World: Recognize Tamil rights, or risk CFA collapse- NZ MP

Monday, 31 July 2006

Tamil NewZealanders marked the Remembrance of Black July with a series of events including blood donation drives, prayer offerings, and a Peace March that culminated in an event at the Auckland Normal Intermediate School, July 29, 2006, Kiwi sources said. Member of Parliament, Keith Locke, Secretary of the Refugee Council of New Zealand (RCNZ) Heval Hylan, Human Rights Activist from Global Peace and Justice, Mike Treen, and about 200 Tamils participated in the event which also featured a cultural show.
A detailed presentation depicting the Ã¢â‚¬Å“Tamil StruggleÃ¢â‚¬Â and a poster and photo exhibition explaining the continuing killings of Tamils was also featured in the event.

Speaking at the official commemoration, Member of Parliament, Keith Locke expressed concern at the danger of imminent collapse of the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) unless the rights of the Tamils were recognized, drawing examples from places such as East Timor and Quebec, Canada.

Mr. Locke said, Ã¢â‚¬Å“it is so wrongÃ¢â‚¬Â that the Sinhalese community is working to get a ban on the Liberation of Tamil Tigers in New Zealand. He pledged he would Ã¢â‚¬Å“do his part to stop thisÃ¢â‚¬Â stating that the LTTE are the representatives of the Tamils in the North and East of Sri Lanka.

The Secretary of the Refugee Council of New Zealand (RCNZ) Heval Hylan, condemned the genocide of 1983 as a crime against humanity and said it should serve as a warning to all other countries.

Mike Treen, Human Rights Activist from Global Peace and Justice, Auckland explained the concept of Ã¢â‚¬Å“corrupt rulersÃ¢â‚¬Â who fueled hatred to suit their own needs. He also assured the Tamil people, that corruption within the Sri Lankan government would lead to self-destruction and the realization of the Tamil nation.

Pastor Gordon of Eilam Church spoke of his trip to Sri Lanka for tsunami aid relief work. He noted that the government channeled resources to the South rather than North and East for rebuilding. He also pointed out that the burning of the Jaffna library was another act of the Sri Lankan government to destroy a whole culture.

Tamils donated blood on 25, July at the Epsom Blood Bank and at the Manukau Blood Bank On the same evening at 7p.m. Prayers were offered at the Sri Murugan Temple in Ellerslie. The Peace March of Tamil NewZealanders started at 3:15 p.m. from Auckland Normal Intermediate School, 20, Poronui Street and went up to Balmoral/Mt Eden Junction and returned to Auckland Normal Intermediate School, participants said.

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