Facebook icon
Twitter icon
e-mail icon

APPG-T chief encourages other councils to follow Redbridge's lead on Tamil justice call

The chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils, Conservative MP Lee Scott, said he was "pleased", Redbridge Council has taken the lead on calling on the UK and the UN to deliver justice for Tamils in Sri Lanka, and encouraged other councils to follow suit.

Lee Scott said “it is important that the entire population of this country is informed of the positive contribution that the Tamil community makes to this country and of the issues faced by their kith and kin in Sri Lanka. I am pleased that Redbridge has taken the lead on this and I would like to see other Councils follow suit”.

“On the day Redbridge Council passed this motion, I was at the United Nations in Geneva working to bring about the changes required in order to deliver justice, peace and a permanent political solution to the Tamil nation in Sri Lanka,” he added.

The leader of the Conservative Group in Redbridge, Councillor Paul Canal, who proposed the motion, said he was "grateful to have received cross-party support", in the Labour-led council.

He further said that the British government and the international community should take immediate steps to "help the Tamil people realise their legitimate aspirations in their historic homeland", in a press statement.

Redbridge Council, a borough in the North-East of London, passed athe motion calling on the British government and the UN to ensure justice for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against the Tamil people.

The motion, which was unopposed, also calls for a "permanent political solution addressing the root cause of the conflict which will meet the aspirations of the Tamil people in their home nation" and a mechanism which ensures that "socio-economic and cultural wellbeing is enhanced while safeguarding historical identity within their Tamil nation.”

London Borough of Redbridge calls for justice and political solution for the Tamil people (20 March 2015)

UK cross-party MPs urges UNHRC to ensure justice for Tamils (22 March 2015)

We need your support

Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.

Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view

We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.

For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.