இலங்கையின் உள்நாட்டுப் போரை எல்லோரினதும் கவனத்திற்கு கொண்டு வருவதற்கு சுவிற்சர்லாந்தின் ஜெனீவா நகரில் உள்ள ஐக்கிய நாடுகள் சபையின் முன்றலில் 12.02.09 தீக்குளித்து மரணமடைந்த முருகதாஸ் விரும்பியிருந்தார் என்று லண்டன் பிபிசி செய்தி நிறுவனம் தெரிவித்துள்ளது.

இது தொடர்பாக பிபிசி செய்தி நிறுவனத்தின் இணையத்தளத்தில் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளவற்றின் முக்கிய பகுதிகள் வருமாறு:

இலங்கையின் உள்நாட்டு போரை எல்லோரினதும் கவனத்திற்கு முருகதாஸ் வர்ணகுலசிங்கம் (வயது 26) கொண்டு வர விரும்பியிருந்தார்.

பிரித்தானியாவில் வாழும் குடும்பத்தின் அங்கத்தவரான இந்த இளைஞர் சுவிற்சர்லாந்தில் உள்ள ஐக்கிய நாடுகள் சபையின் அலுவலகத்திற்கு முன்பாக நடைபெற்ற பேரணி ஒன்றில் தன்னைத் தானே தீமூட்டி எரித்திருந்தார்.

மேற்கு லண்டனில் உள்ள நோர்த்கோல் நகரில் இன்று சனிக்கிழமை இந்த இளைஞனின் இறுதி நிகழ்வு நடைபெறவுள்ளது.

முருகதாஸ் கணணித்துறை பட்டதாரி. பகுதி நேரமாக ஒரு பல்பொருள் அங்காடியிலும் கடமையாற்றி வந்திருந்தார்.

சிறிலங்கா அரச படையினர் தமிழ் மக்களுக்கு எதிராக மேற்கொண்டு வரும் படை நடவடிக்கைக்கு எதிரான எதிர்ப்பு பேரணியில் அவர் கலந்து கொண்டிருந்தார்.

சிறுபான்மை தமிழ் இனம் அங்கு தனிநாடு கோரி போராடி வருகின்றனர். 2005 ஆம் ஆண்டில் இருந்து அங்கு ஆயிரக்கணக்கான மக்கள் கொல்லப்பட்டனர். பல்லாயிரக்கணக்கானோர் இடம்பெயர்ந்துள்ளனர்.

நான் எனது உயிரை தியாகம் செய்கின்றேன்; எனது உடலை எரிக்கும் இந்த தீ உங்களை விடுதலையின் பாதைக்கு அழைத்து செல்லும் என முருகதாஸ் தனது இறுதிக்கடிதத்தில் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

முருகதாஸ் மிகவும் அன்பானவர்; அவரை நாம் இழந்துள்ளோம்; அவர் இந்த தியாகத்தை தனது நாட்டுக்காக செய்துள்ளார் என முருகதாசின் உறவினர் தவரூபன் சின்னத்தம்பி (வயது 33) தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

முருகதாஸ் மிகவும் உணர்வுள்ளவர்; பிரித்தானியாவுக்கு வருவதற்கு முன்னர் அவர் தனது சொந்த நாட்டில் இடம்பெயர்ந்து வாழ்ந்தவர்; அதனால் அவருக்கு அதன் வலி தெரியும். அவர், தனது உயிரை தியாகம் செய்ய விரும்பியுள்ளார் என்றே நான் எண்ணுகின்றேன்; அதனை எண்ணி நாம் பெருமை அடைகின்றோம் என அவர் மேலும் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

தமிழ் மக்கள் உலகெங்கும் இடம்பெயர்ந்து வாழ்கின்றோம்; நாம் எமது பிரச்சினைகளை உரத்துக்கூறி அனைத்துலகத்தின் உதவிகளை கடந்த 30 ஆண்டுகளாக கேட்டுள்ளோம். ஆனால், எதுவும் நடைபெறவில்லை.

