The Tamil Youth Organisation United Kingdom (TYO UK), on Sunday, 23rd June 2013, commemorated the 39th death anniversary of the Jaffna student Ponnuthurai Sivakumaran. His commitment, courage and firm determination to fight for the national liberation struggle has inspired many Tamil youth around the world. For this reason the day is marked as the ‘Students Uprising Day’.
This year the TYO UK organised a demonstration, in front of No 10 Downing Street, to call on the UK government to facilitate an international independent investigation into the crimes of genocide committed against the Tamil nation in the island of Sri Lanka. Placards and slogans conveyed these messages to the general public.
Further, the Prime Minster David Cameron and the Royal Highness Prince Charles were also asked to boycott the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) scheduled to be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka in November this year.
Finally, the international community was asked to facilitate a UN monitored referendum among the Eelam Tamils, recognise the sovereign nationhood, right to self determination and recognise the territorial integrity of the historical homeland of the Eelam Tamils in the north and east of Sri Lanka.
The Sinhala attacks on Tamil activists who were protesting peacefully in front of the Oval stadium had also drawn a large number of people to the event. Eelam Tamil people of different ages joined together to express their aggravation following the violent attacks on the Tamil activists by the Sinhala cricket fans.
Many students representing various universities across the UK participated in support of the demands made by the TYO UK. Before the start of the demonstration TYO UK involved numerous university students and organised a flash mob dance at Trafalgar Square.
This was a unique way of creating awareness and the students successfully attracted spectators by performing to songs such as ”They don’t really care about us” by Michael Jackson. During the flash mob TYO members distributed leaflets titled ‘Genocide of Eelam Tamils by the Sri Lankan state since 1948’ which highlighted the current situation in Sri Lanka as well as the political aspirations of the Eelam Tamil nation.
During the demonstration a memorandum incorporating the three demands called for by TYO UK and the artistic efforts of young Tamil children were submitted to the British Prime Minister David Cameron. Shanyuga Ganesan, the coordinator of Students Uprising Day 2013, ended the protest emphasising TYO UK’s determination to continue working for the liberation of the Eelam Tamil nation.
Official PR: studentsuprisingday
