Responding to the British Foreign Secretary’s, Dominic Raab’s, Sri Lankan independence message a number of prominent Tamil activists have criticised the message and highlighting the Tamil Genocide.
TYO UK slammed the message maintaining that Sri Lanka was not a “state that should be celebrated”. On Twitter they stated:
This is not an independence state that should be celebrated. This is a reminder of the human rights abuses, war crimes and genocide that the state continue to implement on the Tamil Nation. Are you supporting such a country? #notmyindependence #genocidesrilanka https://t.co/ONtkmWeIJn
— TAMIL YOUTH ORGANISATION UK (@TYOUK) February 4, 2021
Mario Arulthas, advisor for the Washington DC-based People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL) highlight the erroneous characterisation of Sri Lanka as “post-conflict”. He stated on Twitter;
To classify Sri Lanka as a “post-conflict” state is just wrong. The conflict has been ongoing for decades. #SriLankaGenocide #notmyindependence #GenocideSriLanka #IndependenceDaySL https://t.co/gSVBkrTDyl
— Mario Arulthas (@MarioArul) February 4, 2021
TYO UK has also launched a campaign highlighting Raab’s message.
This statement comes as Families of the Disappeared in Jaffna and Vavuniya defied court bans to launch protests and hunger strikes demanding to know what happened to their loved ones. These protests are on Sri Lanka’s Independence Day which protesters have referred to as a “black day”.
Tamils across the North-East are participating in a walk for justice from "‘Pottuvil to Polikandi" to demand that the United Nations and international community heed Tamil calls for justice and accountability.
The march has been endorsed by all Tamil political parties, as well as by Tamil and Muslim civil society organisations and Muslim leaders. The campaign has been met with a brutal crackdown from the Sri Lankan state, with troops and police disrupting and threatening marchers
Read more here: Pottuvil to Polikandi - Tamils brave crackdown to begin marching length of homeland
