SUPPORT is growing for an international, independent inquiry into the 2009 genocide against the Tamils in Sri Lanka.
Over 10,000 people rallied in Trafalgar Square on Wednesday evening on the second anniversary of the May massacre in which over 40,000 Tamils were slaughtered by the Sri Lankan Army.
The crowds stood in silence at the start of the rally to remember those who had died.
Over 146,000 Tamils remain unaccounted for, with over 80,000 widowed and over 25,000 children orphaned.
A spokesman for the British Tamils Forum, Kumar Kumarendran, said: ‘It’s a sad day for us all. There are so many people who have lost their loved ones.
‘We’re very grateful to the new chief minister of Tamil Nadu in India, who is the only political leader in the world who has said that what happened in Sri Lanka is genocide and the president of Sri Lanka, Mr Mahinda Rajapaksa, should be taken to an international court because he is a war criminal.
‘She has also said that the Indian government should take steps to bring about economic sanctions against Sri Lanka.
‘We imposed a travel ban on Mr Mugabe and suspended him from the Commonwealth, but President Rajapaksa has committed the worst atrocities and yet he is free to travel and Sri Lanka is even hosting the Commonwealth Summit.’
The Tamils Forum spokesman added: ‘The UN secretary-general appointed an expert panel and the report submitted by the panel said that the government is responsible for the killing of more than 40,000 Tamils in a “safe zone’’ designated by the Sri Lankan government.
‘They actually shelled the Tamils in this zone, killing Tamils of all ages.
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‘The UN report also calls for an international mechanism to investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity.
‘We must remember that when President Obama was campaigning he said that when genocide is taking place in the world, if we stand idly by that diminishes us.
‘Unfortunately more than 40,000 Tamils were massacred under his watch.
‘It will be difficult for governments like China’s and Russia’s that supported Sri Lanka in the Security Council in 2009 to support Sri Lanka now, as the UN report has made it explicit that the Sri Lankan government has committed mass atrocities.
‘The British Tamils Forum that organised the remembrance day at Trafalgar Square calls for an independent, international investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by President Rajapaksa and his government.
‘Any attempt by Sri Lanka to investigate itself is not credible.’
The Tamils Forum spokesman called for support from ‘world leaders’, all human rights organisations and all trade union movements worldwide ‘to bring justice for the thousands of Tamils who were massacred by the Sri Lankan government’.
He added: ‘It’s about time the international community took stern action by imposing economic sanctions against Sri Lanka and a sporting boycott of Sri Lanka, including the present cricket tour to England.
‘A sporting boycott of South Africa was a key factor in forcing the international community to change its mind and helped bring down Apartheid, and the same action is needed to stop the further genocide of Tamils.’
There was a series of speakers at Wednesday’s rally, including MPs from the Labour Party and the ruling Tory-LibDem coalition.
Martin Powell-Davies, a member of the National Union of Teachers national executive, brought a message of support and condemned ‘the brutal massacre that took place two years ago’.
He added: ‘Now, belatedly, the UN report confirms the horrific truth of the murder of 40,000 Tamils and the detention of hundreds of thousands more.’
He said he was ‘shocked by the crimes against children’ detailed in the report.
But, he added, when Tamils and their supporters were protesting in their hundreds of thousands two years ago, ‘the UN failed to act’.
He urged Tamils to ‘turn to the organisations of genuine working people, the trade unions, for solidarity’.
He added: ‘We in the British trade unions are on the march against cuts to our jobs and services and these same attacks are taking place on workers in Sri Lanka through the proposed free trade zones.’
He said the trade unions have the power ‘to get your message’ for a fully independent, international inquiry into the 2009 genocide out to millions of workers in Britain.
John Mann, a Labour MP, said he was proud to become the first MP to sign the ‘pledge calling for an independent, international investigation into the events that have taken place’ and urged every MP in Britain to sign it.
He added: ‘I visited Tamil communities in the north only this year and I heard their testimony of the outrages that have been taking place and I ask this question: Where is the international community when you need its support?
‘Now is the time to listen, now is the time to act.’
