Australian Tamils surround Prime Minister’s Sydney residence
Sunday, 12 April 2009 10:15
administrator
[Dr. Brian - Video Inside]Australian Tamils have surrounded Kirribilli House – the Prime Minister’s Sydney residence, and demanding for immediate ceasefire in Sri Lanka. The spontaneous rally was called amid news that the Sri Lankan Armed Forces have moved forward making attempts to enter the safe zone. The protestors say, if the Sri Lankan Army move into the safe zone, 300,000 Tamil lives will be at risk.
They urge the Government of Australia to use its diplomatic powers to pressure Sri Lanka to enter in to an immediate and permanent ceasefire.They also urge UN and NGO officers to be allowed immediately in to the safe zone. The civilians in the so called safe zone fear to move into the chauvinistic Sinhala military hand.
Today early morning, within 45 minutes 300 shells have been fired in to the safe zone by Sri Lankan Army. Saving the 300,000 lives are now in the international community’s hand, said the Tamil diaspora.
The hunger strike venue also moved in front of kirribilli House. More than 1,000 Tamil protesters, emotionally shaken are staging a sit-down protest blocking the junction of Kirribilli Avenue and Carabella Streets outside Kirribilli House. Tamils. They fear for their Tamil brethern's life in the conflict area.
Dr. Brian Seneviratne addressed the crowd.
The organizers request the unsolicited support of all Australian Tamils, to act fast and join the protest rally immediately.
From other Australian Press:
Hundreds of Tamil demonstrators protesting outside the prime minister's Sydney residence say they will stay there until the Australian government urges the Sri Lankan government to call for a ceasefire with the Tamil Tigers.
More than 1,000 Tamils - including three hunger strikers - staged an all-night rally outside Kirribilli House as part of a global protest aimed at brokering a ceasefire between the Sri Lankan army and the Tamil Tigers. The protest began as a three-man hunger strike in Parramatta, in Sydney's west, on Saturday but moved to the prime minister's official northern Sydney residence amid reports the Sri Lankan government had broken into the "no fire zone" in the island nation.
The Sri Lankan government says it is in the final stages of defeating the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, who launched a campaign in 1972 to create a separate Tamil homeland on the island. The remaining Tigers are trapped in the "no fire" zone, in the island's northeast, along with thousands of civilians. But Colombo is under pressure to agree to a ceasefire, after claims that 3,500 civilians have been killed in the first three months of 2009.
About 400 protesters remained on the road outside the prime minister's house on Monday morning. The sombre protest turned noisy before 9am (AEST) with the group chanting "Australia, save the Tamils", "We want ceasefire" and "Stop genocide".
Men, women and young children waved red Tamil flags and banners saying: "Impose sanction on Sri Lanka".
Many had been lying on mats and pillows on the road early in the morning. Protester Geetha Mano, 24, says the rally will continue until they get some response from Prime Minister Kevin Rudd or Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith. Ms Mano said the protesters were calling for the ceasefire, for food and medicine to be sent to the Tamil civilians and for Tamil people to have the right to live where they choose.
"It's about time the voice of these people gets heard... after all, we are all humans," she told. We ask the international community and the Australian government to urge, to push the Sri Lankan government to call for a ceasefire and to meet these demands so that these people get the right to live freely and with freedom of choice."
Police are monitoring the peaceful protest and many streets surrounding Kirribilli House have been closed.
It is really touching when you see the children as young as 2 years actively participating in sit-in protest with their parents through out the cold night. It seems even they realize what is going through Tamil people minds living in so called safety zone.
Good on you the parents and children sharing their feelings with their brethren who lost their voices due to srilankan government’s brutality.
