A Voice for the Tamils

With both Sinhalese and Tamil interests to consider, the issue of international intervention in Sri Lanka has been a divisive one. Many governments have opted for the simpler option of stern words over effectual action, focusing their attentions instead on more politically unifying issues like the economy and the recent flu pandemic

 Now, the Sri Lankan government is more eager than ever to obtain a decisive victory over the rebel Tamil Tigers in a war that has continued, on and off, for over a quarter of a century. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTT), who once held sway over large swaths of the island, are now pinned down to a narrow strip of coastline in the Northeast, in the Vanni district. However, with so many innocent civilians caught in the crossfire, the government’s intensified efforts could potentially result in a humanitarian disaster of horrifying proportions.

 Caught between a rock and a hard place, thousands of innocent Tamils are being killed or injured on a daily basis. The controversial decision by Sri Lankan president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, to expel the international media and the UN from the region has meant that the true scale of civilian suffering has been hidden from view. The only hope for the Tamil people of northern Sri Lanka has been to look towards their more vocal and empowered relatives in the West - the Tamil Diaspora.

 In the past weeks a grass roots movement of British Tamils has taken the initiative and forced their campaign into the public gaze. A movement formed of organisations like the British Tamil Forum has spread by way of the Internet and the Tamil communities and mobilized a whole generation of displaced British Tamils.

 31 year old Kieran Arasaratnam, an investment banker in the city, is an part of a self-empowered generation of educated young British Tamils who are now seeking to bring their own solutions to the tragedy that is unfolding in Vanni. His amazing story echoes that of many Tamils of his generation born into the war.

 In January 1991, Kieran, a 13 year old Tamil boy, arrived in Heathrow airport alone and in seek of asylum. Not knowing a word of English he had no possessions but the clothes he wore. Kieran was the latest of thousands to flee the civil war in Sri Lanka during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Before he was even in his teens Kieran had to endure more misery than most do in a lifetime, including the death of his 16 year old brother, Kumar, at the hands of government soldiers.

 One of the most defining campaigns for the British Tamils like Kieran is the Mercy Mission to Vanni which has been set up by a coalition of charities. Their hope is to send a ship to Sri Lanka from the U.K. carrying 400 tonnes of medicine and food with the aim of bringing humanitarian relief. The campaign has garnered wide support from the Diaspora Tamils both in the U.K and abroad.

 However the campaign has faced some opposition and Sri Lankan government has accused them of bringing supplies to the Tamil Tigers. Tim Martin from ACT NOW, one of the charity groups organising the Mission to Vanni explained some of the obstacles the they are having to deal with, “We have had to keep the date of launch a secret because we still concerned about the possibility of sabotage. The government has said before they may attack the ship if they think we are aiding the Tamil Tigers, which is absurd. Now they want to charge import tax on the aid we are bringing in. Once we get there we still have to find an organisation that we can rely on to distribute the aid where it is needed."

 On 29 April ACT NOW organised an event to obtain the signatures of 14 MPs on a special Scroll appealing to the President of Sri Lanka to allow the ship-borne consignment to reach its intended goal. This was second such event after an initial launch ceremony was held at the Royal Horse Guards Hotel in March of last year. Actress Joanna Lumley who is well know for her campaigning in support of Gurkha veterans also signed the scroll, she said: "my heart is with the Tamil people."

Another high profile supporter of the Mission is recording artist Mathangi 'Maya’ Arulpragasam aka M.I.A. who like Kieran, had fled the country as a child. In a statement on the Mission to Vanni she said, “The Tamils have less rights than the animals in Sri Lanka.There is limited food because the government banned the aid agencies and there is no education because the trapped civilians only have one option and that is to make it to the government-run internment camps. We cannot ignore these genocidal conditions.”

 On 9th April, Kieran climbed to the summit of the world’s tallest freestanding mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, in a bid to raise money for the mission and highlight the plight of Tamil civilians. An inexperienced climber, Kieran managed to complete the treacherous 19,330 feet hike before he headed back to London to speak at a Tamil rally a mere 24 hours later. In a speech in front of 250, 000 of his fellow Tamils in Hyde park he said: “I cannot sit and do nothing anymore. I did this for my people and the International Community needs to wake up. Justice will be served.”

 Having lived in London for almost 18 years Kieran, like many, has found a new home in the U.K, “It is beautiful country that accepts you for who you are. The U.K has given me my life, given me aspirations, given me a home. This is my home.” But Kieran still admits that when he had to be tragically torn from his family and homeland a part of his heart had been left behind with his people, “I am part of a community which is the Tamil people, they are very special people and are in enormous suffering right now and I want help as much as possible. I feel my responsibility is to all down trodden people. You wouldn’t stand and watch your neighbours house being burnt down would you? Of course not, you would try to help. You would fight to put out the flames”.

 When asked about his thoughts of the LTTE, a organisation which are currently proscribed as a terrorist organisation by 32 countries, including the U.K. , Kieran was eager to make the distinction between his campaign and that of the LTTE, “I’m not supporter of the LTTE. This about the innocent people suffering from a civil war. However without support from the international community the LTTE still remain the sole representatives of the cause of Tamil minority.”

 On The Mission of Mercy to Vanni Kieran says, “One of nicest things about the campaign is the response we are getting. When I was unpacking some of the stuff that people had sent, one box had packed enough for one family to last a week. There was a note written by a child that said, “Don’t worry, we are here for you, we will not let you down”, things like it really inspire you to carry on”.
 When I asked about what drove him to do what he did he said: “Ever since the day my brother died I’ve told myself I am lucky to be alive, I tell myself I’ve been given this opportunity to live and I will achieve as much as I can and try to contribute something in this life.
 “With the economic recession, the environment and the war on terror the world has a lot on it’s plate so it is hard for Tamil people to be heard. But the Tamil people need a voice and I want to make sure I am one of those voices.”