Eelam Tamils in the Diaspora countries continued their rallies in support of the Tamils’ right to Self-Determination.

The rallies, titled 'Pongu Thamil,' (meaning 'Tamil Upsurge'), are intended as Tamil mobilising through cultural programmes. It resumes a major plank of Tamil political activity.

The very first Pongu Thamil was held on January 17, 2001 by university students in defiance of the Sri Lankan military occupying Jaffna and despite the ongoing fighting in the peninsula.

The Pongu Thamil movement was initiated by university students in the Tamil homeland  to serve as a demonstration of the motivation and defiant will of the Tamil people for the cause of Tamil Eelam.

After the 2002 Ceasefire began, the rally was repeated not only in Jaffna, but as a series of events to bring the Tamil people together in a common act of peaceful political agitation in support of the Eelam cause.

In 2003 and again in 2005, Pongu Thamil rallies took place in all the major Tamil population centres in Northeast Sri Lanka and across the Diaspora.

Following rallies in New Zealand, Norway, Denmark, Northern Italy and France, Tamils over the past fortnight also rallied in South Africa, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Germany and Southern Italy.

In South Africa Tamils gathered on June 21 for a Pongu Thamil rally at the Arena Park Regional Hall, in Chatsworth, where they pledged to support the Eelam Tamils' right to statehood, and urged the international community to voice for the Tamils’ rights.

Guest speakers at the event were Deputy Mayor of Ethekwini, Logie Naidoo, and MEC for Sports and Recreation, Mr. A Rajbansi, both of whom spoke out against what they called the “selective morality” of the international community regarding the Tamil freedom struggle.

The key speaker was Dr. Brian Seneviratne, an Australia-based Sinhala expatriate physician, who is supportive of Tamils right to self-determination.

The Program Director was, Mala Lutchmanan, a local radio personality.

A declaration was made, seeking the International Community to recognise Tamils right to self - determination and recognising the LTTE as the legitimate sole representatives also in the future negotiations.

The declaration further urged the international community to seek a just solution and to put an immediate end to the genocide of the Tamils.

On Sunday June 22 over 1,000 Tamils from across Netherlands gathered in front of the Dutch parliament at 2pm to mark Pongu Thamil.

Guests, including Jaffna Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Mr. S. Kajendran and poet Pulamaipithan, were treated to songs, dances and dramas, all on the Tamil upsurge theme.

On Monday last week, Tamils rallied in front of the United Nations office in Brussels. Beginning at 2pm, the event included songs and speeches by guests including TNA Jaffna MP Mr. S. Kajendran.

Last Saturday Tamils from across Sweden gathered in the capital Stockholm to rally as part of the global Pongu Thamil effort.

Those gathered participated in dramas, dances and songs, all focusing around the Tamil Upsurge theme.

Over 8,000 Tamils gathered in Dusseldorf, Germany, last Saturday to participate in the Pongu Thamil rally.

Beginning at 2pm, the rally marched through the streets shouting “Our land Tamil Eelam” and “Recognise Tamil Eelam”.

The event included Tamil Eelam songs, dramas and dances.

Special guests included the Batticaloa TNA MPs Mr. S. Jeyanandamoorthy and Mr. E Ariyanenthiran as well as Jaffna MP Mr. S. Kajendran.

On Sunday, over 1,000 Tamils in from across Italy and surrounding countries gathered at Piazza Mondello in Palermo to hold their Pongu Thamil rally. Italians also participated in the event.

The chief guest was Battiicaloa TNA parliamentarian Mr. S. Jeyananthamoorthy.

The programme ended with a drama in Tamil and Italian, which conveyed the suffering of the Tamils in the homeland to those who had gathered.