{"id":138348,"date":"2015-02-01T18:08:06","date_gmt":"2015-02-01T12:38:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=138348"},"modified":"2015-02-06T16:03:53","modified_gmt":"2015-02-06T10:33:53","slug":"jesuistamil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/jesuistamil\/","title":{"rendered":"#JeSuisTamil"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Arujuna Sivananthan<\/span><\/a> –<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Dr<\/a>

Dr Arujuna Sivananthan<\/p><\/div>\n

Prime Minister\u2019s Questions in the House of Commons is a spectacle to behold. Each Wednesday when Parliament is sitting the Prime Minister answers questions asked by MPs in the main chamber. It is theatre full of \u201chistrionics and cacophony\u201d, yet it reinforces everything that is great about British democracy.<\/p>\n

However, on the 14th of January the mood was sombre following the Charlie Hebdo<\/span><\/a> massacre in Paris.<\/p>\n

John Whittingdale, the Conservative MP for Maldon asked the following question:\u00a0Is my right hon. Friend aware that in the past 12 months, more than 60 journalists have been killed in the course of their work, including those at\u00a0Charlie Hebdo\u00a0last week? Just five weeks ago, I and several other Members of Parliament attended the signing in Paris of a declaration by representatives of every European country, recognising the vital role of journalists in a free society and pledging to do everything possible to protect their safety. Will my right hon. Friend reaffirm that commitment today?<\/p>\n

The Prime Minister<\/span><\/a>\u2019s answer was lucid:\u00a0\u201cI pay tribute to my hon. Friend for the work he does in supporting the freedom of the press and I certainly reiterate what he says today. This most struck me when I visited Jaffna, in northern Sri Lanka, and went to see a newspaper office that had been shot up, bombed and burned. That brings home what journalists in other countries have for years faced in bringing the truth and putting it in front of the people, which is a vital part of a free democratic system\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\"#JESUISTAMIL\"<\/a>As much as the Charlie Hebdo atrocity shocked us all, David Cameron reinforced in one sentence the egregious violence Tamil journalists have endured and continue to do at the hands of successive Sinhala dominated Sri Lankan regimes.<\/p>\n

#JeSuisCharlie spoke the same as #JeSuisTamil.
\n#JeSuisTamil echoed again on the 28th of January from the Commons.<\/p>\n

Robert Halfon<\/span><\/a>, the Conservative Member for Parliament for Harlow pointed out that;\u00a0\u201cOver the past 10 years, 370 journalists have been killed in Sri Lanka. Of those 370 cases, only 10% resulted in convictions. If Sri Lanka wants to improve its human rights record, it needs to set that straight and ensure that those very people whose mission is to denounce and investigate, to unearth and to expose, are safe enough to allow them to continue as the peaceful policemen of this world. \u201cJe suis Charlie\u201d applies as much in Sri Lanka as in Paris.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most of the journalists killed were Tamil of course.<\/p>\n

He went on to assert;\u00a0\u201cThere are not many Tamils in my constituency; I wish there were. I am taking part in the debate because I am from the Jewish faith and believe that it is my duty to help races and nations that have suffered genocide. I believe that there has been a genocide of the Tamils. I define genocide as scientific murder. The Tamils have for decades been demonised and marginalised. They have been imprisoned in camps and annihilated. I commend the UNHCR for its renewed efforts to appraise the situation of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka, especially after last month\u2019s regime change.\u201d<\/p>\n

The debate was titled \u2018Tamils in Sri Lanka\u2019 and was called by Lee Scott, Conservative MP for Illford North and Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils<\/span><\/a> (APPG-T). The motion was made and proposed by a government minister and Conservative MP for Croydon Central Gavin Barwell, a government whip and late treasurer of the (APPG-T) \u2013government ministers cannot be members of APPGs\u2019.<\/p>\n

Lee Scott<\/span><\/a> opened the debate by apologising to the global Tamil community with the words;\u00a0\u201cOn behalf of everyone, whatever our political party, we should offer an apology to the Tamil community of Sri Lanka for what has happened over the years. Many people, including Government and Opposition Members, said that atrocities were taking place. Sadly, however well meaning people were and however much they wanted to act, those words were not listened to, and many thousands of innocent lives were lost, which should never have happened. The House of Commons as a whole\u2014although I can speak only for myself, not the whole House\u2014should say sorry for that, although we cannot replace the lives that have been lost.\u201d
\nAll those present concurred and the message was unequivocal!<\/p>\n