Swiss Tamils condemn assassination of TNA parliamentarian

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 March 2008, 22:28 GMT]
Tamils in Switzerland held a demonstration and public rally in Geneva on Monday in condemnation of the assassination of K. Sivanesan, Jaffna district Tamil National alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian, allegedly carried out by a Deep Penetration Unit of the Sri Lanka Army in Vanni on 06 March. The demonstrators called on the International Community to act against the systematic slaying of prominent Tamil leaders, including academics, journalists, civil society leaders by the Sri Lankan armed forces and the paramilitaries.



The protest march began at the Post Park, situated just behind the Geneva main railway station, around 1:30 p.m. and ended in front of the United Nations around 3:00 p.m., where the public rally was held. The participants carried placards depicting the atrocities of the Sri Lankan armed forces.

The public rally started with the lighting of common flame. Mr. Fredi Alder, ex Parliamentarian from the Socialist Party of Switzerland, lit the common flame and delivered a speech. Ms. Karen Parker, J.D., the Chief Delegate of the International Educational Development, Ms. Verena Graf, the General Secretary of the International League for the Rights and Liberation of Peoples, Mr. Charles Graves, the General Secretary of the Interfaith International, Mr. Mumtaz Khan, the Representative of United Kashmir People’s National Party based in Toronto, Canada, Mr. S. V. Kirubakaran, the General Secretary of the Tamil Centre For Human Rights (TCHR) spoke on the occasion.

The demonstration coincides with the on going Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.