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British Tamils disappointed at Cameron’s commitment to CHOGM, continue call for boycott

British Prime Minister David Cameron met with a delegation from various British Tamil organisations today, including the British Tamils Forum, Global Tamil Forum and Tamils against Genocide.

During the meeting, the Tamil delegates urged the prime minister to withdraw from the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka next week, as new evidence of  rights violations, both current and from the past few years, continues to emerge.

The delegation also told Cameron about their concerns over the genocide, continued ethnic cleansing, militarisation and landgrabs in Tamil areas.

Cameron said he was appalled at the images in the No Fire Zone movie and that he had never seen anything like it before, tweeting after the meeting that he shared Tamil concerns and would take a strong message to President Mahinda Rajapakse. He pledged to continue to push for a credible and independent investigation into war crimes allegations, saying that this will not be possible without an international element, members of the delegation told the Tamil Guardian.

Jan Jananayagam from Tamils against Genocide told the Tamil Guardian that disagreements on difficult decisions remained between the Tamil groups and the prime minister.

"Todays meeting was a significant step in deeper engagement between British Tamils and our government. The PM and Tamil groups were on the same page regarding the nature of the issues. We continued to disagree on the difficult decision to attend, however we had a productive discussion on the risks of attendance - for example whether Sri Lanka or others might construe attendance as a green light for impunity - and how these risks might be dealt with."

The delegates expressed disappointment at David Cameron’s continued insistence to attend the summit.

We are extremely disappointed at his decision to attend the CHOGM, however he has made a few commitments to British Tamils today, including that he will consider discussing Mahinda Rajapaksa’s chairmanship of the Commonwealth with the other members of the body,” Suren Surendiran of the Global Tamil Forum told the Tamil Guardian after the meeting, expressing hope that the commitments will be met.

“I am encouraged by Foreign Secretary William Hague’s comments on Channel 4 news that he agrees with [UN Human Rights High Commissioner] Navi Pillay, that there has to be an international independent investigation if Sri Lanka does not set up its own credible independent mechanism by March 2014,” he further said.

The British Tamils Forum in a press release expressed their “dismay” at Cameron’s decision to go ahead with the meeting, urging him to reconsider his attendance.

"British Tamils Forum is dismayed that the Prime Minister still insists on going to CHOGM, despite the mounting evidence that Sri Lanka does indeed see the meeting as an opportunity to brush its abuse of the Tamil people under the carpet.

"British Tamils Forum still urges him – even at this late stage – to change his mind and boycott the event, or at least to send a reduced delegation in his stead.

"If the Prime Minister does go on to attend CHOGM, British Tamils Forum hopes that he will stick to his promise to openly, firmly and persistently call for an international, independent investigation into past and continuing international crimes in Sri Lanka, and to visit and hear with open heart the genuine and long-running grievances of the Tamil people."

 

 

David Cameron presses for Sri Lanka war crimes inquiry - The Guardian (07 Nov 2013)

Cameron to demand Sri Lanka war crimes investigation - Reuters (07 Nov 2013)

Why I am attending CHOGM - David Cameron - Tamil Guardian (07 Nov 2013)

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