பிரித்தானியாவில் கடந்த ஒரு வார காலமாகவே தன்னெழுச்சியாக நடைபெற்றுக் கொண்டிருக்கும் மக்கள் எழுச்சிப் போராட்டங்களில் இன்று மேலும் ஒரு உச்சநிலையாக, பிரித்தானி தமிழர் பேரவை விடுத்த அழைப்பை ஏற்று சுமார் இரண்டுலட்சம் தமிழ்மக்கள் பிரித்தானியாவின் தலைநகர் இலண்டனில் அணிதிரண்டனர். இன்று இலண்டன நேரம் பிற்பகல் 1.00 மணியளவில் ஆரம்பமான ஊர்வலம் சுமார் ஆறு மைல்களுக்கமதிகமான நீளமாக நீண்டிருந்தது.

காலை 10.00 மணிமுதலே பேரணி ஆரம்பமாகுமிடத்தில் மக்கள் குழுமத் தொடங்கிவிட்டார்கள். இலண்டனில், ஈராக் யுத்தத்திற்கு எதிராக நடைபெற்ற பேரணியே இலண்டனில் இதுவரையில் அதிகளவு மக்கள் கலந்து கொண்ட பேரணியாக இருந்தது. இன்று இரண்டு இலட்சம் தமிழ் மக்கள் இணைந்து சிறிலங்கா அரசு முன்னெடுத்திருக்கும் யுத்ததிற்க்கெதிரான தமது எதிர்பினை வெளிப்படுத்தியிருந்தார்கள்.

இப் பேரணிகுறித்து பிரித்தானியத் தமிழர் பேரவை பிரதிநிதி சுரேன் அவர்களின் கருத்து ஒலி வடிவில்:

In a historic show of solidarity, more than 200,000 British Tamils, nearly two third of their population, marched through the streets of London Saturday demanding immediate ceasefire and recognition of Tamil Eelam. Sparked off by the initiative of second generation diaspora Tamil youth and students four days ago, the Saturday's march became an unprecedented rallying point for the entire community, attracting the old students associations of the educational institutions of Eezham Tamils, functioning in London. The spirited participation of teens and mothers with babies in pushchairs significantly marked the level of community involvement in the agitation.

Student groups and networks such as Students Against Genocide of Tamils (SAGT) have taken part in organising the agitation.

Several thousands of banners and placards carried by them read: "Stop the war", "Tamil Eelam must be free", "Stop genocide in Sri Lanka", "Tamil Tigers are freedom fighters", "Our Leader Pirapaharan" and "We want Tamil Eelam".

Many participants had made their own posters, banners and cutouts.

Marchers carried several thousands of the Tamil Eelam flag. Some of them were seen carrying British flags also. There were also balloons floated in the sky, displaying Tamil Eelam flags.

The marchers began gathering at Temple and marched from there to Hyde Park. They went along River Thames and turned onto the Piccadilly and from there onto Park Lane near Hyde Park. British Police blocked off all these routes to make room for the marchers. A large number of British Police personnel mingled with the crowd.

It took nearly 2 hours for the procession to pass a point.

Tim Martin of Act Now, a UK based charity that sponsored the launching of the "Va'nangkaama'n" humanitarian mercy mission ship, the Chairman of All Party Parliamentary Group of Tamils Vireindra Sharma (Labour, Ealing and Southall) and a number of parliamentarians including Andrew Pelling (Independent, Croydon Central) and Simon Hughes (Liberal Party) were present and addressed the gathering.

A wide spectrum of Tamil activists who participated in the march, included 21-year-old Sivatharsan Sivakumaravel, who is on a hunger-strike demanding ceasefire, Kieran Arasaratnam, a young British-Tamil investment banker who recently announced an expedition to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa to raise awareness and funds to the mercy mission and British Tamil Forum representatives Suren Surendiran and Pathmanathan.

http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=29013

ஒன்றை தமிழ் தேசிய தலைமைக்கு புலம் பெயர் தமிழர்கள் உறுதியாக, தெளிவாக கூறியிருக்கிறார்கள்.

