Tamil organisations discuss path towards accountability and justice at Ilankai Tamil Sangam USA 02 December 2014Tamil organisations across the world gathered in the US last month to attend the annual Illankai Tamil Sangam conference and discussed methods of achieving accountability and justice for Tamils and Muslims in Sri Lanka. The Sangam event, spread over a weekend in New Jersey, consisted of panel discussions on issues pertaining to accountability and justice for Tamils and Muslims in Sri Lanka. Possible ways forward after the release of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) investigation into Sri Lanka, were discussed by all attendees. A visiting professor at Temple University Philadelphia, A.R.M Imtiaz, who has written extensively about Muslims in Sri Lanka, led further talks on justice and recognition of Muslim sentiment in Sri Lanka. Ending with an evening of music and dance, an Illankai Tamil Sangam life time achievement award was presented to the director of Global Tamils Forum (GTF), Father S. J. Emmanuel. The award was presented to Father Emmanuel by Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP, Mavai Senathirajah. MA Sumanthiran, of the TNA, addressing the event, paid tribute to the Father Emmanuel's efforts in the field of Tamil activism. The event was attended by several Tamil organisations and individuals including, British Tamils Forum (BTF), Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC), Federation of Tamil Sangams in North America (FeTNA), Global Tamil Forum (GTF), Illankai Tamil Sangam, National Council of Canadian Tamils (NCCT), Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE),Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the US Tamil Political Action Committee (USTPAC).