ஆஸ்திரேலியாவில் பிரதமரின் இல்லம் சுற்றிவளைப்பு; மக்கள் ஆவேசத்துடன் உண்ணர்ச்சி பூர்வமாக சாலை மறிப்பு

Dr. Brian Seneviratne addressing the protest in Sydney

Edited April 13, 200916 yr by தேசம்

இந்தப் போராட்டங்கள் எவ்வளவு தூரம் முன்னெடுக்கின்றோமோ, அவ்வாறே தமிழ் மக்களைச் சிங்கள அரசிடம் இருந்து காப்பாற்றி சுதந்திரமான சுயநிர்ணயம் கொண்ட மக்களாக வாழ வைப்பதற்குமான தீர்வினையும் இத்தருணத்திலேயே சொல்ல வேண்டும். வெறுமனே 4 நாட்கள், 5 போர்நிறுத்தம் கேட்பது எமக்கு தீர்வினைத் தந்துவிடாது.

தூரநோக்கத்துடன் கூடிய விண்ணப்பங்களையும் இத்தருணத்திலேயே வையுங்கள்.

இந்தப் போராட்டங்கள் எவ்வளவு தூரம் முன்னெடுக்கின்றோமோ, அவ்வாறே தமிழ் மக்களைச் சிங்கள அரசிடம் இருந்து காப்பாற்றி சுதந்திரமான சுயநிர்ணயம் கொண்ட மக்களாக வாழ வைப்பதற்குமான தீர்வினையும் இத்தருணத்திலேயே சொல்ல வேண்டும். வெறுமனே 4 நாட்கள், 5 போர்நிறுத்தம் கேட்பது எமக்கு தீர்வினைத் தந்துவிடாது.

தூரநோக்கத்துடன் கூடிய விண்ணப்பங்களையும் இத்தருணத்திலேயே வையுங்கள்.

தங்களின் பின்னூட்டல் அவசியம்

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04...?section=justin

Tamil protesters take to the streets of Kirribilli

Hundreds of Tamil demonstrators protesting outside the Prime Minister's Sydney residence say they will stay there until the Australian Government urges the Sri Lankan Government to call for a ceasefire with the Tamil Tigers.

More than 1000 Tamils - including three hunger strikers - staged an all-night rally outside Kirribilli House as part of a global protest aimed at brokering a ceasefire between the Sri Lankan army and the Tamil Tigers.

The protest group, which began as a three-man hunger strike in Parramatta on Saturday, continued to grow even though Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was not inside.

The protesters, mostly families with small children, staged a sit-down protest blocking the junction of Kirribilli Avenue and Carabella Streets yesterday.

About 400 protesters remained on the road outside the Prime Minister's house this morning.

Sri Lanka's Government says it is in the final stages of defeating the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, who launched a campaign in 1972 to create a separate Tamil homeland on the Indian Ocean island.

The remaining Tigers are trapped in the "no-fire" zone, in the island's north-east, along with thousands of civilians.

The Government is under pressure to agree to a ceasefire, amid claims that 3500 civilians have been killed in the first three months of this year.

Sri Lanka has resisted calls for a fresh truce, saying it would only help the Tigers when they are near total defeat.

The sombre protest turned noisy before 9am today with the group chanting "Australia, save the Tamils", "We want ceasefire" and "Stop genocide".

Men, women and young children waved red Tamil flags and banners saying: "Impose sanction on Sri Lanka".

Many had been lying on mats and pillows on the road early in the morning.

Protester Geetha Mano, 24, said the rally would continue until they got some response from Mr Rudd or Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith

Ms Mano said the protesters were calling for the ceasefire, for food and medicine to be sent to the Tamil civilians and for Tamil people to have the right to live where they chose.

"It's about time the voice of these people gets heard ... after all, we are all humans," she said.

"We ask the international community and the Australian Government to urge, to push, the Sri Lankan Government to call for a ceasefire and to meet these demands so that these people get the right to live freely and with freedom of choice."

Mr Rudd is in Canberra, and his office said today it would not comment on the protest.

Yesterday, more than 30 police officers monitored the situation as the hunger strikers said they were prepared to "starve to death" to draw attention to the plight of their families under the continuing Sri Lankan bombing.

At 10.30pm, officers from the riot squad arrived. A senior police officer told protesters they had five minutes to disperse. The directive led the crowd to chant louder and sit down linking arms.

By 11pm, the BBC were reporting a Sri Lankan ceasefire. Police were using phones to check the internet for further details hoping news of the ceasefire would placate the crowd.

Although there was no clear leader for the protesters, a man in a white shirt appeared to start the chanting.

"We are Australian citizens. We don't want BBC. We don't want media. We want the Australian Government to liberate our people," he told police.

"We are not here to fight. We are here to raise our voice. Please let us raise our voice."

By 11.45pm, Dr Vasuki Delillo, a representative of the Tamil community, had brokered a deal with police to allow protesters to stay indefinitely.

"We will not move,'' she told the crowd. "We will stay. We will not enter Kirribilli House. We will not obstruct police. We will entertain our dignity. They will not move us on."

After the announcement, officers from the riot squad and other police withdrew inside the grounds of Kirribilli House.

The crowd sat in silent protest vowing to continue overnight.

The duty officer at North Sydney police station, Detective Inspector David Maguire, said the decision to allow the peaceful protest to continue was made at assistant commisioner level.

They will be here all night. Natural attrition is probably going to do a lot of it [disperse the crowd]. People get tired. There are no toilets here.

