NEW YORK, NY, Jul 10 (MARKET WIRE) --
Human rights organization Ilankai Tamil Sangam notes that Prof. Elie
Wiesel's Foundation for Humanity released a statement on the persecution
of the Tamil people of Sri Lanka on June 30, 2009 that was posted on the
Foundation's website. The statement comes in response to the continued
discrimination and violence against the Tamils since the massacre of more
than 25,000 Tamil civilians by the Government of Sri Lanka in May 2009.
Over 60 years of persecution of the Tamils by the Sinhalese-dominated
state and military, has included ethnic cleansing, long term displacement
and colonization of Tamil areas, along with extrajudicial executions,
disappearances and other serious human rights abuses. Today, 300,000
Tamils are held hostage in detention camps, while the Tamil homeland is
occupied by the Sinhalese military, and Tamils throughout the island face
discrimination, insecurity and lack of political representation. The
conditions in these camps are reported as horrific, as food is scarce,
medicine is being denied and hepatitis and other preventable communicable
diseases are spreading in the population. There are few toilet facilities
and human waste is left untreated, so concern for epidemics is growing.
Aid agencies and journalists continue to be denied adequate access.
Kidnapping and rape by the military forces who control the camps is
reported routinely, and the abductions of youth accused of being rebel
members continues unabated. Prof. Wiesel's 'Tamil People Statement' reads:
"Wherever minorities are being persecuted we must raise our voices to
protest. According to reliable sources, the Tamil people are being
disenfranchised and victimized by the Sri Lanka authorities. This
injustice must stop. The Tamil people must be allowed to live in peace
and flourish in their homeland."
"We are very grateful that he [Prof. Wiesel] has responded to our request
to support the Tamil people. Now that it is official on his website, we
are certain that other institutions that are involved in holocaust and war
crime research will take up Sri Lanka case," said Dr. Ellyn Shander of
Tamils Against Genocide, a group working to indict those responsible for
crimes against humanity in Sri Lanka.
In 1986 Prof. Wiesel won the Nobel Prize for Peace, and soon after, Marion
and Elie Wiesel established the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity. For
his literary and human rights activities, Prof. Wiesel has received
numerous awards including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the U.S.
Congressional Gold Medal and the Medal of Liberty Award, and the rank of
Grand-Croix in the French Legion of Honor.
Times UK Reference:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6676792.ece
Ilankai Tamil Sangam website: http://www.sangam.org
PEARL website: http://www.PEARL.org
Tamils Against Genocide website: http://www.TamilsAgainstGenocide.com
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For more information contact:
Dr. Ellyn Shander
Email Contact
1-203 561 0414
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