Cambridge Amnesty calls for release of 250,000 Tamils

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 October 2009, 03:13 GMT]
Local Amnesty International (AI) members, at a demonstration in Cambridge Market Square on October 26th, called for the UK government to increase international pressure on Sri Lanka to release the more than 250,000 Tamil detainees from the refugee-turned-detention camps. Richard Howitt, MEP for the East of England, also spoke in support of the Campaign and local MP David Howarth came along to sign the petition, web media in Cambridge reported.

AIUK’s Sri Lanka expert, Yvonne Taylor attended the demonstration and addressed the crowd on the serious nature of the crisis and the suffering of the people trapped in the camps. She encouraged people to take part in Amnesty’s postcard campaign, directly asking the Sri Lankan government to unlock the camps, web report said.

"Sri Lanka Government wants to screen the refugees, including 50,000 children, for involvement with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE, “Tamil Tigers”). While this screening slowly progresses, the conditions in the camps have been described as a humanitarian disaster.

"Currently the camps are closed to aid workers and journalists so the exact details are unknown. However, reports from escapees describe a lack of basic sanitation, overcrowding and insubstantial medical care. With the monsoon rains imminent, the camps are also at severe risk of flooding and action is imperative," the web report added.

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Unlock the Camps- demonstration for Sri Lanka