"It's an unlawful demonstration," Inspector Maguire said. "They didn't put the forms in but because of the circumstances in their country they didn't have time," he said of the shelling which began on the weekend.

From 11.30pm police, who had set up a perimeter around the protesters, were not allowing anyone else to join the sit-in.

- http://www.smh.com.au/national/tamil-prote...41t.html?page=3

Smith urges end to Tamil hunger strike

Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith has urged protesters from Australia's Tamil community not to continue a hunger strike.

Three members of the Sydney Tamil community have been on a hunger strike since Saturday as part of a protest outside the Prime Minister's residence, Kirribilli House.

They are among about 150 people who are calling on Kevin Rudd to push for a permanent cease-fire between government forces and the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka.

The protestors have since been forced to move from outside Kirribili House to a nearby park.

Police say the protestors were blocking roads and cooperated peacefully with demands to relocate to Bradfield Park this evening.

There were around 800 protestors at the height of the rally earlier today, but heavy rains have seen numbers dwindle in recent hours.

Sri Lanka's President has ordered Government troops to halt their offensive against cornered Tamil Tigers rebels for two days to give tens of thousands of civilians a chance to escape the fighting.

The Sri Lankan army says its troops have halted offensive operations and have not come under fire from the Tamil Tiger rebels.

Mr Smith says he hopes further protests remain peaceful.

"We want people to, if they are making a point, to make their point peacefully and in a civilised manner," he said.

"I'd certainly urge anyone contemplating a hunger strike not to go on a hunger strike on this or any other matter."

'Looking weak'

A doctor at the protest confirmed this morning that the men have not eaten or drunk since Saturday.

The ABC's reporter at Kirribilli said they looked weak and were having trouble concentrating when answering questions.

Sutta Thanavalasinean, a 27-year-old student, said he started the hunger strike on Saturday night because he is concerned about his family.

"Because my family's inside of that conflict area, I couldn't contact them for six months," he said.

A spokesman for the protesters, Adrian Francis, told ABC1's News Breakfast program that the conditions of the weekend's temporary two-day cease-fire in Sri Lanka were unacceptable.

"This cease-fire provides no comfort whatsoever to the Tamil people standing here today," he said.

"Providing Tamils and civilians in the north and east of Sri Lanka 48 hours to escape, and nothing else, does not meet our demands whatsoever.

"We demand that there's a cease-fire that incorporates Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam [Tamil Tigers].

"We demand that there's urgent food and medicine that should reach the Tamil civilians. We demand that the Tamils have the right to self-determination - they have the right to live where they want to live - and we also want the international community to know there is a serious genocide happening against the Tamil people in Sri Lanka at the moment."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04...m?section=world

Tamil protesters take their message to Kevin Rudd

WITH a day-long blockade of the Prime Minister's Sydney residence under their belt, Australian Tamils will take their campaign for a permanent ceasefire in Sri Lanka to The Lodge in Canberra today.

As a hunger strike by three Australian Tamils passed the three-day mark, their demands for a ceasefire were answered in part by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse.

Mr Rajapakse called a two-day halt starting yesterday to the military offensive against the Tamil Tigers to allow an estimated 100,000 civilians to flee the conflict zone.

On Sunday night, more than 1500 protesters gathered outside Kirribilli House. They were not moved on by police until 4.30pm yesterday.

The demonstration began on Saturday in the western suburb of Parramatta when three men - Mathi Sinnathurai, 27, Theepan Rajathurai, 29, and Sutha Thanabalasingam, 27 - began a hunger strike to protest against the bombing of Tamil civilians by the Sri Lankan military.

Mr Thanabalasingam, who came to Australia as a student in 2005, said he had not heard from his family in Sri Lanka's safe zone for six months.

"I'm very disappointed. I'm feeling stressed. I feel like I have to do something," he said.

He said the last time he spoke to his father he had just "lost one leg in an air strike".

A spokeswoman for the Tamil community, Sam Pari, said 3500 civilians had been killed this year because of sustained bombing inside and outside the designated "safe zone" near the town of Mullaitivu in the northeast.

Dr Pari also said reports received by the Tamil diaspora suggested the Sri Lankan military was using chemical weapons in its attacks, although this remained unverified.

Terrorism expert Clive Williams yesterday said he did not think the Tamils were the victims of genocide, although there were "a lot of civilians being killed".

He also said it was not necessary to add the Tamil Tigers to the list of 19 proscribed terrorist organisations in Australia.

"They don't mount attacks overseas. They don't mount attacks in Australia," he said.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story...5013404,00.html

Tamil protest heads for Canberra

Members of Australia's Tamil community will today continue to pressure the Government to intervene in the conflict between the Sri Lankan government and ethnic Tamils.

The demonstrators will move their protest from the Prime Minister's residence in Sydney to The Lodge in Canberra today.

Organisers say they are expecting several thousand protesters to descend on The Lodge, after around 800 protesters demonstrated peacefully outside Kirribili House in Sydney over the long weekend.

Three members of Sydney's Tamil community are also continuing a hunger strike they began on Saturday.

The protesters are calling on Kevin Rudd to push for a permanent ceasefire in Sri Lanka, where the government is waging a military offensive against ethnic Tamil separatists.

Tamil community spokesman Mohan Raja admits the response from the Government so far has been disappointing.

"We've had an absolutely amazing response from the media and the general public, unfortunately the Australian Government has failed to acknowledge our calls," he said.

Mr Raja says emotions are running high, but the demonstrations will be peaceful.

"It is a difficult time for thousands of people who have family stuck in Sri Lanka so emotions will run high, but we assure the Australian public we will respect the fundamental laws that govern this country."

