Thanking Tamil Nadu

London - Thousands of people, largely Tamils and some British NGOs (Non-Governmental Organisation) turned up for a demonstration outside the UK Parliament at the Parliament Square between 3.30pm and 6.30pm, today, Wednesday, 19 November 2008. The day was chosen as it is the Prime Minister’s Question (PMQ) day, Wednesday to have the attention of the maximum number of Members of Parliament.

Thousands of people, some with school children and babies in push-chairs turned up weathering the British winter. The demonstration called the British Parliament to demand the Government of Sri Lanka to stop the genocide of Tamils, called the British Parliament to recognise Tamils’ right to self-determination in their homeland in Sri Lanka and wanted the Tamil Nadu Tamils to know that the British Tamils to stand with them shoulder to shoulder with the people of Tamil Nadu in their uprising to support the Tamils of Sri Lanka and for the British Tamils thanking the people of Tamil Nadu for their unwavering support for the Tamils of Tamil Eelam.

FULL TEXT OF BTF PRESS RELEASE:

Great Nation - Tamil Nadu, Grateful People – Tamil Eelam

Thousands of people, largely Tamils and some British NGOs (Non-Governmental Organisation) participated in a demonstration outside the UK Parliament at the Parliament Square between 3.30pm and 6.30pm, today, Wednesday, 19 November 2008. The day was chosen as it is the Prime Minister’s Question (PMQ) day, Wednesday to have the attention of the maximum number of Members of Parliament.

Thousands of people, some with school children and babies in push-chairs turned up weathering the British winter.

There were three purposes for the demonstration, namely

To request the British Parliament to demand the Government of Sri Lanka to stop the genocide of Tamils

For the British Parliament to recognise Tamils’ right to self-determination in their homeland in Sri Lanka

For the British Tamils to stand in solidarity with the Tamils of Tamil Nadu and to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Tamil Nadu in their uprising to support the Tamils of Sri Lanka and for the British Tamils to thank the people of Tamil Nadu for their unwavering support for the Tamils of Tamil Eelam

British Parliamentarians from different political parties attended the demonstration to show their support and most of them spoke to the crowd through loud hailers in support of the British Tamils’ demands. Rt. Hon Keith Vaz MP, Hon Virendra Sharma MP and Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils, Hon Siobhain McDonagh MP, Hon Susan Kramer MP, Hon Andrew Pelling MP, Hon Tom Brake MP, Hon Joan Ryan MP and Hon Barry Gardner MP were some of the Members of Parliament who attended and spoke to the crowd.

Drums and loud hailers were used to chant in support of the Tamils in Sri Lanka and that the British Tamils want Tamil Eelam as a separate state for Tamils in Sri Lanka. Leaflets were handed out to the general public with the aim to make the British public more aware of the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka and the atrocities carried out by the Sri Lankan State against the Tamil Community in Sri Lanka.

Placards and banners were held by people both in English and Tamil. Some of the English banners read as follows:

STOP THE GENOCIDE OF TAMILS IN SRI LANKA

RECOGNISE TAMILS' RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION

THANK YOU TAMIL NADU - BRITISH TAMILS

GREAT NATION - TAMIL NADU

GRATEFUL PEOPLE - TAMIL EELAM

STOP THE BOMBING

OF INNOCENT TAMILS

SRI LANKA IS A

TERRORIST STATE

BRITAIN

IMPOSE ECONOMIC SANCTIONS

AGAINST SRI LANKA

UN

IMPOSE ARMS EMBARGO

AGAINST SRI LANKA

EU

GSP+ IS FUNDING THE WAR

Various media agencies attended including interviews conducted by telephone for BBC, Tamil Radio Stations around the world. Private TV Companies who produce programs for mainstream international TV Companies like Aljazeera were also present. Indian press and TV stations also covered the demonstration.