THE DAILY VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS OF TAMILS IN SRI LANKA

FOREIGN DIPLOMATS WATCH IN HORROR AS THUGS AND POLICE VIOLATE THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF TAMILS

The violation of the human rights of Tamils in Sri Lanka was highlighted once again on Monday, August 4 when people were invited to make representations about their missing family members. The commission, which sat in the capital city of Colombo, was disrupted by a group of thugs who were dressed in clothing normally worn by Buddhist monks. The thugs attacked the Tamil families and accused them of being traitors. The incident took place in the presence of diplomats from the United States, England, the EU and Switzerland. Mr Visvanathan Sivam, a Tamil activist, who reports incidents of violations of human rights of Tamils in Sri Lanka to the outside world, said: "These are regular happenings in Sri Lanka and would have been passed off as one of those many incidence, but for the presence of US, UK. EU and Swiss diplomats. In the presence of these diplomats the Buddhist thugs dared to attack the Tamils, who risked their lives to make representations to the commission. "What would have amazed the diplomats was the fraternal relationship enjoyed by the Buddhist thugs and the police, as you will see in some of the pictures below. Some Buddhist monks even dared to call the bereaved Tamil parents, traitors. "The police told the parents to go to the police station. For what? To give them a torturous lesson on good behaviour."

The latest incident of human rights violations of Tamils (a daily occurence in the North and East of the island country that are the traditional homelands of Tamils) has occurred at a time when the UN Human Rights Commission is conducting an investigation into the genocide committed against Tamils in the final stages of the civil war between the Sri Lankan soldiers and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE). Between 70 000 and 100 000 Tamils were massacred by the Sri Lankan soldiers. This genocide follows similar genocides against the Tamils over the past 60 years ever since Sri Lanka gained independence from Britain in 1948. Despite these genocides against the Tamils, the South African cricket team, Proteas, continues to maintain sporting links with Sri Lanka and only a few weeks ago had completed another tour to that country. During our struggles against apartheid, we camapigned for the total isolation of apartheid South Africa and had promoted the policy of "no normal sport in an abnormal copuntry".

(Tamils and others watch the thugs and police in shock and disbelief)

(Diplomats shocked at the attacks by the thugs and police) It was because of this struggle that the Proteas today enjoy international sport. But yet they fail to take a stance against Sri Lanka which is an "abnormal country" where the rights of the Tamil people are violated on a daily basis. Even after they returned from the tour they have failed to issue a statement against the suffering of the Tamil people. What a bunch of opportunists? What a show of respect to Hassan Howa, Krish Mackerdhuj, Morgan Naidoo, R K Naidoo, Yunus Mahomed and other anti-apartheid sports administrators who sacrificed their lives for our freedom.