He says Australia has a responsibility to speak out on the conflict in Sri Lanka.

"We believe that the Australian Government, using its prestige and using its influence in the region, can exert some real political pressure," he said.

"Australia has a lot of imports and exports from Sri Lanka, it helps fund the economy of Sri Lanka and the economy of Sri Lanka is what funds the genocidal war against the Tamils."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/14/2541872.htm

Tamil protesters take to the streets of Kirribilli

Hundreds of Tamil demonstrators protesting outside the Prime Minister's Sydney residence say they will stay there until the Australian Government urges the Sri Lankan Government to call for a ceasefire with the Tamil Tigers.

More than 1000 Tamils - including three hunger strikers - staged an all-night rally outside Kirribilli House as part of a global protest aimed at brokering a ceasefire between the Sri Lankan army and the Tamil Tigers.

The protest group, which began as a three-man hunger strike in Parramatta on Saturday, continued to grow even though Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was not inside.

The protesters, mostly families with small children, staged a sit-down protest blocking the junction of Kirribilli Avenue and Carabella Streets yesterday.

About 400 protesters remained on the road outside the Prime Minister's house this morning.

Sri Lanka's Government says it is in the final stages of defeating the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, who launched a campaign in 1972 to create a separate Tamil homeland on the Indian Ocean island.

The remaining Tigers are trapped in the "no-fire" zone, in the island's north-east, along with thousands of civilians.

The Government is under pressure to agree to a ceasefire, amid claims that 3500 civilians have been killed in the first three months of this year.

Sri Lanka has resisted calls for a fresh truce, saying it would only help the Tigers when they are near total defeat.

The sombre protest turned noisy before 9am today with the group chanting "Australia, save the Tamils", "We want ceasefire" and "Stop genocide".

Men, women and young children waved red Tamil flags and banners saying: "Impose sanction on Sri Lanka".

Many had been lying on mats and pillows on the road early in the morning.

Protester Geetha Mano, 24, said the rally would continue until they got some response from Mr Rudd or Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith.

Ms Mano said the protesters were calling for the ceasefire, for food and medicine to be sent to the Tamil civilians and for Tamil people to have the right to live where they chose.

"It's about time the voice of these people gets heard ... after all, we are all humans," she said.

"We ask the international community and the Australian Government to urge, to push, the Sri Lankan Government to call for a ceasefire and to meet these demands so that these people get the right to live freely and with freedom of choice."

Mr Rudd is in Canberra, and his office said today it would not comment on the protest.

Yesterday, more than 30 police officers monitored the situation as the hunger strikers said they were prepared to "starve to death" to draw attention to the plight of their families under the continuing Sri Lankan bombing.

At 10.30pm, officers from the riot squad arrived. A senior police officer told protesters they had five minutes to disperse. The directive led the crowd to chant louder and sit down linking arms.

By 11pm, the BBC were reporting a Sri Lankan ceasefire. Police were using phones to check the internet for further details hoping news of the ceasefire would placate the crowd.

Although there was no clear leader for the protesters, a man in a white shirt appeared to start the chanting.

"We are Australian citizens. We don't want BBC. We don't want media. We want the Australian Government to liberate our people," he told police.

"We are not here to fight. We are here to raise our voice. Please let us raise our voice."

By 11.45pm, Dr Vasuki Delillo, a representative of the Tamil community, had brokered a deal with police to allow protesters to stay indefinitely.

"We will not move,'' she told the crowd. "We will stay. We will not enter Kirribilli House. We will not obstruct police. We will entertain our dignity. They will not move us on."

After the announcement, officers from the riot squad and other police withdrew inside the grounds of Kirribilli House.

The crowd sat in silent protest vowing to continue overnight.

The duty officer at North Sydney police station, Detective Inspector David Maguire, said the decision to allow the peaceful protest to continue was made at assistant commisioner level.

They will be here all night. Natural attrition is probably going to do a lot of it [disperse the crowd]. People get tired. There are no toilets here.

"It's an unlawful demonstration," Inspector Maguire said. "They didn't put the forms in but because of the circumstances in their country they didn't have time," he said of the shelling which began on the weekend.

From 11.30pm police, who had set up a perimeter around the protesters, were not allowing anyone else to join the sit-in.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/t...90412-a41t.html

Kirribilli protest as Tamil ceasefire declared

Hundreds of people have gathered outside the Prime Minister's Sydney residence to protest against the Sri Lankan Government.

Police say about 400 to 500 members of the Tamil community gathered on the streets near Kirribilli House.

Both residents and police said the protest was peaceful.

Protesters were calling on Kevin Rudd to use his diplomatic powers to call for an immediate ceasefire in northern Sri Lanka and for the Government there to allow media to enter the conflict zone.

The protest occurred as the Sri Lankan military announced a temporary ceasefire against the Tamil Tigers, which will take place from tomorrow.

Sri Lanka's President ordered government troops to halt their offensive against the cornered rebels for two days to give tens of thousands of civilians a chance to escape the fighting.

The brief pause in hostilities comes after increasingly urgent international calls for civilians to be protected as the military attempts to finally crush the separatist Tiger guerrillas, who have been pushed close to defeat.

The United Nations estimates that 100,000 civilians are trapped in a government-designated "no-fire zone," which is the last remaining territory held by the rebels.

President Mahinda Rajapakse's office said the ceasefire would allow civilians to leave the conflict zone and to celebrate the Sinhala and Tamil New Year on Monday and Tuesday.

