Over 5,000 Tamil Malaysians gathered at one of the country's iconic Hindu temples Sunday to protest acts of 'genocide' against Tamils in Sri Lanka, AFP reported. The demonstration by one of the world's largest Tamil communities outside India and Sri Lanka, followed Colombo's declaration of victory over the Liberation Tigers last Monday, following an offensive in which thousands of Tamil civilians were slaughtered by what the United States has described as indiscriminate shelling of ‘safety zones’. Federal Territories deputy minister M. Saravanan, who attended, along with Tamil opposition leaders, said Malaysia should not support a Sri Lankan-sponsored UNHRC resolution.
Protesters who gathered Saturday at the famous Batu Caves Hindu temple, on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, say Sri Lanka is preventing full humanitarian assistance from getting through to nearly 300,000 displaced people.
Amid a sea of Tamil Eelam flags, men dressed in traditional white vejtis and women in sarees with flowers in their hair chanted slogans calling for Sri Lanka's president to be tried for crimes against humanity, AFP reported.
“We condemn the actions of the Sri Lankan government, who, in spite of international pressure, went on to virtually execute 25,000 Tamils in the last 100 days, which can be legally termed as genocide,” event organiser S.P. Pathi said.
“The Tamils around the world demand justice,” he said.
Federal Territories deputy minister M. Saravanan, who had attended along with opposition leaders, said Malaysia should not support a Sri Lankan-sponsored UN bill on non-interference in the battle-scarred country's affairs.
'The Malaysian government should not support any UN resolutions like this one that is being tabled against the Tamils in Sri Lanka,' Federal Territories deputy minister M. Saravanan told AFP.
'The Sri Lankan government should not be looking at short term solutions for itself but for a long term solution that also benefits the Tamils,' he added.
The gathering passed several resolutions including calls for an investigation into alleged atrocities committed against Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka and on filing war crimes charges against government leaders.
Protesters who gathered Saturday at the famous Batu Caves Hindu temple, on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, say Sri Lanka is preventing full humanitarian assistance from getting through to nearly 300,000 displaced people.
Amid a sea of Tamil Eelam flags, men dressed in traditional white vejtis and women in sarees with flowers in their hair chanted slogans calling for Sri Lanka's president to be tried for crimes against humanity, AFP reported.
“We condemn the actions of the Sri Lankan government, who, in spite of international pressure, went on to virtually execute 25,000 Tamils in the last 100 days, which can be legally termed as genocide,” event organiser S.P. Pathi said.
“The Tamils around the world demand justice,” he said.
Federal Territories deputy minister M. Saravanan, who had attended along with opposition leaders, said Malaysia should not support a Sri Lankan-sponsored UN bill on non-interference in the battle-scarred country's affairs.
'The Malaysian government should not support any UN resolutions like this one that is being tabled against the Tamils in Sri Lanka,' Federal Territories deputy minister M. Saravanan told AFP.
'The Sri Lankan government should not be looking at short term solutions for itself but for a long term solution that also benefits the Tamils,' he added.
The gathering passed several resolutions including calls for an investigation into alleged atrocities committed against Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka and on filing war crimes charges against government leaders.