Hunger strike of British Aid worker enters 16th day

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 June 2009, 04:48 GMT]
Tim Martin, director of Act Now, a rights group formed by former British aid workers in Sri Lanka, is on a hunger striek in Parliament Square, London, calling for intervention by U.S. and other Governments to protect the massacre-survivors from the Safety Zone in Mulliaththeevu, currently being interned in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) supervised camps in Vavuniyaa. Martin handed a letter to Mr Kerry McCarthy MP, and Mrs Kerry when they visited him, and asked the MP to hand over the letter to U.S. President Obama, well wishers at the Parliament square said.

Mrs McCarthy later confirmed that Foreign Secretary David Miliband is aware of Mr Martins request, and assured that the letter will be delivered to the Whilte House, according to sources supporting Martin.

The letter to Obama contained the following demands, according to Mr Martin:

• International monitors on the ground and satellite imaging effective immediately to verify the true number of casualties and the so called mop up process, as Tim fears that the Sri Lankan government may try to cover up the true number of civilians killed.
• Immediate free access to international media and international organisation throughout Sri Lanka.
• Emergency medical treatment for tens of thousands of civilians and POWs that are currently not in hospitals and are being held at checkpoints, schools and IDP camps, and
• Public investigation into Vijay Nambiar, the special envoy for UN secretary general, as his brother, Satish Nambiar is a paid consultant for the Sri Lankan government which suggests a conflict of interest.

Mr Martin worked in Vanni during times and peace and times of war. He was a key member of the team that organized a mercy mission to Vanni which was launched on the 31st of March. The relief items sent in the ship is yet to reach the North East of Sri Lanka, according to Mr Martin.

External Links:

AN:

Act Now website