"His Excellency has directed the armed forces of the state to restrict their operations during the New Year to those of a defensive nature," it said in a statement.

It added that the halt would enable Tamils "to celebrate these festivities in a suitable atmosphere and to have uninhibited freedom of movement from the no-fire zone."

The Tigers, who are accused of holding the civilians hostage, have suffered months of battlefield setbacks that could finally end their campaign for an independent Tamil homeland after 37 years of violence.

Mr Rajapakse reiterated the Government's demands that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) lay down arms and surrender to security forces who have forced the guerrillas into a strip of coastal jungle in the island's north-east.

"In the true spirit of the season, it is timely for the LTTE to acknowledge its military defeat," the statement said.

"The LTTE must also renounce terrorism and violence permanently."

The Tigers endured further major losses last week when at least 550 were killed in four days of fighting to defend a village which eventually fell to government forces, officials said.

The state-run Sunday Observer reported that the remaining Tiger fighters had opened fresh talks with officials from Norway, which brokered an ineffectual peace deal in 2002.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04...?section=justin

Tamil protesters vow to remain at Kirribilli

Tamil protesters outside Kirribilli House have vowed to remain there until the Australian Government takes some action about the conflict in Sri Lanka.

Three of the protesters are on a hunger strike that started on Saturday, and have also said they will continue until their demands are met.

Around 150 protesters are staging a sit-in on the roads outside Kirribilli House and Admiralty House (the Governor-General's Sydney residence), calling on the Australian Government to push for an immediate and permanent ceasefire between Government forces and the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka.

The protest started yesterday, with police estimating a crowd of about 800 people gathered outside Kirribilli House at the peak of the demonstration.

Detective Inspector David Maguire says a decision was made to let the protesters stay.

"It's been a peaceful demonstration about what's happening in their homeland, and they wish to get a message across to the Australian government," he said.

"There's a lot of families here, a lot of children, a lot of women, and so there's no intention at the moment to forcibly remove them."

The only major moment of tension this morning came when a man tried to carry an anti-Tamil Tiger sign into the protest, but he was stopped by police.

The protesters want Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to call for an immediate cease-fire in northern Sri Lanka and for the Government there to allow media to enter the conflict zone.

Sri Lanka's President has ordered Government troops to halt their offensive against cornered Tamil Tigers rebels for two days to give tens of thousands of civilians a chance to escape the fighting.

The United Nations has welcomed the pause in fighting, and the UN's emergency relief coordinator says he hopes it will mean more aid being allowed into the conflict zone.

Hunger strike

Three of the men at the protest are on a hunger strike that started on Saturday evening.

The men say they are not eating or drinking until the Australian Government takes diplomatic action to improve the situation for Sri Lankan Tamils.

A doctor at the protest confirms that the men have not eaten or drunk since Saturday, and the ABC's reporter at Kirribilli says they look weak and were having trouble concentrating when answering questions.

Sutta Thanavalasinean, a 27-year-old student, says he started the hunger strike on Saturday night because he is concerned about his family.

"Cause my family's inside of that conflict area, I couldn't contact them for six months," he said.

Protesters demand further action

A spokesman for the protesters, Adrian Francis, told ABC News Breakfast that the conditions of the weekend's temporary two-day cease-fire in Sri Lanka were unacceptable.

"This cease-fire provides no comfort whatsoever to the Tamil people standing here today," he said.

"Providing Tamils and civilians in the north and east of Sri Lanka 48 hours to escape, and nothing else, does not meet our demands whatsoever.

"We demand that there's a cease-fire that incorporates Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam [Tamil Tigers].

"We demand that there's urgent food and medicine that should reach the Tamil civilians, we demand that the Tamils have the right to self-determination - they have the right to live where they want to live - and we also want the international community to know there is a serious genocide happening against the Tamil people in Sri Lanka at the moment."

Mr Francis says the protesters are worried about family members caught up in the conflict.

"Many of these people are motivated for two main reasons: there's a hunger-strike that actually started at 5:00 pm on Saturday at Parramatta's Church Street Mall, and we have three boys that have refused food and water due to the fact they're demanding that the Australian Government provides them with four basic needs," he said.

"[Those basic needs] as was mentioned before - immediate cease-fire with the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE, food and medicine, vital services, and also the right of the Tamil people to choose where they live.

"The second reason is many of the Tamil people here have family members who are caught up in the conflict. They have not been able to contact them at all due to the lack of independent media and international organisation presence in Sri Lanka.

"So these people are frustrated and actually are in grief at the fact that they cannot contact family members, they don't know whether they are alive, whether they've been injured, they have no idea whatsoever about the plight of their brothers and sisters, their fathers and mothers."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/13/2541277.htm

Australia urges talks in Sri Lanka

Australia is again urging the Sri Lankan government to enter into political dialogue, and the Tamil Tigers to "lay down their guns" to resolve their deadly conflict.

Sri Lanka's government says it is in the final stages of defeating the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, who launched a campaign in 1972 to create a separate Tamil homeland on the Indian Ocean island.

But the government is under pressure to agree to a ceasefire, amid claims 3,500 civilians have been killed in the first three months of 2009 alone.

Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said he welcomed a so-called holiday truce between the government and the separatists.

"We again urge all concerned to respect the civil and humanitarian rights of civilians caught up in the conflict, to enable humanitarian assistance to be rendered and urge the Sri Lankan government to not just embark on a military campaign but to understand that this dispute can only be resolved by political dialogue," Mr Smith told reporters.

