– SUKIRTHAN
A call has been made to the United Kingdom urging the country to officially acknowledge the genocide that took place against the Tamil population in Sri Lanka in 2009. Advocates are also requesting British intervention to establish a political solution in Sri Lanka through a referendum. In a recent conference held in Britain, human rights lawyer Patrick Lewis led discussions on the ongoing structural genocide and the persistence of systemic racism in the Tamil homeland. The event, which took place in a special hall of the British Parliament, saw the participation of political activists from the Tamil homeland, British political leaders from various parties, and British Tamil activists.
During the conference, Rev. Thavathiru Velan Swamy, the coordinator of the People’s Revolution Movement, and VSS Dhananjayan, a lawyer and civil society activist, delivered compelling speeches highlighting the ethnic hatred prevalent in the Tamil homeland in Sri Lanka and proposed approaches for an international resolution. Ms. Kisani delivered a welcoming speech on behalf of British Tamil Youth, and Selvan Sarveen delivered a special address.
Prominent Members of Parliament and Ministers who attended the conference, including Mr. John MacDonald MP, Mr. Virendra Sharma MP, Sir Ed Davey MP, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ms. Sarah Jones MP, Shadow Minister of State for Police and the Fire Service, Mr. Sam Tarry MP, and Mr. Gareth Thomas MP, Shadow Minister for International Trade, expressed their commitment to push for a resolution on the issue in Parliament.
V.S.S. Dhananjayan, the lawyer and civil society activist, drew attention to the ongoing militarization, Buddhistization, and land encroachments in the Tamil homeland in the North East. He highlighted that despite 14 years passing since the end of the war, the presence of the military in the region remains significant, with one soldier for every two civilians. He also emphasized that soldiers not only occupy private lands but also engage in agriculture, exerting immense pressure on the local population. Dhananjayan further criticized the construction of a Buddhist temple on Kurundur hill, which violated a court order from Mullaitivu, and accused government agencies of biased operations in the North-East, particularly citing the arbitrary actions of the Archaeological Authority.
Rev. Thavathiru Velan Swamy, a conference participant from Thailand, delivered a keynote speech condemning the systematic ethnic cleansing taking place in the name of Buddhistization in the North East. He revealed that individuals, including Members of Parliament and religious leaders, are arbitrarily arrested without court warrants if they advocate for Tamil rights in the region. Rev. Swamy called upon British MPs to intervene and halt the genocide being perpetrated in the Tamil homeland under the guise of Buddhistization. He also urged the UK to follow Canada’s example and officially recognize that the Sri Lankan government committed genocide against the Tamil population in their homeland. Human rights barrister Mr. Patrick Lewis and human rights activist Janani Demokram, Director Chair of Together Against Genocide, also addressed the conference.
Following the conference, Rev. Thavathiru Velan Swamy emphasized that a lasting solution for the Tamil population can only be achieved through a plebiscite, and he urged Britain to take necessary steps in this regard. He also asserted that the events of May 2009 constituted a genocide against the Eelam Tamils and called for recognition of this fact by the UK government.
