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Unanimous Tamil support for Jaffna uni protest calling for release of UN report and rejecting domestic inquiry

The Jaffna university's planned protest on Tuesday, calling for the UN report into mass atrocities committed against the Tamil people to be released without delay and rejecting any notion of a domestic inquiry, has been unanimously endorsed by the Tamil people in the North-East and abroad.

Both main Tamil parties, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the Tamil National People's Front (TNPF), along side the Tamil Civil Society Forum and the Jaffna Press Club have welcomed the protest and demands, pledging their whole-hearted support. Tamil diaspora groups have planned similar protests and awareness projects on social media platforms to stand in solidarity with the demands of Tamils in the North-East.

See related articles:

British Tamil university students voice support for Jaffna protest (23 Feb 2015)

Jaffna uni students to protest rejecting domestic Sri Lankan investigation into mass atrocities (22 Feb 2015)

Jaffna Uni lecturers call for UN inquiry on Sri Lanka to release report without delay (14 Feb 2015)

The TNA MP and ITAK leader, Mavai Senathirajah told the Uthayan newspaper on Sunday that the party fully supported the protest.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, the TNA spokesperson and MP, Suresh Premachandran reiterated Mr Senathirajah's endorsement, calling on all Tamils to come forward and join the demonstration.

"The protest organised by the University Community is no ordinary one. This protest is to bring the feelings of the Tamil people to the attention of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the political leaders in Sri Lanka," Mr Premachandran told reporters.

"The UN has agreed to postpone the OISL report on war crimes at the request of the Sri Lankan Government.  The Human RIghts Council has decided to release the report in September.  Therefore, everybody should participate in this protest by the Jaffna University Community and express their opposition to that move. If we continue to remain quiet it would mean we accept everything they do."

The TNA Northern Provincial Council member, Ananthy Sasitharan also announced her “wholehearted" support on Sunday.

“We hoped that there will be a solution for the disappearances issue as same as all the other issue with the release of the [OISL] report. However the announcement that it will be delayed has come as a way of destroying our hopes," she said, in a statement.

The TNPF also expressed its endorsement calling on all Tamils to join the demonstration on Tuesday.

"We fully support the Jaffna University's demonstration calling for the OISL report to be released with out delay," the TNPF said in a statement on Monday, adding that party leaders would be there at the protest.

The Tamil Civil Society Forum (TCSF), a network of civil society activists in the North-East, also expressed its absolute support: "TCSF supports protest called by Jaffna University Teachers Association tomorrow 24 February 2015 urging for international investigations and expressing no confidence in domestic mechanisms for accountability. TCSF will also launch a signature campaign tomorrow highlighting these issues."

The protest was also welcomed by a network of Tamil journalists, the Jaffna Press Club, in a statement released Monday:

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