"The Australian government has consistently said that we want to see a cessation of hostilities in Sri Lanka, we want humanitarian law to be respected," he said on Monday.

"We've previously called on the Tamil Tigers to lay down their arms and called upon the Sri Lankan government resolve these matters not just by military means but political dialogue."

Three Tamil men have begun a hunger strike in a western Sydney shopping mall as part of a global campaign for a ceasefire between the Sri Lankan army and the Tamil Tigers.

With support from hundreds of local Tamil people, the three men began the hunger strike in Parramatta's Church Street Mall at 5pm (AEST) on Saturday.

About 1,500 Tamil protesters have also gathered outside Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's Sydney residence, Kirribilli.

Mr Smith said the demonstrations in Australia had been very peaceful.

"All the advice I have is that the demonstration outside Kirribilli over the weekend was very peaceful," he said.

"I've had demonstrations outside my own electorate office and they are very peaceful and civilised and we urge that to continue.

"And of course we want people, if they are making a point, to make their point peacefully and in a civilised manner.

"And I'd certainly urge anyone contemplating a hunger strike not to go on a hunger strike on this or any other matter."

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-natio...90413-a45r.html

Australia urges talks in Sri Lanka

Australia is again urging the Sri Lankan government to enter into political dialogue, and the Tamil Tigers to "lay down their guns" to resolve their deadly conflict.

Sri Lanka's government says it is in the final stages of defeating the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, who launched a campaign in 1972 to create a separate Tamil homeland on the Indian Ocean island.

But the government is under pressure to agree to a ceasefire, amid claims 3,500 civilians have been killed in the first three months of 2009 alone.

Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said he welcomed a so-called holiday truce between the government and the separatists.

"We again urge all concerned to respect the civil and humanitarian rights of civilians caught up in the conflict, to enable humanitarian assistance to be rendered and urge the Sri Lankan government to not just embark on a military campaign but to understand that this dispute can only be resolved by political dialogue," Mr Smith told reporters.

"The Australian government has consistently said that we want to see a cessation of hostilities in Sri Lanka, we want humanitarian law to be respected," he said on Monday.

"We've previously called on the Tamil Tigers to lay down their arms and called upon the Sri Lankan government resolve these matters not just by military means but political dialogue."

Three Tamil men have begun a hunger strike in a western Sydney shopping mall as part of a global campaign for a ceasefire between the Sri Lankan army and the Tamil Tigers.

With support from hundreds of local Tamil people, the three men began the hunger strike in Parramatta's Church Street Mall at 5pm (AEST) on Saturday.

About 1,500 Tamil protesters have also gathered outside Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's Sydney residence, Kirribilli.

Mr Smith said the demonstrations in Australia had been very peaceful.

"All the advice I have is that the demonstration outside Kirribilli over the weekend was very peaceful," he said.

"I've had demonstrations outside my own electorate office and they are very peaceful and civilised and we urge that to continue.

"And of course we want people, if they are making a point, to make their point peacefully and in a civilised manner.

"And I'd certainly urge anyone contemplating a hunger strike not to go on a hunger strike on this or any other matter."

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/800549...pms-sydney-home

Australia urges talks in Sri Lanka

Australia is again urging the Sri Lankan government to enter into political dialogue, and the Tamil Tigers to "lay down their guns" to resolve their deadly conflict.

Sri Lanka's government says it is in the final stages of defeating the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, who launched a campaign in 1972 to create a separate Tamil homeland on the Indian Ocean island.

But the government is under pressure to agree to a ceasefire, amid claims 3,500 civilians have been killed in the first three months of 2009 alone.

Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said he welcomed a so-called holiday truce between the government and the separatists.

"We again urge all concerned to respect the civil and humanitarian rights of civilians caught up in the conflict, to enable humanitarian assistance to be rendered and urge the Sri Lankan government to not just embark on a military campaign but to understand that this dispute can only be resolved by political dialogue," Mr Smith told reporters.

"The Australian government has consistently said that we want to see a cessation of hostilities in Sri Lanka, we want humanitarian law to be respected," he said on Monday.

"We've previously called on the Tamil Tigers to lay down their arms and called upon the Sri Lankan government resolve these matters not just by military means but political dialogue."

Three Tamil men have begun a hunger strike in a western Sydney shopping mall as part of a global campaign for a ceasefire between the Sri Lankan army and the Tamil Tigers.

With support from hundreds of local Tamil people, the three men began the hunger strike in Parramatta's Church Street Mall at 5pm (AEST) on Saturday.

About 1,500 Tamil protesters have also gathered outside Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's Sydney residence, Kirribilli.

Mr Smith said the demonstrations in Australia had been very peaceful.

"All the advice I have is that the demonstration outside Kirribilli over the weekend was very peaceful," he said.

"I've had demonstrations outside my own electorate office and they are very peaceful and civilised and we urge that to continue.

"And of course we want people, if they are making a point, to make their point peacefully and in a civilised manner.

"And I'd certainly urge anyone contemplating a hunger strike not to go on a hunger strike on this or any other matter."

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/800549...pms-sydney-home

Riot police at Kirribilli Tamil protest

TEMPERS have flared after supporters of the Sri Lankan government were accused of taunting Tamil protestors who are refusing budge from outside Kirribilli House.

The protestors waving red Tamil flags and chanting "Freedom'' are calling for an immediate cease fire in the Sri Lankan government's military offensive against Tamil Tiger rebels in the north-east of the country and have refused to leave after beginning the protest at Kevin Rudd's house last night.

But this morning pro-Sri Lankan groups have been intimidating the Tamil protestors, organisers claim.

