AFTA requests the Tamils living in Australia to observe the February 4th, the day of independence in Sri Lanka, as a day of mourning in solidarity with the Tamils living in Sri Lanka who lost their independence on that day 60 years ago and have been subject to genocidal oppression by the Sri Lankan state.
AFTA calls on the Tamil Australians and friends of the oppressed Tamil nation in Sri Lanka to wear black arm band to work or to school and Universities on this day whilst Sri Lanka parades its military might in Colombo to celebrate this day. This will help to draw the attention of the wider Australian community and the international community at large to the terrible oppression their brethren are still being subjected to by the Sri Lankan state.
On this day, the Tamil Diaspora wishes tell the international community that the Tamils in Sri Lanka are a Nation of people who lived as a sovereign people with their own kingdom in the north-east of the island prior to the advent of colonial rule in the 16th century.
While Portuguese and Dutch ruled the Tamil and Sinhala homelands separately, British unified the island with a single administration based in Colombo. When the British left the island after giving independence on February 4th 1948, instead of creating a federal system of government for the two Nations of people, Singhalese and Tamils, to live side by side in harmony, they left a unitary constitution in the Westminster style parliamentary system of governance.
This led to the majority of Sinhalese who are hostile to the Tamil people to govern the country permanently treating the Tamils as second class citizens systematically denying equal rights in use of their language, in education and employment. Government sponsored Singhalese settlements were created in the Tamil homeland in order to undermine their representation in the Sri Lankan parliament and their claim for statehood in their homeland. All the peaceful agitations to win back their individual and collective rights were met with brutal Sinhala mob violence and later military oppression.
The Tamil militancy spear headed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is a manifestation of this brutal military oppression and denial of non-violent, constitutional, judicial and other democratic means to seek justice. The Tamil nation in Sri Lanka is seeking international community recognition of their struggle to regain their sovereignty based on their right to self-determination.
Tami Youth Organisation (TYO) is coordinating the activities in Australia to distribute black arm bands and further information could be found by contacting info@enoughsrilanka.org.
AFTA appeals to all Australians concerned about the conflict in Sri Lanka to participate in this activity whole heartedly in solidarity with the suffering Tamil people in Sri Lanka.
Sydney: Dr. Victor Rajakulendran
AFTA calls on the Tamil Australians and friends of the oppressed Tamil nation in Sri Lanka to wear black arm band to work or to school and Universities on this day whilst Sri Lanka parades its military might in Colombo to celebrate this day. This will help to draw the attention of the wider Australian community and the international community at large to the terrible oppression their brethren are still being subjected to by the Sri Lankan state.
On this day, the Tamil Diaspora wishes tell the international community that the Tamils in Sri Lanka are a Nation of people who lived as a sovereign people with their own kingdom in the north-east of the island prior to the advent of colonial rule in the 16th century.
While Portuguese and Dutch ruled the Tamil and Sinhala homelands separately, British unified the island with a single administration based in Colombo. When the British left the island after giving independence on February 4th 1948, instead of creating a federal system of government for the two Nations of people, Singhalese and Tamils, to live side by side in harmony, they left a unitary constitution in the Westminster style parliamentary system of governance.
This led to the majority of Sinhalese who are hostile to the Tamil people to govern the country permanently treating the Tamils as second class citizens systematically denying equal rights in use of their language, in education and employment. Government sponsored Singhalese settlements were created in the Tamil homeland in order to undermine their representation in the Sri Lankan parliament and their claim for statehood in their homeland. All the peaceful agitations to win back their individual and collective rights were met with brutal Sinhala mob violence and later military oppression.
The Tamil militancy spear headed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is a manifestation of this brutal military oppression and denial of non-violent, constitutional, judicial and other democratic means to seek justice. The Tamil nation in Sri Lanka is seeking international community recognition of their struggle to regain their sovereignty based on their right to self-determination.
Tami Youth Organisation (TYO) is coordinating the activities in Australia to distribute black arm bands and further information could be found by contacting info@enoughsrilanka.org.
AFTA appeals to all Australians concerned about the conflict in Sri Lanka to participate in this activity whole heartedly in solidarity with the suffering Tamil people in Sri Lanka.
Sydney: Dr. Victor Rajakulendran