Leaders of Mauritius voice against genocide in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 November 2008, 17:48 GMT]
Leaders of both the ruling party as well as the opposition of Mauritius, including the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Rama Sithenen and the Leader of the Opposition Mr. Paul Berenger attended an agitation against the genocide of Tamils in the island of Sri Lanka on Thursday. The focal event of the protest was the march of hundreds of Mauritian Tamils to the Indian High Commission in Mauritius, demanding the Indian government to prevail upon Sri Lanka to effect immediate ceasefire in the island and to commence talks with the LTTE. The agitators also presented a memorandum on their demands to the Foreign Minister of Mauritius and conducted a prayer at the Maariyamman Temple.



The Attorney General and Minister for Human Rights of Mauritius, Mr. Jaya Rama Valayden in his speech condemned the Rajapaksa brothers for the genocide committed on Tamils. Mauritius will not stop merely at protesting, he said.

The protest was organized by the Mauritius Tamil Temples Federation (MTTF), an organization running about 150 koyils (temples) in Mauritius, the Tamil Force an organization of youth for justice and fairness towards Tamils in Mauritius, the Hindu Maha Jana Sangham, the Tamil Union, and the Tamil Eelam Support Committee under the leadership of Ganess Permal.

The MTTF president Mr. Veeran Comaren explained to the Foreign Minister of the need of Mauritius government convincing India to take necessary action.

Former Foreign Minister Mr. Jayan Cuttaree, former leader of the opposition and General Secretary of the MSM party, former Foreign Secretary, Mr. Vijay Makhan and Tamil social activist, Thiruthondar Cheetaen were among the notables who condemned the plight thrust upon the Eezham Tamils.

While the MSM party was in power in 1985, its leader and the then Prime Minister spoke in support of Eezham Tamils at the United Nations.

Today’s opposition leader and the party chief of MMM, Mr Paul Berenger has always been supportive to the cause of Eezham Tamils.

Aya Agileshwaren, a native of Jaffna, conducted the prayer at the Maariyamman Temple.

Mauritius, an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa, has predominantly been populated by people of Indian origin during colonial times. Tamils and people of European, African and Chinese origins are among the minorities.

Mauritius ranks first among all countries in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows to India amounting to a total of nearly 11 billion U.S. dollars.







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