One pro-Sri Lankan demonstrator was forcibly removed from the area by police. Carrying a placard reading “we support terrorists”, the Sri Lankan protester said that the Tamil protest and flying of Tamil Tigers flags was equivalent to supporting Al-Qa’ida.

“That flag represents a banned organisation. How do you think the people of Sri Lanka feel? I’m not allowed to walk down there because I’m Sri Lankan?” he asked police.

Police escorted him from the area, telling him that it was for his own safety.

Riot squad police were called in last night ,where they blocked off streets as protestors linked arms and refused to move after being asked to disperse. Police this morning suggested the mob relocate to nearby Bradbury Park, where they would have access to toilet facilities and rain cover. But the protesters have set up tents and tarpaulins and say they “are not going anywhere”.

Chanting "Ceasefire", "Stop the genocide" and "Separation", the group of around 300 remain after an overnight protest of up to 1,000 gathered from around 8pm last night.

A spokesman for the group, Mohan Rajan said older protesters and families with children returned home for rest and food, but a renewed presence is expected from 9am.

The protest began on Saturday when three members of the Tamil diaspora began a hunger strike at Parramatta. In what Mr Rajan said was a "spontaneous" protest, text messages emails and phonecalls circulated through the Tamil community over the weekend.

Car-loads of Tamil supporters have arrived at Bradfield park and Circular Quay forming a pilgrimage along Kirribilli avenue to the Kirribilli House protest site.

Sutha Thanablsingam, 27 is one of three hunger strikers who have been fasting since early Saturday morning. Lying in the centre of the protest, he said he is beginning to feel weak after refusing all water and food over the 48 hours.

He said he has not heard from his family in over six months and does not know where they are, after learning his father had lost a leg in a Sri Lankan air strike in the conflict zone, near Vanni.

Mr Thanabalsingam said he is prepared to die to have his message heard.

"We will be here until our demands are met," he said. "We are ready to give up our lives for these people."

Vasuki Gunasingam, 20, said she lost her aunt and five-year-old cousin in the fighting, during a Sri Lankan assault one month ago.

“I heard this had started at Parramatta on Saturday. People started going down there to show their support. We heard everything had gotten worse, so we all rallied around and came down here last night.”

Ms Gunasingam said her family were waiting to hear the fate of more than 20 relatives, including many children who they believe are being held in camps close to Vanni.

“There’s no communication. We don’t hear from our family directly. We hear it from relatives in France. We keep trying to call through but the lines don’t connect.,'' she added.

Three of the protestors who are on a hunger strike say they are prepared to "starve to death" to draw attention to the plight of their families under the continuing Sri Lankan government bombing.

Sri Lanka's government says it's in the final stages of defeating the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, who launched a campaign in 1972 to create a separate Tamil homeland on the Indian Ocean island.

But the government is under pressure to agree to a ceasefire, amid claims 3,500 civilians have been killed in the first three months of 2009 alone.

Sri Lanka has resisted calls for a fresh truce, saying it would only help the Tigers when they are near total defeat.

Protest organiser Geetha Mano said the Tamil people are desperate to have their plight heard.

"We came here to Kirribilli House in the hope that the Australian government would call and immediate and permanant cease fire,'' she said.

"This is a cry for help, the Tamil people do not have the opportunity to say this.''

Hunger striker Sutha Thanabalasingam, 27, from Toongabi said his mother is in a detention camp and his father has lost a leg in the recent fighting.

He said he has had no contact with his family for six months.

Protestor Adrian Francis, 19, said life is deperate for the Tamil people who live in constant fear.

"For Ski Lankan children there is no opportunity to dream,'' he said.

Prime Minister Rudd is not due back to Kirribilli House for another two weeks.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/stor...5005941,00.html

கீழ் உள்ள இணைப்பில் அவுஸ்திரெலியா ஊடகங்களில் வந்த செய்திகள் இருக்கின்றன.

http://fastuntoaction.wordpress.com/2009/0...-point-station/

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/800549...pms-sydney-home

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1015274...irribilli-House

http://www.smh.com.au/national/tamil-prote...90412-a41t.html

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story...0-12377,00.html

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/stor...5005941,00.html

http://www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx?StoryName=565147

http://www.thedaily.com.au/news/2009/apr/1...rribilli-house/

http://news.brisbanetimes.com.au/breaking-...90413-a45r.html

இணைப்புகளுக்கு நன்றி கந்தப்பு...

கன்பேராவில் இருந்து தூயா

அவுஸ்திரெலியாவில் உள்ள எம்மவர்களின் கவனயீர்ப்புக்கு நன்றிகள்

அமெரிக்காவில் இருந்து கந்தப்பு

Tamil community takes protest to The Lodge

Members of Australia's Tamil community are staging a peaceful protest outside The Lodge in Canberra.

The protesters say they will stay outside the Prime Minister's residence until they get an audience with him.

Despite some showers, about 100 men, women and children gathered to chant slogans calling for an end to the Sri Lankan government's offensive against ethnic Tamil separatists.

They say the conflict is claiming hundreds of lives every day and they want Kevin Rudd to lead an international call for a ceasefire.

The protesters have trucked in food and drink and set up portable toilets metres from The Lodge and plan to stay for the night.

Most of the demonstrators have come from Sydney, where thousands of Tamil supporters spent the Easter weekend demonstrating outside Kirribilli House.

Three hunger strikers, who also came to Canberra, say they are prepared to die for their cause and hope the Australian Government will hear their concerns.

