London: British Foreign Secretary David
Miliband will address a meeting of Tamil activists from around
the world which may further deteriorate the already soured
ties between UK and Sri Lanka.
Miliband is due to make the opening speech at the
inaugural meeting of the Global Tamil Forum at the British
Parliament today.
The Foreign Office has defended Miliband's decision
to address the meeting.
"UK firmly believes that the only way to achieve
lasting and equitable peace in Sri Lanka is through genuine
national reconciliation. UK will engage with all members of
the Sri Lankan community who share this goal, whether overseas
or in Sri Lanka," a spokesman said.
William Hague, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, is to
make the closing address which will be attended by several
other MPs in an unprecedented display of cross-party support
for Sri Lanka's Tamils after the defeat of the LTTE last year.
Global Tamil Forum campaigns for self-determination
for Sri Lanka's ethnic Tamils and to bring to justice
perpetrators of alleged war crimes during the country's
26-year civil war.
"It's great support for us," S J Emmanuel, the
president of the forum, told The Times.
"The British Government, more than any in the world,
knows our history and are most competent to understand our
situation," Emmanuel said.
Emmanuel said the group advocated non-violence and an
international boycott of Sri Lankan goods and wanted war
crimes charges brought against Mahinda Rajapaksa, the
President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the Defence Secretary and
Sarath Fonseka, the former Army Chief.
Sri Lanka's Government is sure to be incensed as it
regards many of the forum's members, especially the British
Tamils Forum, as fronts for the Tigers, who are banned as a
terrorist organisation in the EU.
Sri Lankan officials have long accused Britain of
secretly supporting the Tigers.
The Tigers launched their armed struggle to create an
independent homeland for Tamils in northeast Sri Lanka in 1983
to try to protect them from discrimination at the hands of the
ethnic Sinhalese majority.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, February 24, 2010, 19:12