A MERCY MISSION NEEDS HELP!

Act Now (a British campaigning group to stop the war in Sri Lanka) has joined with a number of British Charities, such as White Pigeon and the Tamil Health Organisation, to send aid consisting of dry food and medicine to Sri Lanka. The project is known as the Vanni (a distict of Sri Lanka) Mission ( http://vannimission.org/).

You may have heard on TV or via the Internet of the terrible civil war that has raged on this beautiful island for nearly 30 years. Rebels from the Tamil community who dominate the northern part of the country have been fighting to create their own homeland. The Sri Lankan army has been resisting this and are presently engaged in a military offensive. Right now this has led to up to a quarter of a million people becoming trapped within a very small pocket of land close to the North-Eastern shoreline of Sri Lanka.

NO MEDICINES, STARVATION AND DISEASE

They are routinely shelled and bombed by a Sri Lankan army determined to capture territory from the Tamil rebels. The UN has verified that well over three thousand civilians have been killed and many more wounded since the start of the year. There are no antibiotics, very little food, water or medical assistance available. Surgeons are having to perform operations, including amputations on children & babies, without anaesthetics. There is now a fear that the cramped conditions and lack of sanitation will lead to outbreaks of malaria, dengue fever and measles.

We fear that the Sri Lankan Government is determined to continue the war until it is satisfied it has dispersed or killed all the rebels. Whilst the fighting continues however more and more civilians will die.

FIVE HUNDRED TONS OF AID

We have therefore collected 500 hundred tons of food and medicine (worth over £1m) from the British public. We intend to ship this desperately needed aid on a mission of mercy from the UK to Sri Lanka within the next few days. On April 26th the aid will be leaving from a port in the Indian Ocean to make its final leg of its journey to the Island.

APPEAL

To help ensure that the aid can be landed and distributed to the affected region an Appeal to the President of Sri Lanka to let the aid into the affected region has been launched. A special function has already taken place on the 31st March at the prestigious Royal Horseguards Hotel in Whitehall.

At the launch various celebrities such as the international singer M.I.A, British models Jade Parfitt and Jasmine Guinness and the singer Sian Evans (of Kosheen) and M.P's from all parties signed a special Appeal scroll (see attached Press Statement). A number of other scrolls are circulating the globe being signed by similar local personages. An on line appeal for the general public is also available on the Act Now website.

 http://www.act-now.info/Site/Online_Appeal.html

COME ON BOARD!

Because however the media have been banned from entering the territory on foot there is very little evidence of what is happening to these civilians. We desperately need witnesses to what is happening in Sri Lanka. We also have to highlight this voyage to the world's media.

We need therefore VOLUNTEERS as passengers for the latter part of the mission's voyage to provide the evidence and to report on the voyage and the landing of the aid we are particularly interested in journalist or cameraman or anyone with experience with documentary production. The ship is chartered from a reputable shipping company and will be fully crewed. It is fully equipped and accommodation and food will be laid on for the passengers.

A Control Room on board will be in constant communication with a similar Control Room in the UK and will be manned 24/7. Medical facilities and a doctor(s) will also be on board. Passengers will be able, and we would positively encourage you, to use the voyage to write a book, a video diary, report on the journey or film a documentary!

The media will be kept abreast of the ships journey and publish aspects of the voyage. Politicians will be working hard to ensure the journey is successful and the eyes of the Tamils throughout the world will be on its progress. There are a few spaces left for special individuals to come on board.

ITINERARY

* Passengers are flown from London/Europe to a Port in the Indian Ocean on the night of the 24th April.

* Ship loaded with cargo, in particular medicine, will sail on April 26th.

* Ship will go straight to Sri Lanka if negotiations for landing of cargo has been successfully concluded. Arriving around May 3rd.

* If there are problems with the negotiations the ship will moor in international waters for up to five days. and landing following permission. If this is not forthcoming ship will sail back to base port arriving by May 16th latest.

* Passengers will be flown back to London/Europe on the 17th May.

This is the voyage of a lifetime which you will be proud to have taken part in. Thousands of civilians in northern Sri Lanka are desperately crying out for help. You can become part of a mission to do just that.

If you wish to come on board the ship and discuss further details please contact us within the next 24 hours via  info.actnow@gmail.com or phone.


Email:  info.actnow@gmail.com
Site: www.act-now.info