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Sri Lankans in London protest against war crimes trials


Photograph: Sunday Times

Sri Lankans in the United Kingdom protested against the prosecution of Sri Lankan soldiers for war crimes, at a demonstration in London on Friday.

Holding signs in Sinhalese and English, the protestors called on the Sri Lankan government not to “betray our war heroes” and “we don’t need international war crime tribunals”.

The protestors, who numbered up to 200 people and waved Sri Lankan flags according to the Sunday Times, also held signs criticising the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, saying he should “go to the USA for war crimes”.

Sri Express reported that the protest, organised by Sri Lankan Solidarity Movement, also voiced opposition to the singing of the national anthem in Tamil.

Demonstrators were also against a federal solution with the Tamils of the North-East, as well as increasing co-operation with India via the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and a proposed bridge linking the island to the South India. Entering into those agreements would make Sri Lanka “a colony”, claimed the protestors.

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