எனவே, எனது உயிரை தியாகம் செய்ய முடிவெடுத்துள்ளேன்; எனது உடலை பற்றிக்கொள்ளும் இந்த தீ உங்களை விடுதலையின் பாதையில் இட்டுச்செல்லும் என முருகதாஸ் தனது கடிதத்தில் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

லண்டனில் மேலும் இருவர் தீக்குளிக்க முயற்சி எடுத்துள்ளனர். இந்தியாவிலும், உலகின் ஏனைய பாகங்களிலும் ஒரு டசினுக்கு மேற்பட்டவர்கள் தீக்குளித்துள்ளனர்.

இன்று நடைபெறும் முருகதாசின் இறுதி நிகழ்வில் ஏராளமான மக்கள் கலந்து கொள்வார்கள் என எதிர்பார்க்கப்படுகின்றது. பிரித்தானியாவில் 2 லட்சத்து 50 ஆயிரம் தமிழ் மக்கள் வசிக்கின்றனர்; அவர்களில் பெரும்பாலானவர்கள் உள்நாட்டு போரினால் இடம்பெயர்ந்தவர்கள்.

இந்த நிகழ்வுக்கான பாதுகாப்பு ஒழுங்குகள் பலப்படுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளதாக பிரித்தானியாவின் தமிழ் சபை தலைவர் தயா இடைக்காடார் தெரிவித்துள்ளார் என அதில் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

http://www.puthinam.com/full.php?2b34OOy4b...3f1eW0cc3mcYAde

Tamil suicide protester mourned

Thousands have gathered at the funeral of a man who set himself on fire in protest at the treatment of Tamils in Sri Lanka.

Murugathasan Varnakulasingham, 26, from Harrow, north west London, killed himself outside the United Nations building in Switzerland last month.

About 10,000 mourners attended the service at Northolt community centre.

The British Tamil Councillors and Associates group said: "This man died not for himself but for us."

'Sad and sombre'

His family have said they were proud of his actions.

Thousands of people are have been killed, and thousands more displaced in Sri Lanka since fighting escalated over the last five years.

Murugathasan Varnakulasingham

Mr Varnakulasingham wanted to draw attention to Sri Lanka's civil war

Family proud of son's 'sacrifice

The Tamils, an ethnic minority, are fighting for their independence.

Mr Varnakulasingham, a computing graduate who worked part-time in a supermarket, had been a demonstrator protesting against the Sri Lankan military's war against the Tamils

Thaya Idaikkadar, chairman of the British Tamil Councillors and Associates group said: "It was an extremely sad and sombre occasion.

"Lots of people were weeping, many, many people queued to make their way around the coffin.

"This man died not for himself but for us.

"He was just 26, a graduate. He had his whole life in front of him; his parents are obviously very distraught."

Thousands of Tamils have settled in the UK after fleeing from Sri Lanka's long running civil war.

'Hero'

Before his death Mr Varnakulasingham wrote that he would sacrifice himself to draw attention to the troubles of his people.

Mr Idaikkadar: "His death was not in vain, he achieved a lot, he is a hero for us and a son for all of us."

Mr Varnakulasingham's brother-in-law Thavaroopan Sinnathamby, 33, said: "He was a refugee in his own country before he came here, so he knew the pain of what the people were going through.

"He'd go to the demonstrations and no-one was bothering and he wanted to make an impact. I think he wanted to give his life, we feel proud for that."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7930382.stm

"He'd go to the demonstrations and no-one was bothering and he wanted to make an impact. I think he wanted to give his life, we feel proud for that."

The UK-based family of a young Tamil man who set himself on fire in protest at the treatment of his countrymen in Sri Lanka have said they are proud of his actions.

Tamil family proud of son's 'sacrifice'

Thousands of Tamils living in the UK and beyond attended the funeral on Saturday in Northolt, west London, of Murugathasan Varnakulasingham, 26, who travelled to Switzerland last month to kill himself in front of the United Nations building in Geneva.

Mr Varnakulasingham, a computing graduate who worked part-time in a supermarket, had attended demonstrations to protest against the Sri Lankan military's war against the Tamil Tigers.

The rebels are fighting for a Tamil homeland in the north and east of the island.

Thousands of people have been killed, and thousands more displaced on the island since fighting escalated after 2005.

