Black July remembered in Brussels, Melbourne, Switzerland

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 July 2007, 00:03 GMT]
Belgian, Australian, and Swiss Tamils joined other expatriate Tamil communities worldwide in remembering the Black July event. Swiss Tamils assembled in front of the United Nations Building in Geneva on the 25th Wednesday, Australian Tamils in Melbourne convened in Melbourne City Square and Belgian Tamils assembled in front of the European Parliament in Brussels on Wednesday between 2:00 p.m and 5:00 p.m to pay respect for the Tamils who perished during the 1983 July State sponsored violence and to highlight the current human right abuses against Tamils in Colombo and across NorthEast.




Belgian Tamils lit the ceremonial lamp to observe the 24th anniversary of the Black July in front of the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium while the Special Representative for Sri Lanka in European Union and other Special Representatives of South Asia met with representatives of Belgian Tamils.

Coinciding with the meeting, the EU announced a €15 million humanitarian package to help conflict-affected people in Sri Lanka and Sri Lankan refugees in Tamil Nadu, India.

Meanwhile, in Melbourne, several local politicians including Duke Donnellan, Parliamentary Member for Narre Warren North, George Seitz, membero for Keilor and other prominent Human Rights activists and representatives of Tamil organizations joined the rememberance event at the Melbourne City Square.

24 Ceremonial Oil Lamps representing the twenty-years after the Black July were lit in the square as participants paid respect to the victims of the pogroms of Black July.

Following the Sunday event in Zurich, organized by the local Swiss Branch of Tamil Women's Organization, on Wednesday Swiss Friendship Society officials Mr Bernard and Mrs Evila Bernard lit the memorial lamp in front of the United Nations Building in Geneva.

Geneva-based Tamil youths staged dramas and cultural events.


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