Jayalalithaa threatens of mass agitation over Tamils suffering

Accusing the Indian and Tamil Nadu governments not acting to curb the "violation" of civil liberties in Sri Lanka, AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa Jayaram has threatened to launch a mass agitation.

In a statement released in Chennai on Tuesday September 22, Jayalalithaa urged the Congress led Indian government to "ensure life and dignity" of Tamils imprisoned in various camps in the island.

According to Express Buzz, Jayalalithaa said that the AIADMK and people of Tamil Nadu expect the Centre to raise its voice against the human rights violations in the refugee camps in Sri Lanka.

If the Centre does not act immediately, “the AIADMK, along with like-minded political parties, will be forced to launch a mass agitation to focus world vision on the brutal civil liberties violations in Sri Lanka.”

The former chief minister said “The gruesome footage, reportedly filmed by a soldier on a mobile phone camera, reinforces my earlier claim that civil liberties are non-existent in Sri Lanka and that the Tamil population there is subject to barbaric atrocities at the hands of the Sri Lankan Army.”

“Sri Lanka claims to be a democratic country, where the rule of law prevails. No democracy sanctions this sort of summary mass execution, where human dignity is wantonly trampled upon,” she added.

Jayalalithaa said the AIADMK has never been a votary of terrorism or terrorist outfits. “I have personally been a very vocal critic of the LTTE, ever since that outfit degenerated from being valiant fighters for the liberation of Tamils into a terrorist organisation that annihilated political opponents, murdered anyone who did not toe their line and heaped suffering on the Tamil people whose cause they were claiming to espouse.” Reported the Express Buzz.

“Even assuming that the persons being shot dead in the footage telecast were LTTE activists, executing them summarily without a trial is barbaric, inhuman and contrary to civilized norms. It also violates international law relating to treatment of prisoners of war.”

Slamming the DMK government in Tamil Nadu, she said “As such, the AIADMK does not expect the DMK government to even make a whimper of protest against the atrocities.