Last week, the International Centre for Prevention and Prosecution of Genocide (ICPPG) launched an international campaign to urge the British Government to acknowledge the Sri Lankan Government’s Genocide against the Tamil people in Sri Lanka. The ICPPG collaborated with the Canada-based organisation Tamil Genocide Memorial Canada to initiate an online petition to the British Prime Minister as the campaign’s first step.
To initiate their efforts, the ICPPG joined forces with the Canada-based organization Tamil Genocide Memorial Canada and commenced an online petition to implore the British Prime Minister to acknowledge the Genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka.
The motion calls for the British Parliament to officially acknowledge the crimes committed by the Sri Lankan Government against Tamils as Genocide. It further suggests that, if necessary, an Independent Tribunal should be established in collaboration with other countries to address this issue.
The main points of the petition are:
The main concern raised is the lack of attention given by the international community and the media to the genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka, causing significant distress.
Canada is home to a significant portion of the Tamil diaspora outside of Tamil Nadu and Tamil Eelam, except in Malaysia. In 2022, the Canadian Parliament unanimously passed a motion to recognize May 18th as Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day and to acknowledge that Sri Lanka committed the Tamil Genocide.
There is a standing demand put forward by several Tamil volunteers, organizations, and human rights activists, which has received over 17,000 signatures in support (available at https://change.org/tamilgenocide). In addition, travel bans have been announced for Sri Lanka’s former president and military commanders in Canada and the United States.
Despite being the second home of the Tamil diaspora, Britain has yet to take any action in acknowledging the Genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka.
To address this issue, the British Parliament should follow the example of formally acknowledging the genocide of the Uyghur people in China in 2021 and also accept the Genocide of Sri Lanka’s Tamils.
The Sri Lankan government’s actions of structural and cultural ethnic cleansing and Genocide continue to affect the Eelam Tamils.
The passing of 14 years since the devastating ethnic cleansing highlights the urgent need to acknowledge that the Tamils were subject to Genocide. It is crucial to recognize the destruction of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka as an international protection mechanism for the remaining Tamils in Tamil Eelam. Seeking justice for the descendants of the Tamil victims is essential for them to understand their history correctly and to prevent ethnic cleansing from occurring in other communities in the future.
Please sign the following link to demonstrate your support and share it with your friends;
https://www.change.org/p/united-kingdom-to-officially-recognize-sri-lanka-s-genocide-against-tamils
Also, organizations that wish to participate in this protest are requested to register their details at the following link;
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1IkAx8DD-wUqNOht5duUdcQHdKASMIc5RfJebewfjtsQ/edit