Chennai:
A sense of disappointment and betrayal by world community dominates the hearts and minds of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in India, a day after the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) adopted a watered down resolution against Sri Lanka.
In Chennai, around two thousand Tamil refugees from Lanka gathered for a day-long hunger strike. None of their demands, including to call the killing of Lankan Tamils as genocide, to seek an independent international probe into human rights violations and a referendum in Tamil areas were incorporated in the form of an amendment to the US-sponsored resolution against the island nation.
Amala, an elderly Sri Lankan mother who came to India as a refugee in the early nineties, has made Chennai her home. In her sixties now, she still wants to go back to her home town in Sri Lanka someday. "The resolution passed at the UNHRC is an eye wash. Only if there's a separate homeland for Tamils in Sri Lanka would we be able to return sometime. This offers no hope," she told NDTV.
Another woman Raji says her elder sister is in a Sri Lankan jail, as she was a member of the LTTE's armed struggle. We hear such horrible things happening for Tamil women, even after the war. "Women are sexually assaulted by Sri Lankan army; many women are forcibly married to Sinhalese army men; they are demolishing local temples and giving Sinhala names to Tamil villages; lots of Sinhalese are moved to Tamil areas so that if ever there was a referendum, Tamils would lose."
A UN-appointed committee has estimated that around one lakh Lankan Tamil civilians may have been killed during the final phase of the war against the LTTE in Sri Lanka. Pressure by political parties in Tamil Nadu and students to bring about a tough amendment to the US-sponsored resolution did not have any impact on the central government. Pro-Tamil groups allege the weak resolution against Sri Lanka was further watered down in a bid to help Sri Lanka, even if the resolution won. Stephen, a refugee couple's son who was born in Tamil Nadu and is now an IT professional in Chennai, told NDTV "India is our second home now but the government has let us down. How can a country that claims to be world's largest democracy abet genocide and human rights violations for whatever reason?"
The DMK has quit the UPA after slamming the government for its refusal to take a tough stand against Sri Lanka. Party chief M Karunanidhi said, "Our continuation with the UPA in this situation would do more damage to Tamils." MDMK Chief Vaiko calls it a "treacherous betrayal by the Indian Government and that there would be a time soon when the world community would seek an international probe."
The Sri Lankan government has always denied allegations of rights violations, torture and mass killing. The country has rejected the UNHRC's resolution. But many say it is still a great embarrassment to be accused of rights violations and genocide in this modern era. Social media is abuzz with posts calling for "say no Sri Lankan products, Tea or Tees". Observers say the recent films and photographic evidences released by the British media Channel4 have raised awareness on this issue and it would be difficult for Lanka to change public perception.
But Lankan Tamil refugees are still hopeful. Their hope for justice and a separate homeland, they say has not been extinguished yet. "When Kosava can, Tamil Eelam would sometime" summarised a young girl.
(Names changed to protect identity of refugees)
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