NEW YORK: The World Tamil Coordinating Committee also held a demonstration in front of the United Nations on June 9 to protest the role of Indian Army in Sri Lanka.
A number of Tamils gathered on 47th Street and First Avenue near the World Body holding banners saying, “Indian Premier Stop Killing Tamils in Sri Lanka”, “Peace through Negotiations, Not through Force”, “Shame on Rajiv Gandhi”, etc.
A press release issued by the Committee said, “The Indian and Sri Lanka signed an agreement on July 29, 1987, to end the conflict that had claimed 17,000 lives during the last six year”.
The release pointed out that even after ten months; all provisions meant to safeguard the interests of the Tamils have still not been implemented.
The Indian army had “under the pretext of disarming the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) unleashed terror on Tamil civilians, mercilessly slaughtering over 3,000 people, raping hundreds of women and maiming several thousand”.
It alleged that indiscriminate shooting, bombing, shelling strafing by the army “rendered over 500,000 homeless in their own land by an alien army in the name of peace.
It called upon people and the government of U.S.A. and the international communities to pressure the Indian government to halt all military activities in Sri Lanka, respect international laws on human rights, allow international press and Red Cross into North East Sri Lanka, and begin negotiations with LTTE.
Mr. Thomas, one of the protesters ridiculed the recent much published pull out of the Indian troops. They have nonoperational heavy tanks, he said.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 17, 1988