One protester, who spent the weekend at the Sydney protest, says he plans to spend tonight sleeping on the lawn outside The Lodge.

"I've stayed for the last three days, I've stayed with the guys since the day they started, we've stayed overnight, we've camped over at Kirribilli house; I'll go all the way that I can," he said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/14/2542791.htm

Tamil protesters surround PM's home

MORE than 100 Tamil protesters have converged on the prime minister's Canberra residence demanding Australia take a greater role in efforts to end the violence in Sri Lanka.

The protesters want Australia to use diplomatic channels to push for a permanent ceasefire in the conflict between Sri Lankan government forces and Tamil rebels.

There are about 150 protesters just metres from the walls surrounding the Lodge, including three men who began a hunger strike on Friday, with up to 100 more expected to arrive soon.

One of the men appeared dazed and physically weak as he was laid down under a marquee.

About 10 police officers watched as protesters chanted slogans and waved placards.

The protesters were chanting "Australia save the Tamils" and "Australia stop the genocide".

They have vowed to stay in the park next to the Lodge until Australia calls on the Sri Lankan government to end the killing in northern Sri Lanka.

"We want the Australian government to act," the group's spokesman, Mahendran Ratmam, said.

"We have the right to ask the (prime minister) to stop the genocide."

Related Coverage

Tamils' push for peace talks denied

The Australian, 15 Apr 2009

Tamil protesters take message to Rudd

The Australian, 14 Apr 2009

Race to evacuate Sri Lankan civilians

The Australian, 14 Apr 2009

Hunger striker 'ready to die'

Daily Telegraph, 14 Apr 2009

Sri Lanka military begins ceasefire

The Australian, 13 Apr 2009 The UN Security Council and the British government had issued such statements and Australia should follow suit, he said.

About 1000 Tamil supporters rallied outside Mr Rudd's Sydney residence at Kirribilli on Sunday, continuing their protest through the night.

The Sri Lankan government is under pressure to agree to a ceasefire, amid claims 3500 civilians have been killed and more than 12,000 injured in the conflict this year.

The Sri Lankan government said it is on the verge of defeating the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the rebel group which has been fighting for a separate Tamil homeland since 1972.

The remaining Tigers are trapped in the "no-fire" zone, in the island's northeast, along with thousands of civilians.

Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith said he had seen claims 294 Tamil civilians were killed by artillery shelling by the Sri Lankan government on Easter Sunday but could not confirm the reports.

Mr Smith said the situation in Sri Lanka was terrible and he along with the international community was becoming increasingly concerned.

"We have for some time been very concerned about circumstances in Sri Lanka, for some time I've been calling on the Sri Lankan government to engage in a political dialogue," Mr Smith said in Perth.

"There's been a considerable problem of both firing into and from areas where civilians are," he said.

"There's also been very grave difficulties in rendering humanitarian assistance to areas where the conflict has been taking place.

"We urge the Tamil Tigers to respect that and allow the exodus of civilians.

"We've previously called on the Tamil Tigers to lay down their arms and engage in political dialogue and we again do that."

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25333456-29277,00.html

Tamil protesters converge on PM's Lodge

More than 100 Tamil protesters have converged on the prime minister's Canberra residence demanding Australia take a greater role in efforts to end the violence in Sri Lanka.

The protesters want Australia to use diplomatic channels to push for a permanent ceasefire in the conflict between Sri Lankan government forces and Tamil rebels.

There are about 150 protesters just metres from the walls surrounding the Lodge, including three men who began a hunger strike on Friday, with up to 100 more expected to arrive soon.

One of the men appeared dazed and physically weak as he was laid down under a marquee.

About 10 police officers watched as protesters chanted slogans and waved placards.

The protesters were chanting "Australia save the Tamils" and "Australia stop the genocide".

They have vowed to stay in the park next to the Lodge until Australia calls on the Sri Lankan government to end the killing in northern Sri Lanka.

"We want the Australian government to act," the group's spokesman, Mahendran Ratmam, said.

"We have the right to ask the (prime minister) to stop the genocide."

The UN Security Council and the British government had issued such statements and Australia should follow suit, he said.

About 1,000 Tamil supporters rallied outside Mr Rudd's Sydney residence at Kirribilli on Sunday, continuing their protest through the night.

The Sri Lankan government is under pressure to agree to a ceasefire, amid claims 3,500 civilians have been killed and more than 12,000 injured in the conflict this year.

The Sri Lankan government says it is on the verge of defeating the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the rebel group which has been fighting for a separate Tamil homeland since 1972.

The remaining Tigers are trapped in the "no-fire" zone, in the island's northeast, along with thousands of civilians.

Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith said he had seen claims 294 Tamil civilians were killed by artillery shelling by the Sri Lankan government on Easter Sunday but could not confirm the reports.

Mr Smith said the situation in Sri Lanka was terrible and he along with the international community was becoming increasingly concerned.

"We have for some time been very concerned about circumstances in Sri Lanka, for some time I've been calling on the Sri Lankan government to engage in a political dialogue," Mr Smith told reporters in Perth.

"There's been a considerable problem of both firing into and from areas where civilians are," he said.

"There's also been very grave difficulties in rendering humanitarian assistance to areas where the conflict has been taking place.

"We urge the Tamil Tigers to respect that and allow the exodus of civilians.

"We've previously called on the Tamil Tigers to lay down their arms and engage in political dialogue and we again do that."

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-natio...90414-a539.html

Tamil protest heads for Canberra

Members of Australia's Tamil community will today continue to pressure the Government to intervene in the conflict between the Sri Lankan government and ethnic Tamils.