"கள நிலமைகள் இரு இராணுவத்திற்கு எதிராக போராடுகிறீர்கள். தமிழ் தேசிய தலைமையை காப்பாற்றுங்கள். நாங்கள் என்றும் உங்கள் பின் நிற்போம் ... இழந்தவற்றை மீட்கும் வரையல்ல..... விடிவு வரை!!!

Thousands on Tamil protest march

A hundred thousand protesters have marched through central London against Sri Lanka's offensive on the Tamil Tigers, according to police estimates.

The demonstration came as one Tamil protester agreed to suspend a hunger strike opposite the House of Commons.

Sivatharsan Sivakumaraval, 21, and Prarameswaran Subramaniam, 28, had said they were prepared to die unless the UK intervened in the war in Sri Lanka.

Mr Sivakumaraval has suspended his fast amid efforts to try to arrange talks.

The Metropolitan Police said 100,000 people had joined the march and three had been arrested for public order offences.

They marched from Embankment to Hyde Park, where the demonstration ended with a rally at Speaker's Corner.

The two hunger strikers - both students from Mitcham, south London - have not eaten since the early hours of Tuesday.

On Friday, after doctors warned of kidney failure, they agreed to take on fluids for the first time since their hunger strike began.

'Win freedom'

Mr Sivakumaraval said he would end his protest if he were given a signed pledge that he would be able to take part in talks on the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka.

The 21-year-old said: "Our health is very bad. But I want to say to people to stay together, to help the people in Sri Lanka, and that together we will win our freedom.

"I am very pleased with the support we've had because people have come here from different religions and from all over the world."

He said he was following the example of Gandhi, adding: "Older brothers also do this in Sri Lanka so we are following them. They are an inspiration to us and that's why we're staying here.

"Everyone tries their own way but at the end of the day nothing happens so we need to choose this way."

Tamil protest in Parliament Square

Tamil 'suspending hunger strike'

His mother, Vanishri, 38, said she understood how her son felt and was proud of him, but also that she feared for his health.

Mr Sivakumaraval said: "I feel my homeland is even more important than my mum."

Meanwhile, Mr Subramaniam has agreed to start drinking liquids and glucose.

The protesters want Prime Minister Gordon Brown and UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon to agree to meet their representatives.

Earlier, Liberal Democrat MP Simon Hughes said he would try to arrange for a delegation of protesters to visit the UN, Washington and Brussels with Des Browne, the government's special envoy to Sri Lanka, for talks.

Mr Hughes said Mr Sivakumaraval had agreed to accept some food on the condition that he could join Des Browne at the talks.

Doctors had said he was well enough to attend a rally at Hyde Park Corner after the march, Mr Hughes added.

The rebel Tamil Tigers started fighting in the 1970s for a separate state for Tamils in Sri Lanka's north and east. They argue they have been discriminated against by successive Sinhalese-dominated governments.

They are a banned terrorist group in many countries, including the UK.

Thousands of Sri Lankans living in the UK have taken part in the rally that began on Monday afternoon in London's Parliament Square.

They say thousands of civilians in northern Sri Lanka are in danger as its government continues an offensive to "wipe out" the Tamil Tigers.

They are calling for the UK government to act to help end the war and insist they will remain until a ceasefire is called and food and medical aid is allowed to reach civilians.

Mr Browne said that he supported a ceasefire and the British government remained concerned about the plight of civilians caught up in the conflict.

The United Nations says more than 2,800 civilians may have been killed and 7,000 others injured in the fighting in the north-east of Sri Lanka in the last two months. The Sri Lankan government disputes these figures.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7994946.stm

Edited April 11, 200916 yr by nedukkalapoovan

"I feel my homeland is even more important than my mum."

A hundred thousand protesters have marched through central London against Sri Lanka's offensive on the Tamil Tigers,

தமிழ் புலிகளை மட்டுமா.. கொல்லினம்.. தமிழ் குழந்தைகளையும் தானே. பிபிசிக்கு அது தெரியாதோ..??!

Edited April 11, 200916 yr by nedukkalapoovan

தமிழ் புலிகளை மட்டுமா.. கொல்லினம்.. தமிழ் குழந்தைகளையும் தானே. பிபிசிக்கு அது தெரியாதோ..??!

புலிகளுக்கு ஆதரவாக இவ்வளவு மக்கள் எண்று புரிந்து கொண்டார்களே... மகிழ்ச்சிதானே...