Thousands of people are set to gather in London this weekend for a major protest march against the Sri Lankan government's offensive against Tamil Tiger rebels and alleged human rights abuses.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20090410/tuk-thousands-to-march-in-support-of-tam-dba1618.html
The Sri Lankan government has rejected international calls for a ceasefire, claiming it is on the verge of defeating the Tamil Tigers, a rebel group which is fighting for an independent homeland.
Former aid worker Tim Martin, director of the Act Now campaign group aimed at stopping the war in Sri Lanka said around 100 civilians are dying each day.
Sources have told him that poisonous gases are being used in combat, with victims suffering vomiting, blisters, breathing problems and extreme pain.
"At least 60 civilians have been killed by shells fired in a no-fire zone in Sri Lanka in the past 24 hours, a senior health official there says." BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7991201.stm
Independent journalists are banned by the government from travelling to the war-affected area.
Andre
I hope this march makes a big impact and many people take part.
As I am so far away I shall be unable to take part but shall ask for healing to be sent to the people of Sri Lanka who are having to endure all this pain.
Thank Andrea7 for making people aware of this conflict.
Love and light.
I've just read that two young Tamil students are starving themselves to death in front of the Houses of Parliament in London.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/a-fight-to-the-death-in-westminster-1666825.html
How very sad. Other than that I'm ashamed to admit I know very little of the situation in spite of the fact that I have spent a lot of time in the Tamil part of India. In fact I read yesterday on an Indian newspaper's website that young Indian Tamils are going to fight in Sri Lanka.
May God bring peace to all troubled areas of the world. There are so many.
this is the first time I have heard of this, when I read the article that you have highlighted sunada, my heart goes out to those two young men, to do this as a peaceful protest to sacifice themselves for their beliefs in this way, they know that their demands will never be met it is so sad.
I think the sad truth is that the majority of people are not interested in news like this. The best selling paper in the UK is the sun. 10,000 people die in Dafur every month but that does not make the front pages.
Only things that effect us directly will make the front pages. I know and hve heard people say they don't give a **** about this stuff.
It is really sad indeed.
I have many Tamil friends and have visited the Tamil area in the north of Sri Lanka.
If I allowed myself to comment on exactly what I think of what's going on there I'd be doing it for more time than I have, so I'll restrain myself. But I care. I care very much.
Hi Barafundle,
I appreciate your comments. I must admit, I have never been to Sri Lanka or Gaza and I don't personally know any Tamil or Palestinian people.
My concerns originate from the experience of growing up in a country, that has been under foreign occupation for about 650 years with no basic rights of freedom or self determination.
Looking at the Gaza conflict as an outsider, it seems to me that although Israel's response was disproportionate, it was far more measured than for example the Turkish attack on the Kurdish villages and separatists fighting for an independent homeland, or indeed as mentioned above by 'Naturalhealing' - the Darfur crisis, effectively created by the government of Sudan.
Not to mention of course the situation in Sri Lanka, where now according to the UN, 6500 people have been killed in the conflict - far more than in Gaza.
( <a class="go2wpf-bbcode" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href=" http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/24/srilanka "> http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/24/srilanka )
There is obviously a hierarchy of suffering, that I'm not familiar with, that gives priority to the latter in the press, the media, and judging by the volume of comments here in the HP forum too.
A
I don't think it's as much as people not caring, in many ways I firmly believe that the UK is one of the more caring countries in the world. But we do suffer from spoon fed media, where our views and emotions are maniulated.
There are many nations/ethnic groups that are suffering because of the 20th century's roll back of colonialism. On every continent there are acts of genocide being waged everyday, and yes I would welcome more air time and more debate to highlight these issues.
The internet age is bringing about change, because if we dig we can find out what's happening around the world. From that many of have been able to write to our MPs, highlight on forums,discuss these issues and get involved with NGOs. Perhaps over the next decade or so, public opinion will bring about more change than it has historically.
But one thing I've learnt, there is nothing that's black and white and these issues are never as straight forward as they first appear. However, having said that, we should never hold back to speak up or work towards change. It's far too easy to sit at home like some judge while innocent people are being killed for the sake of power or the west's over consumption.
I believe it's a great stain on humanity that millions are denied their right to food, health care, education, justice and freedom of expression.
Myarka.