ANC invites TNA & GTF to centenury celebrations, Sri Lanka boycotts
 |
|
Photograph Tamilnet |
Delegates from the TNA (Tamil National Alliance) and (Global Tamil Forum) arrived at the African National Congress' (ANC) centenary celebrations on Sunday, in Bloemfontein, South Africa, as Sri Lanka responded by deciding to boycott the event, reported Tamilnet.
According to Sri Lanka's Sunday Times newspaper, Sri Lanka had refused the ANC's invitation on the grounds that inviting GTF gave a diaspora organisation official status, on par with the Sri Lankan government's delegation.
While the ruling party has been engaged in a show of solidarity with struggling forces across the world, the South African State has joined hands with anti-people regimes as it did during the 2009 voting at the UNHRC, commented Tamilnet.
See article by Tamilnet here.
Reproduced in full below:
Delegations from the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) are amongst international attendees of the centenary celebrations of the African National Congress (ANC) on Sunday. Sri Lanka has refused to participate at the event in Bloemfontein because of the ANC’s invitation to the GTF, the Sunday Times reports. Dozens of heads of state and representatives of other governments, as well as large numbers of dignitaries from across Africa are joining over 100,000 politicians, members and supporters of the ANC in the historic celebration. In the meantime, a Tamil academic based in Colombo cautioned Eezham Tamils to be aware of the duality of South Africa. While the ruling party has been engaged in a show of solidarity with struggling forces across the world, the South African State has joined hands with anti-people regimes as it did during the 2009 voting at the UNHRC.
Bloemfontein, 400 km south of Johannesburg, is where the ANC, Africa's oldest liberation movement, was born 100 years ago in a small village church.
The TNA’s delegation includes leader R. Sampanthan, M.A. Sumanthiran, Selvam Adaikalanathan and Suresh Premachandran.
The GTF’s 7-person delegation is lead by its President, Rev (Dr) S J Emmanuel, and includes representatives of its member organisations in the United States, Britain, Australia, Malaysia, and Germany.
The two delegations are to hold talks on the sidelines of the event.
