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End Sri Lankan State Terrorism! Newcastle March & Rally, Sat 25th April

Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! North East | 21.04.2009 02:08

Join us this Saturday in Newcastle to protest against the Sri Lankan Government's genocidal attacks on the Tamil people.

According to UN statistics, more than 2,800 Tamil civilians, including hundreds of children have been killed in the first two months of 2009. In the last week the Sri Lankan government have announced that they are launching a final offensive to crush the resistance of the Tamil people completely.

Saturday 25th April, assemble 1pm at Haymarket, top of Northumberland Street to march to Grey's Monument for a rally.

Called by Tamils living in Newcastle, supported by Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! (FRFI) and Tyneside Community Action for Refugees (TCAR)
What's Happening?
There is a war of liberation fought by the Tamils against the brutal Sri Lankan state. Tamils in the Tamil homeland are struggling for their very survival. Sri Lanka is using cluster bombs on civilian targets. International humanitarian agencies such as ICRC and UNHCR are not allowed to operate in the area. Every single hospital has been bombed by the Sri Lankan Government. There are no medical facilities. There are no food supplies. No media is allowed to witness this genocide.

Why Is It Happening?
In February 2002, a ceasefire agreement was signed between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers. Several rounds of talks took place, but reached a deadlock due to the Government's intransigence. In January 2008, the Government unilaterally withdrew from the ceasefire agreement. Military aggression was stepped up with indiscriminate bombing. The Government is aiming to wipe out the Tamil Tigers and keep Tamils enslaved in concentration camps.

What's the Background?
Sri Lanka - formerly known as Ceylon, is made up of two nations (Sinhala and Tamil). During the British occupation they unified the two nations for administrative convenience. In 1948, the British Government handed over power to the Sinhalese, and immediately the Sinhalese Government disenfranchised 1 million Tamils. Sinhala Governments began to oppress Tamils in language, culture, education, jobs, civil liberties and implemented a systematic occupation of the Tamil homeland. Tamils tried to find redress by peaceful and democratic means for 30 years. But all were suppressed by brutal military might. As a last resort Tamils were forced to take up arms in self defence.

Who Are Tamil Tigers?
The Tamil Tigers (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) have been fighting for self determination of Tamil people in Sri Lanka since 1976 with the mandate from the Tamils. By 2001, the Tamil Tigers had liberated 70% of Tamil homeland in Sri Lanka. Yet they looked to resolve the matter by peaceful means. In 2002, with Norwegian mediation, a ceasefire agreement was signed between the leader of the Tamil Tigers and the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. The international mediators accepted the Tamil Tigers as the authentic representatives of Tamils in Sri Lanka. The agreement stipulated that there should be no interference by armed forces in the Tamil homeland. The Sri Lankan Government never stuck to its side of the bargain.

Thousands have been protesting around the world against the actions of the Sri Lankan Government. Join the march and rally in Newcastle this Saturday, called by Tamils living in Newcastle and supported by Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! (FRFI) and Tyneside Community Action for Refugees (TCAR).

Saturday 25th April, assemble 1pm at Haymarket, top of Northumberland Street to march to Grey's Monument for a rally.

Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! North East
- e-mail: frfinortheast@googlemail.com
- Homepage: http://www.revolutionarycommunist.org

Comments

Hide the following 3 comments

Slight correction to time and assembly point

21.04.2009 12:23

The march will assemble from 12pm, to set off at 1pm.

Assembly point will be outside Abbey National bank (top of Northumberland Street, just down from Haymarket).

FRFI


Celebrate the demise of the terrorists

21.04.2009 17:02

It's just like the Revolutionary Communist Group to justify and support the brutal, terrorist Tamil Tigers that popularised suicide bombing, bomb buses and city centres, recruit child soldiers and use human shields.

Let the Marxists hold their demos and make a noise because it won't save the Tamil Tigers. The Tigers are now confined to a tiny strip of land with their backs to the sea, about to be wiped out.

Let's celebrate the impending demise of one of the world's bloodiest terrorist organisations! Let it be an example to other terrorists that they'll surely be crushed too.

Ed


You guys are at the wrong end of the stick

25.04.2009 09:57

This rally is rubbish. Whole world has condemned LTTE, and you guys are trying to rescue them. LTTE is a banned terrorist organisation. Try and help innocent Tamil civillians escaped from LTTE.

kumar