The demonstrators will move their protest from the Prime Minister's residence in Sydney to The Lodge in Canberra today.

Organisers say they are expecting several thousand protesters to descend on The Lodge, after around 800 protesters demonstrated peacefully outside Kirribili House in Sydney over the long weekend.

Three members of Sydney's Tamil community are also continuing a hunger strike they began on Saturday.

The protesters are calling on Kevin Rudd to push for a permanent ceasefire in Sri Lanka, where the government is waging a military offensive against ethnic Tamil separatists.

Tamil community spokesman Mohan Raja admits the response from the Government so far has been disappointing.

"We've had an absolutely amazing response from the media and the general public, unfortunately the Australian Government has failed to acknowledge our calls," he said.

Mr Raja says emotions are running high, but the demonstrations will be peaceful.

"It is a difficult time for thousands of people who have family stuck in Sri Lanka so emotions will run high, but we assure the Australian public we will respect the fundamental laws that govern this country."

He says Australia has a responsibility to speak out on the conflict in Sri Lanka.

"We believe that the Australian Government, using its prestige and using its influence in the region, can exert some real political pressure," he said.

"Australia has a lot of imports and exports from Sri Lanka, it helps fund the economy of Sri Lanka and the economy of Sri Lanka is what funds the genocidal war against the Tamils."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/14/2541872.htm

Tamil protesters take their message to Kevin Rudd

WITH a day-long blockade of the Prime Minister's Sydney residence under their belt, Australian Tamils will take their campaign for a permanent ceasefire in Sri Lanka to The Lodge in Canberra today.

As a hunger strike by three Australian Tamils passed the three-day mark, their demands for a ceasefire were answered in part by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse.

Mr Rajapakse called a two-day halt starting yesterday to the military offensive against the Tamil Tigers to allow an estimated 100,000 civilians to flee the conflict zone.

On Sunday night, more than 1500 protesters gathered outside Kirribilli House. They were not moved on by police until 4.30pm yesterday.

The demonstration began on Saturday in the western suburb of Parramatta when three men - Mathi Sinnathurai, 27, Theepan Rajathurai, 29, and Sutha Thanabalasingam, 27 - began a hunger strike to protest against the bombing of Tamil civilians by the Sri Lankan military.

Mr Thanabalasingam, who came to Australia as a student in 2005, said he had not heard from his family in Sri Lanka's safe zone for six months.

"I'm very disappointed. I'm feeling stressed. I feel like I have to do something," he said.

He said the last time he spoke to his father he had just "lost one leg in an air strike".

A spokeswoman for the Tamil community, Sam Pari, said 3500 civilians had been killed this year because of sustained bombing inside and outside the designated "safe zone" near the town of Mullaitivu in the northeast.

Dr Pari also said reports received by the Tamil diaspora suggested the Sri Lankan military was using chemical weapons in its attacks, although this remained unverified.

Terrorism expert Clive Williams yesterday said he did not think the Tamils were the victims of genocide, although there were "a lot of civilians being killed".

He also said it was not necessary to add the Tamil Tigers to the list of 19 proscribed terrorist organisations in Australia.

"They don't mount attacks overseas. They don't mount attacks in Australia," he said.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story...5013404,00.html

Tamil protestors continue, predict 'bloodbath'

Members of Australia's Tamil community are expecting supporters from Melbourne to join their protest in Canberra today.

Around 100 protesters are camped outside the Prime Minister's residence The Lodge including three men on a hunger strike.

The protesters want Australia to intervene to stop the Sri Lankan Government's military offensive against the Tamil Tigers.

Organisers say the health of the three protesters who have not eaten for four days is rapidly deteriorating.

The group's spokeswoman Sam Pari says she has been unable to convince them to eat or drink.

"So many of us have sat next to them and explained to them the irreversible effects of starvation and dehydration," she said.

"Although their physical health is very weak at the moment, their mental health is very strong."

Dr Pari says the situation for Tamils in the conflict zone in Sri Lanka is worsening.

"The latest information that we have received from the ground is that the Sri Lankan army is preparing to take on a major military offensive to enter the safe zone, and with the safe zone housing more than 300,000 Tamil civilians we are going to see a bloodbath."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/15/2542960.htm

Tamil demonstrators call for Australian intervention in Sri Lanka

Members of Australia's Tamil community say the health of three protesters outside Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's Canberra residence is rapidly deteriorating.

Around 100 protesters are camped outside The Lodge, calling on Australia to intervene in the conflict between the Sri Lankan government and Tamil separatists.

Three male protesters are into their fourth day of a hunger strike.

The group's spokeswoman Dr Sam Pari says she's been unable to convince them to eat or drink.

"So many of us have sat next to them and tried to explain to them the irreversible affects of starvation and dehydration. And although they are physically very weak at the moment their mental health is very strong", she said.

http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/stori...956.htm?desktop

Tamil protesters hungry for govt action

The health of three Australian Tamil protesters is rapidly deteriorating as they enter a fifth day of a hunger strike.

They're part of a wider group camped out in Canberra, pressuring the government to broker a permanent ceasefire between the Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tigers.

Rally Organiser Dr Sam Pari says the trio are refusing to back down.

“Even though they’re physically weak, they’re very strong mentally.

“Given the plight of their loved ones who are in the conflict zone in Sri Lanka – all three of them feel that if this is the price that they have to take to help solve the conflict in Sri Lanka they’re willing to do that.”

The hunger-strike began at 5pm Saturday.

http://www.livenews.com.au/livewire/tamil-...009/4/15/202852