Defining moment for IC's credibility - Norwegian Tamil Forum

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 September 2008, 13:19 GMT]
"The defining moment for the International Community is right now, if it really wishes to establish its commitment to a principled approach towards Tamil aspirations in the island of Sri Lanka," declared a Norwegian Tamil representative on Tuesday, while concluding a fasting awareness campaign, held for more than 30 hours in front of the Norwegian Parliament in Oslo, focusing on the plight of 230,000 internally displaced Tamil civilians in Vanni.



"One way of proving its commitment, including its neutrality, is by immediately pressurising the Sri Lankan government to allow the International NGOs and the UN agencies to be present with the civilians in the districts of Ki'linochchi and Mullaiththeevu", said Rooban Sivarajah, who represents the Norwegian Tamils Forum. He handed over an appeal to the leader of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Norwegian Parliament, Olav Akselsen (Labour Party). Various Norwegian politicans and Tamil activists also addressed the gathering.

25 Tamils from various walks of life took part in a fasting campaign from 8:00 a.m. Monday to 3:00 p.m. Tuesday. Hundreds of Tamils showed up expressing solidarity with the participants. On Tuesday, delegations of diaspora Tamils in Oslo visited the the High Commission of India, and the embassies of the member states of the Co-Chairs for Sri Lankan Peace Process, the United States, European Union and Japan.

"The Tamil diaspora is very well aware that the IC has a clear picture of the real Tamil aspirations and the fundamentals of the Tamil cause. Yet, it has been applying uneven judgments, equating the oppressor with the oppressed," he complained and added that the Norwegian Tamils were concerned of the "erosion of the credibility of the IC."

"The Tamil diaspora has become more politicised and committed than ever before towards the political goal of Tamil statehood in the island of Sri Lanka, not only due to the continued oppression by the Sinhala ethnocentric state in Colombo, but also through a systematic observation of International Injustice that has led to the breakdown of the Peace Talks," he told the audience that confluenced after handing over appeals to the various embassies in Oslo.

"It is not enough to stop with just issuing statements saying humanitarian issues should be given high priority. The Tamil people demand visible pressure on Colombo by the IC," declared the representative of the Norwegian Tamil Forum.

"So far, the IC has been very hard in exerting pressure on Tamils who are oppressed and forced to defend their homeland through armed struggle."

"But, when it comes to exerting pressure on Sri Lanka, it stops with statements alone. Colombo continuingly neglects these polite statements. On top of it, the IC has allowed Colombo to carry on a military campaign with foreign military assistance."

"Diaspora Tamils now wonder who is waging the war on their homeland. Is it the Sri Lankan government alone? Or is there a joint programme of a proxy-war of somebody else, being carried out with the blessings of the IC," he questioned.



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