I decided to sacrifice my life ... The flames over my body will be a torch to guide you through the liberation path

Murugathasan Varnakulasingham's suicide letter

Mr Varnakulasingham's brother-in-law Thavaroopan Sinnathamby, 33, said: "He was a very lovely guy and we miss him a lot, but he did this for the country.

"He was a sensitive guy. He was a refugee in his own country before he came here, so he knew the pain of what the people were going through.

"He'd go to the demonstrations and no-one was bothering and he wanted to make an impact. I think he wanted to give his life, we feel proud for that."

Before he doused himself in petrol and set himself alight in the the Place des Nations in Geneva., Mr Varnakulasingham wrote a five-page letter.

It read: "We Tamils, displaced and all over the world, loudly raised our problems and asked for help before [the] international community in your own language for three decades.

"But nothing happened... So I decided to sacrifice my life... The flames over my body will be a torch to guide you through the liberation path."

Copycat suicides

The young man's family, said Mr Sinnathamby, did not know in advance of his suicide plans.

He said: "We had no idea. If we did know, we would not have let him go."

He said the first they heard there was something wrong was when friends and family started calling up asking where he was.

Then friends started calling to say they had seen his brother-in-law's name on the internet.

The family checked online and on a Tamil news website, where they saw his name and date of birth.

"Unfortunately, it was true," said Mr Sinnathamby.

Mr Varnakulasingham's death appears to have inspired at least one other "copycat" suicide attempt in the UK - a man thought to be a Tamil who tried to set himself alight outside Downing Street last month.

Security tight

Previously there were at least two other reported incidents of attempted self-immolation in the UK by Tamils, and there have also been more than a dozen other suicides-by-fire in India and worldwide.

There are estimated to be about 250,000 Tamils living in the UK - many of them refugees of Sri Lanka's decades-long civil war between the Tamil Tigers and the majority Sinhalese government.

Speaking before the funeral, Thaya Idaikkadar, chairman of the British Tamil Councillors and Associates group said security would be tight.

On Saturday afternoon, after most mourners had paid their respects, a Scotland Yard spokesman said there had been a police presence at the funeral but there were no reports of disturbances.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7929236.stm

Worsening Sri Lanka violence shakes British Tamils

By GREGORY KATZ

LONDON (AP) — They have fled a quarter-century of horrifying civil war in Sri Lanka for safe haven abroad, but the more than 250,000 Tamils living in Britain have not managed to put the conflict behind them.

Thousands plan to gather Saturday for the funeral of a young man who burned himself to death to dramatize the situation in Sri Lanka, where starving Tamil civilians have been caught between advancing government troops and the once-feared Tamil Tigers, whose long, bloody quest for an independent homeland has been nearly crushed.

There are strong fears that others may follow the young man to an early death in a frenzied bid to focus attention on the plight of the Tamils, an ethnic minority in Sri Lanka. Already, a small wave of self-immolations has spread from South Asia to Western Europe.

"We understand why people are so desperate, but we don't want anyone to do something so drastic as to take their own life," said Sen Kandiah, a successful businessman and political director of the British Tamils Forum who has met with Prime Minister Gordon Brown to discuss the crisis in Sri Lanka.

Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka are being bombarded as the government moves to crush the retreating Tigers. British Tamils say their loved ones are running out of food, water and medicine and have no safe place to go in Sri Lanka.

Many Tamils feel their plight is being ignored — and some have turned to dramatic suicides as a way to get noticed as the global economic downturn dominates international news.

The actions of Murugathasan Varnakulasingham, just 26 when he set himself alight in front of a United Nations building in Geneva in February, reminded many of the Buddhist monks who burned themselves to death in Vietnam to protest government repression there in the 1960s. Although Varnakulasingham died in Switzerland, he is being buried in Britain, where he lived.

Tamils say two others from their ranks have tried to burn themselves but were rescued before it was too late, including one who tried to torch himself in front of 10 Downing Street, where the British prime minister lives.

This follows the suicide-by-fire of about 10 Tamils living in Tamil areas of India.

Some younger Tamils who have lost loved ones in the recent fighting say they support those who choose immolation.

Mathy Subramaniam, also 26, lost his father in January when he was caught in a government air raid while on his bicycle in northeastern Sri Lanka. Subramaniam, his eyes tense and despairing, said he is in favor of using immolation as a means of protest.

