A large number of MPs congressed together for the first AGM of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils (APPGfT )in the new Parliament, including Secretary of State, Theresa Villiers MP.
James Berry
The group agreed on a series of objective including promoting reconciliation through supporting the UN investigation into war crimes, and advocating for a publication of a full list of those who have disappeared. They also intend to campaign against the Sri Lankan Government’s ban on legitimate diaspora organisations and for the demilitarisation of Tamil areas.
The APPGt’s Executive is made up of MPs from across the political divide (Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat) who will work together on these shared objectives
James Berry, Conservative Member of Parliament for Kingston and Surbiton, was elected as the new Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils.
Labour Member of Parliament Siobhan McDonagh will act as Senior Vice Chair, while Richard Harrington MP, Joan Ryan MP and Wes Streeting MP will all be vice Chairs. Tom Brake MP of the Liberal Democrats will take on the role of Secretary, Jim Dowd MP will be Treasurer, and Mike Gapes MP, Paul Scully MP, Steve Reed MP, Virendra Sharma and Bob Blackman MP are all on the Executive.
Commenting on his new role as Chair and objectives, James Berry MP said,
“It is a huge honour to Chair the APPG for Tamils. Although outgoing chair Lee Scott’s shoes will be hard to fill, I hope to continue to progress the tremendous work that Lee, Siobhan McDonagh and other MPs carried out in the last Parliament. Their work helped ensure that the British Government played a critical role in demanding a UN independent investigation into atrocities in Sri Lanka.
“The publication of the UN investigation’s report in September will be a crucial event for the Tamil community. The APPGfT will debate the report’s conclusions and scrutinize the action that the British Government and the international community proposes to take in response to its findings.
”It’s great to lead a cross-party group of parliamentarians that take an issue that is so important to many of our constituents so seriously. We welcome the involvement of interested stakeholders who wish to work with us to seek justice in this area.”
Just Saying / July 4, 2015
Few things to say –
1. Where is the Chicot report on the slaughter of civilians 180,000 Iraqis due to the stupidity of the UK government that blindly went with the US? Three years and still not out due to obvious reasons.
2. Why did Cameron not bring out the human rights and other issues when he went to China? Sealed lips
3. Get your effing hands off Sri Lanka
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Amarasiri / July 4, 2015
James Berry
RE: UK Parliament’s APPG For Tamils Agrees A New Set Of Objectives
What about the Illegal invasion of Iraq and the Killing of 1,000.000 people and making 5,000.000 refugees, and allowing ISIS to Come?
You guys are a piece of Shit.
If can can Get Mahinda Rajapaksa. We do not want him.
Just take him and hang him., along with Gotanbata Rajapaksa, the way you hanged Saddam Hussein.
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Vibhushana / July 4, 2015
There are APPG for all different countries
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmallparty/register/contents.htm
There is none for Sri Lanka however. Shouldn’t the High Commissioner establish one for Sri Lanka?
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Siva Sankaran Sarma / July 4, 2015
There is one for Sri Lanka. Berry and his band of jokers however are not classified under the country APPGs – instead they’re in the illustrious company of groups like the APPG for beer, bingo, gypsies, pregnancy tests etc :D
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sunil / July 5, 2015
You are [Edited out]
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justice / July 5, 2015
Vibushana,
There is one.
Click on sri lanka in your above link.
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Gp / July 4, 2015
UK, please mind your own business… Who called you for world order? You have done enough damages from colonial days to now, see what you have done in Iraqi…
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Senthil / July 4, 2015
Britain is also responsible for the present plight of Tamils because they should have allowed Tamils to rule North and East but they can ignore their responsibility now after so many years. But they should not ignore the support they gave to srilankan and who the hell we are to question UK – like barking at the moon, is a waste of our energy. First we build our ability to develop our country and come out of 3rd world label before question developed countries. We modias still allow resist thugs to rule our country and could not find any decent person to rule our country. After long time we found Mithiri but are we allowing him to rule piece fully. Do not open the mouth and prove the ignorance.
