North and East Tamils protest in Colombo against Geneva conspiracy

Over two thousand Tamils from the Northern and Eastern provinces arrived in Colombo and staged demonstrations against the Geneva conspiracy.

They went in foot processions to the American Embassy and the Indian High Commission in Colombo and handed over petitions demanding America to withdraw the resolution against Sri Lanka and the Indian High Commission not to assist the pro-tiger terrorist western attempts being launched in Geneva to destabilize the country.

Given below are the two petitions handed over by them to the American Embassy and the Indian High Commission. (niz)

21st March2012

The High Commissioner of India in Sri Lanka

Indian High Commission

Colombo

Your Excellency,

We, the Tamils of the Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka would like to bring to Your Excellency’s kind notice the following facts .

The 30 years of terrorist war under which we were suppressed inhumanly by the terrorists is now over.

During the war period we were living in eternal fear, without any human dignity and our children were unable to attend schools due to the fear of abducting them for use as child soldiers, we were unable to engage in our vocations due to fear of abducting us for auxiliary war activities, we did not have proper health and other facilities, we did not have proper food for consumption and we were forced to remain without any food for many days, we were unable to travel even within our own villages and we underwent enormous difficulties and hardships under the jackboots of terrorism.

At present the war is over and due to the efforts being taken by the government and also due to assistance being given by Your Excellency’s Government, the Government of India we are living in a better atmosphere, we are able to engage in our employment activities, our children have started attending schools, and we can freely move about in the country.

During the time of war our schools, our hospitals, our fishing and other industries were destroyed and even we were  unable to cultivate our lands.

At present our roads are being reconstructed, industries are being re-established, schools are being rebuilt and properly staffed, fishing industry has been revived and even modernized, health facilities are being improved, assistance are being given in various forms for us to indulge in our agricultural activities, houses are being renovated and new houses are being constructed although at a slow phase.  In this we greatly appreciate the enormous assistance being given by the Indian government for the development of the Northern and the Eastern provinces and for the revival of the life standards of our people.

At present we are living in a better atmosphere and have re-established friendship and harmony with other communities living in Sri Lanka.  Almost all the displaced people of our regions have now been resettled and even the terrorist cadres who surrendered to the security forces have been rehabilitated and integrated with their family members.

However, we do not say that we have achieved and obtained everything required by us and there indeed are further things to be obtained. We are certain that we can achieve these things through discussions with the government.  Some of these things were pending for over half a century and hence it cannot be achieved overnight or within a short period and it require time and space but we are certain that we can achieve these things through meaningful discussions with the government.

We earnestly request Your Excellency’s government, the Government of India not to become the pawns of the Tamil Nadu politicians  who never cared about us when we were being suppressed by the terrorists as they only helped the terrorists during the time of war and they are only trying to use us for achieving their political objectives.  Even the Tamil Diaspora did not care for us when we were undergoing many hardships under the terrorists rule despite their kiths and kins living among us.

We also request the Government of India not to become a party to the moves being taken by certain western countries against the Government of Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council Sessions in Geneva as these parties showed no concern to our plight when we were being killed, harassed and inhumanly treated by the terrorists during the last 30 years.

We thank Your Excellency’s government, the Government of India for the continued concern shown on us, and hence we kindly urge Your Excellency’s government, the Indian Government to help defeat the western resolution at the UNHRC session and also to encourage other countries to defeat this resolution.

United Tamils of Sri Lanka

21st March2012

Your Excellency

The Ambassador of the United States of America in Sri Lanka

The United States Embassy,

Colombo

Sri Lanka

Your Excellency

We, the Tamils of the Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka would like to bring to Your Excellency’s kind notice the following facts for your kind consideration

The 30 years of terrorist war under which we were suppressed inhumanly by the terrorists is now over.

During the war period we were living in eternal fear, without any human dignity, our children were unable to attend schools due them being abducted for using as child soldiers, unable to engage in our vocations due to fear of abducting us for auxiliary war activities, we did not have proper health and other facilities, we did not have proper food for consumption and we were forced to remain without any food for many days, we were unable to travel even within our own villages and we underwent enormous difficulties and hardships under the jackboots of terrorism.

At present the war is over and due to the efforts being taken by the government, we are living in a better atmosphere, engaged in our employment activities, our children attending schools, and with free access to any place without any fear and suspicion.

During the time of war our schools, our hospitals, our fishing industry and other industries were destroyed and we were even unable to cultivate our land.

At present our roads are being reconstructed, industries are being re-established, schools are being rebuilt and properly staffed, fishing industry has been revived and even modernized, health facilities are being improved, assistance are being given in various forms for us to indulge in our agricultural activities, houses are being renovated and new houses are being constructed, and there is a great revival in the life standards of our people.

At present we are living in a better atmosphere and have reestablished friendship and harmony with other communities living in Sri Lanka.  Almost all the displaced people of our regions have now been resettled and even the terrorist cadres who surrendered to the security forces have been rehabilitated and integrated with their family members.

However, we do not say that we have achieved and obtained everything required by us and there are further things to be obtained. We are certain that we can achieve these things through discussions with the government.  Some of these things were pending for over half a century and hence it cannot be achieved overnight or within a short period and it require time and space but we are certain that we can achieve these things through meaningful discussions with the government.

During the terrorist war period while our people were brutally murdered we were suppressed by the terrorists, but the United States nor the other western governments never came to our rescue or cared about us.  At that time the western countries never spoke about democracy, freedom and human rights as they are concerned now, and if it was done at that time the misery we underwent would have been lessened. If the United States and the western countries showed some concern about us and prevented the LTTE terrorizing the whole country, neither we nor the people in other parts of this country would have undergone so much hardships and suffered enormously.

It is our belief that the United States and the western countries are taking some measures against Sri Lanka on the behest of the Tamil Diaspora consisting of the Tamils fled from this country and became only concerned with their sustenance in the western countries and who never helped even their kith and kin living in this country.  They are misleading and instigating the politicians and officials in the western countries by fallacious and baseless accounts about Sri Lanka just for their luxury existence in the western countries.

We earnestly request Your Excellency’s government not to exert pressure on the Sri Lankan government as it is carrying out a great account of work for our benefit and as such pressure may harm the peaceful atmosphere existing in the country and it could once again revive terrorism in this country.

We also earnestly request Your Excellency to urge your government to withdraw the resolution before the United Nations Human Rights Council Sessions in Geneva and also urge the other countries too to support Sri Lanka and provide necessary assistance to rebuild this country.

United Tamils of Sri Lanka