Protesters gathered for a vigil in Auckland today, calling on the Government to show more support for the Tamil community in Sri Lanka.
More than 100 gathered in Botany Downs, southeast Auckland, to support the Tamils, who have been warring with Sri Lanka’s dominant Sinhalese community for some years.
The Tamil Tigers are fighting to create a separate homeland for Sri Lankan Tamils, many of whom complain of marginalisation by successive governments led by the Sinhalese majority since independence from Britain in 1948.
But the Sri Lankan government says the rebels must be destroyed, because they are on a host of terrorism lists including those from the United States, Indian and Europe, and says it is increasingly confident of defeating them soon.
Protest spokeswoman Nirupa George said the Government should take a similar attitude towards the Sri Lankan regime as it does with Zimbabwe, including with sporting contacts.
The Government would not let Zimbabwe play a cricket series in New Zealand in mid 2005 in protest at the actions of its leader Robert Mugabe, and Ms George said the Government should not let Sri Lanka tour either.
“It’s unfortunate it must go into the sporting arena, but we feel it’s an important issue and the Government should take a stand,” she told NZPA.
