Chain of Protests in London Against Repression of Students in Jaffna

A petition submitted by TCC-UK to the PMO criticized the UK for its silence.

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(JAFFNA, Sri Lanka Tamilnet) - A series of protests have been organized outside the British Prime Minister’s Office in 10 Downing Street, London since Monday to condemn the repression of the Jaffna University students by the occupying Sinhala military. Condemning the arrests and detentions of the students and the Sinhala military’s systematic assaults on the civil rights of the Eezham Tamils as a part of the genocide of the Tamil nation, the protestors urged UK and the International Community to ensure the immediate release of the arrested students and to safeguard the democratic rights of the Eezham Tamil nation in the island.

• Petition: UK's support for Sri Lanka's genocidal acts against Eelam Tamil students concerns activist

Speaking at the demonstration on Friday, Dr. Andy Higginbottom, principal lecturer in politics and human rights at the Kingston University, said the British government and British politicians have full knowledge of what is happening in the island, urging the Tamils in the UK to mobilize the larger British public.

Speaking to TamilNet from the protests, Sasithar Maheswaran from the TCC-UK said “The arrests and detention of the students is taking place under the Western endorsed rehabilitation and reconciliation model. Anyone who expresses the national aspirations of Eezham Tamils is automatically labelled as terrorists and incarcerated. This is the international community’s solution. This is genocide.”

A petition submitted by TCC-UK to the PMO criticized the UK for its silence. “The UK, which created the modern Sri Lanka state for convenience during the heydays of colonialism, seems little interested in correcting the wrongs of a stained history. Instead it is underwriting the genocidal acts of Sri Lanka state, offering its support at every international fora.”

Special thanks to TamilNet

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