Vote against Sri Lanka, Malaysia told

Suaram wants Malaysia to vote for a UN Human Rights Council resolution against Sri Lanka

PETALING JAYA:  Suaram is pushing for Malaysia to vote in favour of a resolution against Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council meeting because of worsening human rights conditions and attacks on mosques.

The meeting will take place in Geneva on March  22

“Malaysia can’t turn a blind eye to this. We have a vote at the UN Human Rights Council and we must vote in favour of a resolution against Sri Lanka,” said Suaram chairman K. Arumugam in a press statement today.

The Sri Lanka Army had been involved in a civil war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) since 1983 until 2009 when the LTTE was defeated.  Over 100,000 civilians mostly from the Tamil ethnic minority died during the conflict. Civilians still live in camps even though a reconciliation plan was announced by the government.

UN Human Rights Council’s latest report last month stated that Sri Lanka has a poor record in reconciliation efforts, accountability and ongoing human rights violations.

Arumugam also said that Malaysia should vote for the resolution against Sri Lanka due to increasing attacks on  mosques .

“After the Tamils, the Muslims are now the new targets of attack in Sri Lanka. Malaysia can’t be seen to support a country where Muslims are facing such a situation,” said Arumugam.

Since the UN resolution last year there have been at least eight attacks on mosques and countless protests organised by  Buddhist organisations.

Malaysia, Sri Lanka’s largest trading partner, chose to abstain from voting on a resolution against Sri Lanka last year despite protests held by Indians in Malaysia in support of the resolution.

Protest in Geneva against expel of Tamil refugees.

Sunday , 10 March 2013

A protest is organized at the UN premises located in Geneva city against the Eelam Tamils deport to Sri Lanka by rejecting their refugee demands in Switzerland city.

This protest would be held tomorrow Monday from morning until evening.

The youths who had been rejected asylum had organized this event and it is expected that the representatives visited Geneva to attend the UN Human Rights Council’s 22nd sessions too would participate in this protest.

In view of this protest, an appeal had been handed over to UN Human Rights Commissioner Nawaneethampillai.

Thambipillai Namasivayam, Secretary of Swiss Tamil Assembly will make arrangements to handover the said supplication to Human Rights Council Civil Defense unit Director Madam Yun Rey.

The war between the Sri Lanka government forces and liberation tigers came to an end in year 2009, May month, and Switzerland considers that the clash has come to an end in the country, is rejecting the asylum seekers applications and measures are taken to expel them.

Information given as evidence is not at all considered and applications are rejected is much hurtful was notified by those seeking asylum.

The Court of appeal have ignored their appeals, hence they have decided to take this issue to the international level.

Meanwhile the recently published 140 pages report by Human Rights Watch points out that those sent back to Sri Lanka rejecting their request for asylum are harassed sexually and in other ways.

Conflict has come to an end in Sri Lanka but Tamils are discriminated, threats are faced by military, abductions, many atrocities, including rape and sexual are targeted, which is debated in international courts, but without considering this, the Switzerland government is showing much concern in deporting the Tamils.

The federalism government has notified this from the beginning of year 2011. The government has decided to deport approximately 3000 Tamils.