Solidarity gathering to express concern over the Sri Lankan humanitarian crisis

Contributed by Aston Philip Paiva, with photos by Seira Sacha Abu Bakar

Batu Caves, Sunday, 24 May 2009: Under the shade of the great Batu Caves, more than a thousand people gathered carrying placards, posters and banners. The gathering was organised to protest the actions of the Sri Lankan government against the ethnic Tamils and to remember the Tamils who have suffered, and even perished, in the 26 year-long period of violence.

Masses of people began gathering at 10.a.m. and there was a continuous flow of people for the next hour. While the majority of the crowd comprised Tamils, it was heartening to note that there were nonetheless those of other ethnic origins who attended the event to voice their grievances against the hostility perpetrated by the Sri Lankan Government. Also in attendance were various local NGOs and human rights activists.

A stage was erected with a small altar as people stood peacefully while the sun began rising above the ancient caves. At 10.15 a.m., politicians from both MIC and Pakatan Rakyat took to the stage and, with great solemnity, lit oil lamps on the altar honouring the Tamils who have lost their lives fighting for an independent Tamil state. People raised their banners and placards in series and a small sea of men and women were now visible. Individuals and groups from all social classes were present, standing together and exercising their constitutional right to express their concerns and to call for peace, solidarity and justice. Notably, there was almost no police presence.



Many held up posters of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and their deceased leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran; considered an insurgent group and not terrorists, the people cheered when these names were mentioned.

A string of speeches by Tamil activists and politicians then followed, calling for a boycott of Sri Lankan goods and for Sri Lankan government officials to be brought to trial for war crimes. A memorandum detailing these views had also been put together and was to be handed over to the Sri Lankan embassy.

Droves of people also gathered around the erected tents to sign their names to endorse the memorandum, thus expressing their disapproval of the recent atrocities in Sri Lanka and calling for greater support between both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat leaders in raising awareness among the public of the issues faced by the Tamils of Sri Lanka.

At around 11 a.m., a number of European tourists were seen wandering through the Batu Caves compound and making enquiries as to what the event was all about.



A number of politicians attended the event, including M. Kulasegaran (MP, Ipoh Barat), Charles Santiago (MP, Klang), Sivarasa Rasiah (MP, Subang), John Fernandez (MP, Seremban) and Datuk M. Saravanan (MIC).

Bar Council Human Rights Committee members Siti Zabedah Kasim, Allison Ong, Seira Sacha, Aston Paiva, Yohendra Nadarajan and Rachel Suppiah were present to monitor the event. Also present was Sumitha Shaanthinni from the Bar Council secretariat.