Des Browne, the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Sri Lanka, met with interested MP’s and members of the Tamil community on 8 April 2009, and listened to their concerns about the situation in Sri Lanka. The Tamil students who participated at the meeting explained their demands and expressed their fear about the imminent bloodbath.

Des Browne said, "Like you, we are also concerned deeply about the humanitarian situation in North Eastern Sri Lanka.  The most pressing issue is the safety of the civilians caught up in the conflict.

Consistently, we have been calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.  Only yesterday, the Foreign Secretary repeated this call. We welcome that John Holmes, UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, has again today made clear the urgent need for civilians to be able to leave the conflict area in safety if they wish to do so. 

The students not satisfied by the response asked him, Sri Lanka rejected the repeated calls from international community, so what is the action you are going to take?

In responding, "as the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy, I am focussing on working with international partners and to this end, as soon as is possible, I will engage with the key players at the UN in New York," he said. Further he explained the tight protocols of UN that makes it difficult to discuss the issue in general assembly.

If so, why can't Britain impose economic and political sanctions on Sri Lanka, asked the students. UK cannot do it alone, it can be brought in by EU or UN, was the response from Browne. He evaded the question when the students asked, Britain was in the forefront in bringing economic sanction on Zimbabwe, in a similar move why can't Britain initiate action for sanction on Sri Lanka too.

Thereafter they discussed about the two students on hunger strike, Des Browne asked, when Britain agrees to take every possible action, what necessity is there for them to die?

From there, he moved on to the subject on evicting people in safe zone. Students pointed out the Tamil's view on that, People would like to live in their native land rather than ending in detention camps and open prison. And the people moved in to government controlled areas are at a different kind of risk. Many youths were forcibly abducted from detention camps, they explained.

Though Des Browne was sympathetic and concerned, the Tamil students were not happy with the outcome of the discussion and determined to continue their protest until action is taken to bring immediate ceasefire, else to impose strict sanctions on Sri Lanka. Des Browne tried to harm the student, "Today I explained the actions that the UK has been taking, and what I will be doing over the coming days, we will work to bring ceasefire, he said.

The Tamil National Reporter said, the emotion runs high among British Tamils and as planned earlier they will continue with the mass rally on Saturday.