A delegation from British Tamils Forum (BTF) met with dignitaries in India to apprise them of the plight of Tamil people in Sri Lanka and to urge them to support the call for an Independent International Investigation into the conduct of the genocidal war. Following on from the recent meeting in London, of senior BTF members with Bhathiya Janatha Party (BJP) delegation, headed by Nitin Gadkari the president of BJP, the BTF delegation visited India on invitation. The delegation met several key political leaders, representatives of human rights organisations, religious leaders, the Indian media and senior political advisors, in various states including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Delhi.
Indian Leadership Shocked at the Barbaric Acts by the Sri Lankan Military
The BTF delegation succeeded in informing many political leaders, including members of the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha who were largely unaware of the suffering of the Tamil people in the island of Sri Lanka. The BTF delegation brought to their attention the massacre of the Tamil people and the recent UN panel of experts’ report which called for an independent investigation into the conduct of the war. They were shocked on seeing the inhuman and barbaric acts of the Sri Lankan state when shown the channel 4 documentary as well as other documentary evidences.
Call for an Independent international Investigation
The BTF delegation stressed the need for an independent international war crimes investigation into the conduct of the war in Sri Lanka where more than 40,000 Tamil men, women and children were massacred by the Sinhala military and 146,679 people still remain unaccounted. They sought the support of all the civil organisations in India to request the Indian government to endorse the call by the UN Panel of experts as well as the international community, including UK & USA, for a war crimes investigation, at the UN human rights council meeting in Geneva.
The Current Plight of the Tamils and their Land
The delegation also explained the current situation in the north and east of Sri Lanka, where colonisation of the Tamil areas is taking place at a rapid pace, under a heavy Sinhala military presence. They were apprised of the genocidal designs by the Sri Lankan state under the guise of development. Several Buddhist temples have been built in Tamil areas where there are no Buddhists. A number of “archaeological” sites have been created by the government archaeological department, in the pretext of clearing land mines. Buddhist artefacts are being planted in Tamil areas to be “discovered” later, to substantiate their bogus claim that the Tamil homeland belongs to the Sinhala Buddhists.
This well-planned strategy to eliminate the cultural and political identity of the Tamils in Sri Lanka is yet another act in the structured programme of genocide. The BTF delegation submitted documentary evidence relating to the Sri Lankan actions, altering the demography of the Tamils’ Land.
At a meeting with the Indian opposition leader Ms. Sushma Swaraj, lasting nearly an hour, she was informed of the actual ground situation and was warned of the stage managed tours conducted by the Sri Lankan state to hoodwink the visiting international dignitaries. BTF delegation also met other senior leaders of BJP, Shiv Sena, VHP and CPI, who promised to launch awareness campaigns among their constituencies as well as in the parliament to highlight the plight of Eelam Tamils.
[*British Tamils Forum exists to harness the skills and the knowledge of the members of the forum, well-wishers and significant others including mainstream decision makers in the UK with the aim of alleviating the sufferings of the Tamils community in the Island of Sri Lanka and to further their right to self determination within a democratic frame work under pinned by international law, its covenants and conventions. For more information admin@tamilsforum.com and/or visit: www.tamilsforum.com]
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