TAMIL COMMUNITY IN SOUTH AFRICA CALLS ON THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY TO TAKE STRONGER STANCE ON THE PLIGHT OF TAMILS IN SRI LANKA

By Subry Govender The South African Tamil Federation (SATF), representing more than 700 000 Tamils in the country, has called on the international community to adopt a stronger stance regarding the oppression of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka. The SATF made this call in a resolution adopted at its two-day "strategic conference" held at the Nt'Shonga Langa Conference Centre near the South African capital, Pretoria, on Saturday and Sunday, March 8 and 9. Delegates from throughout the country fully supported the struggles of Tamils in Sri Lanka when the resolution was passed. (Pix by Sashnee Naiker)

(SATF president, Mr Karthi Moothsamy, and secretary, G Ramaya-Pillay) The conference was convened by the newly-elected president, Mr Karthi Moothsamy, and his new officials to plan a future that would benefit all Tamils in the country. The conference said the SATF and the Tamil community had a responsibility to consolidate its approach and to speak in one voice on the issue of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka.

The resolution stated: "As South Africans, we are regarded as the champions in upholding human rights. Not so long ago, as South Africans, we needed support from the rest of the world. Now, we need to mobilise people and form strategic partnerships to agitate more for an immediate end to the atrocities in Sri Lanka and to call on government and organisations globally to take a stronger position in regard to the plight of the Tamil people of Sri Lanka." The resolution adopted by the SATF follows hot on the heels of a meeting between leaders of the Solidarity Group for Peace and Justice in Sri Lanka(SGPJ) and two Government leaders in Durban last Thursday (March 6) on South Africa's stance at the current United Nations Human Rights session in Geneva, the genocide of between 70 000 and 100 000 Tamils during the last days of the civil war in 2009, and the continued oppression, land invasions and violation of human rights in the North and East of Sri Lanka. The two South African Government leaders, Mr Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim, Deputy Minister of International Relations; and Mr Obed Bopela, Deputy Minister in President Jacob Zuma's presidency, and two other officials gave an undertaking that South Africa was concerned about the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka and, therefore, was involved in processes with the Sri Lankan Government to bring about a political solution that would benefit the Tamil people.

(Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim, Deputy Minister of International Relations) They disclosed that the Deputy president of the ruling ANC, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa, would lead a delegation to Sri Lanka conduct talk to all role players about a future political solution. Mr Ebrahim, who has been involved with Tamil Tiger leaders before the end of the civil war in 2009, would be one of the top Government leaders who would accompany Ramaphosa. Mr Ebrahim and Mr Bopela said a delegation of the Tamil National Association(TNA) would visit South Africa before Ramaphosa and his officials travel to Sri Lanka. They, however, did not give any indication as to how South Africa would vote at the Geneva session on March 28. The SGPJ and the SATF have been highlighting the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka for some time. Prior to 2009, there have been several other Tamil organisations in South Africa who have promoted the cause of the Tamil struggles in Sri Lanka. They included the Tamil Co-Ordinating Committee, led by Mr Richard Govender, who is currently president of the KwaZulu-Natal Tamil Federation and executive official of the SATF.

(UN Human Rights High Commissioner, Ms Navi Pillay) One of the South African leaders who has roots in the Tamil community is the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Navi Pillay. She investigated the human rights violations in Sri Lanka and has called for an international and independent inquiry into the violations. Her report is also being discussed at the Geneva Human Rights Council esssion.

PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF THE TAMIL LANGUAGE AND CULTURE The delegates, who attended the "strategic conference" from all over South Africa, resolved that although their forefathers had come from India they were now full South Africans and committed themselves to participate fully in all speheres of South African society and government. The delegates affirmed that the SATF had been elected as the mouth piece of the Tamil people of South Africa. Among other resolutions aimed at promoting and protecting the Tamil language, culture and tradition, the delegates resolved to convene a youth conference to consult with the youth about their needs in the new South Africa. "We are confident that with the level of and quality of youth participation in the conference, we will succeed in creating a powerful effective youth body that will be the future leadership of the SATF." The conference also resolved that the SATF must ensure greater representation in its structures for women and the menfolk must support initiatives in respect of women. (Ms Sashnee Naiker, PRO of SATF)

(Mrs Sally Padaychie at the SATF strategic conference) "The SATF will commit to treat women with respect and dignity and to empower women." The SATF would also develop a communications strategy that was sufficiently diverse to reach out of the various target audiences "using different means for the different groups and will increase its use of technology for this purpose". "The need to use technology more effectively to teach the language, to create an environment to create an interest in learning the language, to have greater dialogue on religious issues and where necessary provide guidelines to organisations on how to conduct certain traditional ceremonies was proposed. "The new executive of the SATF committed themselves to the delivery of the aspirations and needs of the Tamil people of this country and to provide leadership. The SATF invited continued submissions and involvement by all to ensure that the SATF is set on the path to excellence."