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| Thousands of Tamils marched towards the United Nations Office at Geneva urging solidarity from the World Community for Tamil people's right to Self Determination and Statehood. |
Thousands of Tamil diaspora members from across Europe gathered in Switzerland Monday and marched towards the United Nations Office at Geneva urging solidarity from the World Community for Tamil people's right to Self Determination and Statehood.
The Tamils across Europe have gathered here "demanding that the international community recognize an independent Tamil state in the island of Sri Lanka," said Shan Thavarajah, co-president of the Swiss Tamil Forum, which organized the rally.
The demonstration was planned to coincide with the start on Monday of the fifth session of the U.N. Human Rights Council, which runs through June 18 in Geneva.
The procession started at Groppetee park, Geneva at 2:00 pm, and ended in front of UN at 3:30 p.m. According Swiss police over 9,000 people assembled in the main square in front of the United Nations headquarters in Geneva.
"We are here to express our unyielding support to our brethren struggling for freedom in the homeland of our origin," said K. Ampalavanar, the patron of Swiss Tamil Forum that organized the confluence march. He was speaking to media after the event describing the march as a successful in conveying the intended message.
"The participation of thousands of Tamils living in Switzerland and all over Europe shows the seriousness and the urgency of the situation," the organizers said in a statement, blasting the "genocidal intentions" of the Sri Lankan government.
People from across Europe marched with Tamileelam flag, voicing support for the armed struggle for Tamil independence, spearheaded by the Tigers.
The marchers also carried placards with Sea Tiger and Air Tiger emblems.
We have not come to this symbolic place to beg for inalienable rights of our people," said Shan Thavarajah, co president of the Swiss Tamil forum.
"We have come to urge the U.N to exert pressure on its member state, the Sri Lankan government, to adhere to international standards of human rights enshrined in the International law."
"And we urge solidarity from the world community, as our brothers and sisters are taking the struggle forward in our homeland."
He and Thampippillai Namasivayam, secretary of Tamil Forum Swiss, handed over a memorandum addressed to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to Aida Nejad, a representative from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights at 2.30 pm at Palaise de Wilson.
Sriskantharajah, a father of a fallen Tiger fighter, hoisted the Tamileelam flag.
Dr Brian Seneviratne from Australia, a Sinhala expatriate physician supportive of Tamils right to self-determination, Ms. Karen Parker, a Human Rights activist from U.S., Mr. Karl Grunburg, the founder and president of SOS Racisism, Ms. Deirdre McConnell, Director International Program of Tamil Centre for Human Rights (TCHR), V. Kirubakaran of TCHR, Tamil Nadu based Tamil Nationalist Movement (TNM) leader P Nedumaran, Tamil National Alliance Parliamentarian M.K. Sivajilingam, Ms. Dorrit Bruselivs, the Secretary of Danish Federation of Tamil Associations, Professor John Neelson, Anna Annor Urech, a Human Rights Activist from Switzerland, Ms. Verena Graf, the General Secretary of the International League for the Rights and Liberation of Peoples addressed the gathering.
The declaration of the event, sounding "our nation, Tamileelam, will be ours forever," was read by Krishna Ampalavanar.
