ID :
52714
Sun, 03/29/2009 - 06:06
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/52714
The shortlink copeid
Tamil Tiger supporters protest in Sydney
Thousands of Tamil Tiger supporters marched down Sydney streets to protest the civil war that has ravaged Sri Lanka for decades.
Sydney's CBD suffered traffic congestion and delays as approximately 2,000 men,
women and children gathered at Martin Place on Saturday and marched to Town Hall,
where a rally was held.
Coffins, children stained with fake blood and a man dressed as a tiger and armed
with a sword were just some of the portrayals represented in the march.
They carried signs displaying the slogans: "Free Tamil", "Tamils are not Sri
Lankans" and "The charge is genocide, the struggle is for freedom".
The Tamil Youth Organisation (TYO) of Australia organised the march and the rally,
which gathered in the forecourt between Town Hall and St Andrew's Anglican
Cathedral.
TYO representative Jay Nathan spoke to the crowd, describing the difference between
life in Australia and life in the island nation of Sri Lanka.
"I see my fellow Tamils living in Sri Lanka and I am overcome with sorrow to see
that they are denied the luxuries that I enjoy here in Australia," Ms Nathan said.
"They live their lives in fear of persecution, abduction and death because of who
they are."
She said oppression against Tamil civilians had lasted more than 60 years with the
government controlling the media and prohibiting access by overseas aid
organisations to the conflict zones.
She repeated the call for the Tamil-controlled provinces to be allowed to secede
from Sri Lanka and become an independent state.
Adrian Francis, also a TYO representative, said the United Nations estimated that
nearly 2,700 Tamil civilians had been killed and more than 7,200 injured from
late-January to early-March in 2009.
"To me it is beyond evidence that the sole agenda of the government of Sri Lanka is
to wipe out the Tamil population," Mr Francis told the crowd.
"These are our brothers, these are our sisters, mothers, fathers, everything - all
lost, lost lives, lost dreams.
"We ask the Australian government to listen to our plea, to understand that these
our brothers and sisters we are losing in this conflict."
The Tamil Tigers, known officially as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE),
are listed as a terrorist organisation by more than 30 countries.
Police said no arrests were made during the protest.
Sydney's CBD suffered traffic congestion and delays as approximately 2,000 men,
women and children gathered at Martin Place on Saturday and marched to Town Hall,
where a rally was held.
Coffins, children stained with fake blood and a man dressed as a tiger and armed
with a sword were just some of the portrayals represented in the march.
They carried signs displaying the slogans: "Free Tamil", "Tamils are not Sri
Lankans" and "The charge is genocide, the struggle is for freedom".
The Tamil Youth Organisation (TYO) of Australia organised the march and the rally,
which gathered in the forecourt between Town Hall and St Andrew's Anglican
Cathedral.
TYO representative Jay Nathan spoke to the crowd, describing the difference between
life in Australia and life in the island nation of Sri Lanka.
"I see my fellow Tamils living in Sri Lanka and I am overcome with sorrow to see
that they are denied the luxuries that I enjoy here in Australia," Ms Nathan said.
"They live their lives in fear of persecution, abduction and death because of who
they are."
She said oppression against Tamil civilians had lasted more than 60 years with the
government controlling the media and prohibiting access by overseas aid
organisations to the conflict zones.
She repeated the call for the Tamil-controlled provinces to be allowed to secede
from Sri Lanka and become an independent state.
Adrian Francis, also a TYO representative, said the United Nations estimated that
nearly 2,700 Tamil civilians had been killed and more than 7,200 injured from
late-January to early-March in 2009.
"To me it is beyond evidence that the sole agenda of the government of Sri Lanka is
to wipe out the Tamil population," Mr Francis told the crowd.
"These are our brothers, these are our sisters, mothers, fathers, everything - all
lost, lost lives, lost dreams.
"We ask the Australian government to listen to our plea, to understand that these
our brothers and sisters we are losing in this conflict."
The Tamil Tigers, known officially as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE),
are listed as a terrorist organisation by more than 30 countries.
Police said no arrests were made during the protest.
