Several thounsand Tamils marched through Central London Saturday, 17 October to protest against the continued detention of civilians in Sri Lankan camps and calling to end 150 days arbitrary detention in camps and for an international independent probe into war crimes.
Over 280,000 Tamil civilians including at least 50,000 children in miserable and squalid conditions are illegally kept in camps run by the Sri Lankan military.
British Tamil Forum and Tamil Youth Organization (UK) jointly organized the protest rally urging to unlock the camps and end 150 days of forced detention of civilians, international independent probe into war crimes and Ban Ki-Moon charged with inaction.
The UN Secretary General was severly criticized at the protest for his inability to stop the mass killing of civilians during the conflict and the inaction to release the civilians from the camps, that are funded by UN. Banners read:
Ban Ki-Moon: Failed his Moral Duty!
Tamils Pay the Price:
Over 20,000 killed in final onslaught
Tens of thousands disappeared
Over 280,000, including over 50,000 children locked up against their will
150 days of Arbitrary Detention
They ask that the international community should actively object to his reappointment as General Secretary.
At the front of the procession, the demonstrators performed a mock camp situation with posts and barbed wire holding a number of protesters, and young inmates being forcibily taken by armed forces.
The protest also called on the UK government to demand :
- that Sri Lanka immediately release the Tamil people, and give full access for the UN, Red Cross and aid agencies to the camps to help them return to where they choose to live.
- that a full list of those detained is published - many families do not know whether their missing members are still alive.
- that those detained as alleged LTTE (Tamil Tigers) be treated according to international law and be given access to legal representation,
- a full independent international investigation into war crimes
- an end to activities such as building Buddhist temples designed to destroy the character of the Tamil areas.
Though Saturday being the Deepavali, the hindu festive day large number of people participated in the protest rally.