"It's a good thing," he said. "Every day people are dying, and it must be stopped. I lost my father, I don't want to lose any other people, sister or brother or Mom or anyone."

He ekes out a meager living in a supermarket, but many older British Tamils are more established and are doing well in a wide variety of professions. There are fairly large Tamil communities scattered throughout the greater London area.

Their well-organized political efforts have won over some lawmakers who want the British government to push harder for a cease-fire in Sri Lanka, which gained independence from Britain in 1948, when it was still known as Ceylon.

Fighting between the majority Sinhalese and the minority Tamils broke out in 1983 and has raged ever since, transforming a lovely tropical island in the Indian Ocean into an inferno. Millions fled the island, some relying on people traffickers for dangerous, illicit voyages. Many went to Australia, the United States and continental Europe, but Britain, the old colonial power, remained a favored destination.

"There is a very large Tamil diaspora here, and they are for the most part British citizens, so these are our constituents and they are terrified on behalf of their family and friends in Sri Lanka," said Joan Ryan, a Labour Party legislator trying to prod the government into more forceful action. "We have a responsibility because of our historic role in Sri Lanka."

She said the Sri Lankan government has been successful in casting the Tamil Tigers as a terrorist group but that this does not excuse attacks on civilians.

The Tigers, who assassinated Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, have been condemned by human rights groups for using child soldiers and other abuses. The US government has long classified them as a terrorist group.

"There have undoubtedly been atrocities committed by both sides, but what is happening now to innocent Tamil civilians cannot be justified by anybody's view of the Tamil Tigers," Ryan said.

She is worried that increasing numbers of young British Tamils are losing all hope.

"I'm very, very concerned that anybody should feel so desperate, so disenfranchised, so pushed away that the only way they feel they can draw attention to their suffering is to burn themselves to death," she said. "That cannot be acceptable."

Community activists fear emotions may run so high at Saturday's funeral that some younger Tamils might decide to follow suit and burn themselves.

"We are begging people that this should never happen," said Thaya Idaikkadar, chairman of the British Tamil Councillors and Associates group. "We don't want any more loss of life. We are going on radio and TV telling people not to do that."

He said organizers are not relying on words alone — mourners will be checked to make sure no one brings a can of gasoline that could be used for suicidal purposes.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/articl...8O3eFAD96OIRA80

Thousands attend London funeral of Tamil who torched himself

Thousands of Tamils Saturday attended the London funeral of a man who set himself on fire in Geneva last month to protest the Sri Lankan Army's war against Tamils in his homeland.

Murugathasan Varnakulasingham, 26, killed himself in front of the United Nations building in Geneva Feb 19 in the latest of a series of self-immolations by Tamils across the world - including an attempted suicide in front of the British prime minister's office last month.

Tamils from Britain and elsewhere in Europe turned up in large numbers for the funeral, which was held at Northolt, west London, amid tight security.

Attendees, most of whom wore black and carried red roses, were checked for petrol cans after concerns over similar acts of self-immolation.

Organisers said they were expecting up to 20,000 people to turn up by the end of the day.

Police blocked the traffic and authorities closed the local underground train station for crowd safety reasons.

The attendees were to be addressed by a number of British MPs, including Dawn Butler, Virendra Sharma, Stephen Pound and John McDonnell, from a large stage decorated in the red and yellow colours of the Sri Lankan Tamil movement.

Also on the stage was a huge poster saying 'Free Eelam' alongside one of Muruganathasan, who left behind a five-page letter expressing his anguish and helpless at the civil war in his homeland.

The letter read: 'We Tamils, displaced and all over the world, loudly raised our problems and asked for help before (the) international community in your own language for three decades.

'But nothing happened... So I decided to sacrifice my life... The flames over my body will be a torch to guide you through the liberation path.'

Thaya Idaikkadar, a local Labour councillor and chairman of the British Tamil Councillors and Associates, said: 'He did not do this for himself or his family, he did it for his people. He was pushed into it because the media won't tell people what's going on.'

However, he added, Murugathasan's actions could not be condoned. 'We do not support any form of suicide - our advice is that no one else should ever do what he did.'

- http://www.indiaenews.com/europe/20090307/183508.htm