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justice / July 5, 2015
Senthil,
Lord Soulbury did the original damage – he trusted D.S.Senanayake to be fair by all communities.
But DSS was the original diehard singhala-buddhist.
He listened to KMPRajaratna.
I too hoped that M.Sirisena would allow the UNHRC report now, rather than later in September.
The ongoing “disappearences commission” is a farce.
We have the only army in the world which offers relatives of those it killed, “death certificates and cash”!!
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Analyst / July 4, 2015
All these meetings proves nothing. Just partying Curtesy of the APPG and wasteful so called decisions made and go home.
What’s the point the crooks and the murderers are still free to roam and trying to come back to power for more nepotism and racism in SL.
WE GOT RID OF THE CROOKS AND THE MURDEROUS RULERS IN JANUARY BUT SOMEONE IS STILL INJECTING OXYGEN INTO THEM TO SHOW LIFE AGAIN.
PLEASE DONT WASTE YOUR TIME APPG ,YOU ARE TRYING TO PUT WOOL OVER THE EYES OF THE EVER SUFFERING SRILANKANS.
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Analyst / July 5, 2015
Srilankans have been cheated by people like you.
Please don’t waste your time and our time, if there there is any constructive decisions made to suit all the communities in Srilanka to have a decent life to live peacefully without any fear of politicians or thugs that will be welcome.
Also the plundered wealth of the country by one family and friends should be brought back to the country for the use of the citizens.
Uneducated thugs are ruling the country without a clue why they got elected. These plunderers number one intention is to get rich first by swindling the country.
The hospitals are suffering without proper medication etc, the state airliner has been drained by bad management. The list is long .
The root causes should be solved first. Then the rest.
These meetings for each countries are a kind of side show for the British politicians.
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Vanguard / July 5, 2015
“The group agreed on a series of objective including promoting reconciliation through supporting the UN investigation into war crimes”
Obviously these people know nothing of the situation on the ground in Sri Lanka. Let me see- they want to promote reconciliation among Sinhalese and Tamils by hauling off ‘war heroes’ including Sarath Fonseka and Gotabaya to stand trial for war crimes?
I bet if Prabakharan had won and established a separate state these people would not be pushing for ‘reconciliation through war crimes investigation”. I bet Prabakharan would not have been asked to appear before the ICC (not the cricket one, the International Crimminal Court)
Hopefully their ignorance will make it easier to deal with them? Maybe not.
“demilitarisation of Tamil areas” I suppose militarization of Sinhala and Muslim areas is ok? Raw hypocrites!
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Candidly / July 5, 2015
James Berry MP, the new chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils in the UK: “Lee Scott’s shoes will be hard to fill.” It’s easy – make yourself a spokesperson for the Tamil Tigers in the UK, attend all their rallies and be photographed standing next to the terrorist flag, re-define terrorists as freedon fighters, ignore the thousands of people (mainly Tamils, but also British people) murdered by the Tamil Tigers, ignore the fact the Tigers’ tactics are now being used by ISIL to murder British holiday makers in Tunisia, and, finally, lose your seat at the next General election as Lee scott did.
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Ram / July 5, 2015
These are done in consultation with Mangala Saramaweera, and NOT in a vacuum. He certainly is a very influential man both in London and in Washington.
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SL-walah / July 9, 2015
Why UK Tamils appoint these: James Berry, Conservative Member of Parliament for Kingston and Surbiton, was elected as the new Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils.
Labour Member of Parliament Siobhan McDonagh will act as Senior Vice Chair, while Richard Harrington MP, Joan Ryan MP and Wes Streeting MP will all be vice Chairs. Tom Brake MP of the Liberal Democrats will take on the role of Secretary, Jim Dowd MP will be Treasurer, and Mike Gapes MP, Paul Scully MP, Steve Reed MP, Virendra Sharma and Bob Blackman MP are all on the Executive”. Where are those so called smart Tamils of the UK gone to.
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