Time to support the Tamils

I was very pleased to be invited yesterday to the British Tamil Conservative Association (BTCA) & Tamil Essex Conservatives dinner, in Brentwood Essex. With over a hundred people there, it was a remarkable occasion. Lee Scott (Ilford North MP) and Shadow Home Office Ministers' James Brokenshire, and Andrew Rosindell, were guests of honour. There were also a number of local Tory Parliamentary Candidates like myself in attendance.

You could not fail to be struck by the warmth of the Tamil community - and their love of Britain. The toast to the Queen that took place during the meal, was a clear demonstration of this as was the traditional - and Delicious English Roast Lamb that was served.

As we sat down over dinner, I was glad to have an opportunity to discuss the ever increasing misery for the Tamils in Sri Lanka with senior members of the BTCA. After a number of speeches, including a short one I gave myself, there was a very moving talk, given by Jane Jananayagam, from Tamils against Genocide, who described how the killings of the Tamils, had been in line with other scientific genocides, such as that which happened in Rwanda in 1994. As so often, the International Community had failed to properly intervene.

It is not hard to remember the images on our TVs and in our newspapers, earlier this year as thousands of Tamils were killed, or displaced from their homes, in the civil war that took place. As The Times reported on May 29, 2009, up to 20,000 Tamils lost their lives in the final stages of the war alone - as a result of Sri Lankan Government shelling of Tamil encampments.

No wonder there were heartfelt demonstrations in Parliament Square by the UK Tamil community, as they sought to highlight to the world, the tragedy that was befalling their Community.

Yet, months after the war has ended - and when the Sri Lankan Government say that they have completely vanquished the Tamil Tigers - close to 300,000 Tamil refugees are being kept in Internment camps without real access to proper food or decent sanitation. Why is it that these refugees have not been allowed to return to their homes? It is no surprise that Amnesty International has written to President Obama urging him to call an inquiry into war crimes committed against the Tamils, as well as ensuring that those refugees in the camps are protected. But much more needs to be done by the International Community. There must be full and proper access to the camps by aid workers and the Sri Lankan Government should announce a timetable in which the refugees will be permitted to leave.

This desperate situation cannot continue. It does nothing to bring about peace, and if anything exacerbates long held grievances felt by the Tamils.

As the Economist magazine (a journal noted for4 its impartiality, suggested in an article in October1, 2009:

"So long as Tamils feel abused by a racist Sinhalese state, the conflict may resume. Economic development of their shattered regions, which the government is planning, is unlikely to change that. Hence the government’s continued war-footing—but this is in turn also reinforcing Tamil grievances".

The Tamils have a right to their dignity and respect, and to be treated equally before the law. They also have a right to some autonomy in the regions in which they are a majority. Such actions by the Sinhalese Government would do much to bring back stability and peace to the Island.

The Tamils deserve nothing less.

P.S. I was delighted to be sitting next to Mr Tony Arul, a structural engineer who works for Harlow Council. He is second from left, standing next to me in the second photograph down.

By Rob Halfon ~ Working hard for Harlow, Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon & Sheering. http//roberthalfon.blogspot.com