Imprisonment will not deter us, says Vaiko

CUDDALORE: The Sri Lankan Tamils’ Protection Movement will relentlessly fight for the rights of the Tamils in the island nation. Its members will not be cowed down by the oppressive measures or deterred by imprisonment, said Vaiko, general secretary of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

He was speaking to pres spersons immediately after his release, along with P. Nadumaran of the Tamil Nationalist Movement and others, from the Cuddalore Central Prison here on Saturday morning.

Mr. Vaiko said that the only solution to the Tamils issue was creation of a separate Tamil Eelam, and in this endeavour, the entire Tamil diaspora across the globe would join hands.

He alleged that Sri Lankan government had kept the international press at bay, denied access to non-governmental and voluntary organisations, and, turned down the United Nations officials.

Only after a television channel and certain websites highlighted the cruelties perpetrated against the Tamils in the island nation did the world community awaken to the situation there.

And yet, when a resolution was moved in the U.N. to condemn Sri Lanka, the Union government played it around and, above all, it gave a red-carpet welcome to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa during his visit.

The formation of an expert panel by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon to study the human rights violations in Sri Lanka was not welcomed by India.

Because of such overt and covert support, Sri Lanka could muster courage to hunt down the Tamils and fishermen on the Indian waters.

Therefore, Mr. Vaiko said, the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission should not exist in Tamil Nadu. – (The Hindu)

Photo caption: MDMK general secretary Vaiko with Tamil Nationalist Movement leader P.Nedumaran in Cuddalore on Saturday. (Courtesy The Hindu)