South African Tamils protest Sri Lanka gencide, block highway

[TamilNet, Sunday, 17 May 2009, 11:18 GMT]
The South African Tamils along with human rights activists and peace loving citizens gathered in numbers Friday to support the call for immediate ceasefire from the Sri Lankan Government and humanitarian access to Tamil civilians in the conflict zone. The banners carried by the protesters accused the Sri Lanka Government of genocide, and the international community for inaction despite the large-scale killing of Tamil civilians within the safety zone. The event was organized by the Tamil Co-ordinating Committee of South Africa (TCCSA).

After an hour of the human-chain demonstration alongside a busy highway, the protestors stepped onto the road, obstructing traffic for some time before moving back to the pavement.

Suvani Naidoo, spokesperson for the South African Tamil Youth Organisation (TYO-SA) said, “We wanted to express our support to the Tamil people in Sri Lanka and urge the world help the unarmed and the injured. We wanted the public to see our desperation for a solution. This genocide is outright unacceptable."

The demonstration received a strong response of signaling and hooting from motorists passing on the highway.

“The time for action against the Sri Lankan Government is now, not tomorrow or a week later,” said TCCSA secretary, Thangam Jogianna. “The UN will be too late when they meet next week, there may be no Tamil civilians left to save,” Mrs. Jogianna said.

Demonstrators urge South Africa to initiate immediate action against Sri Lankan Government with the help of its Western counterparts, as fears are that the Tamil nation is approaching extinction.