The British Tamil Forum supported the Tamil solidarity group in making a protest outside the Australian High Commission in London today about the desperate plight of Tamil refugees who have spent 150 days on a cramped, squalid boat just off the coast of Indonesia. London, UK. 10/03/2010
In central London outside the Australian High Commission the British Tamil Forum supported the Tamil solidarity group in making a protest about what seems to be the desperate plight of Tamil refugees on a boat just off the coast of Indonesia.150 days on a cramped, squalid boat. That is the ordeal faced by 254 refugees from Sri Lanka stranded in the Javanese port of Merak. The Merak refugees have become a political football between the political leaders of Australia and Indonesia, who were also meeting on the 10 March, as rights campaigners staged protests around the world to demand speedy action to restore the basic right to asylum to these refugees. It is reported that up till now one of the refugees a 29 year old man had died when authorities delayed taking him to hospital. According to some sources the UNHCR is doing nothing for these people. A BTF spokesperson said this is totally unacceptable in the 21st century. They also said that the persecution of Tamil people continues in Sri Lanka. Still the issue of war crimes and ongoing human rights violations against the Tamil people is yet to be dealt with.
