Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) leader Mano Ganesan and Minister Jeewan Thondaman have called on Maya Sivagnanam, the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office Deputy Director of the South Asia Region Department who is on an official visit to Sri Lanka.
The two Parliamentarians met the British diplomat at the Westminister House in Colombo on Tuesday (27), in the presence of the British Ambassador to Sri Lanka Sarah Hulton.
MP Mano Ganesan stated that during the meeting, the group held a discussion on the prospects of the hill country Tamil community, Sri Lanka’s economic recovery, and broader politics.
The TPA Leader said in a statement that the diplomats were informed that the British government has a moral responsibility towards the wellbeing of the hill country Tamil community in Sri Lanka.
“The element of British responsibility begins from the fact that the British crown government started bringing us into Sri Lanka from South India 200 years ago. Since then our people had put up unprecedented hard work and developed the most profitable plantation export industry and road and rail network and Colombo port in then Ceylon and now Sri Lanka”
“But in return, our citizenship and franchise rights to vote were taken away in 1948. Our people were forcibly sent to India in 1964 by Sirima- Sashtri Pact. When such an incident occurred, then Ceylon was a Dominion state under British Governor General reporting to the British Crown’s government. The 29th section of the British presented Soulbury constitution did not help us. Hence, His Majesty’s government of Britain today has a moral responsibility towards the wellbeing of our community,” MP Mano Ganesan pointed out.
MP Mano Ganesan further said, “Not less than one-third of our community lives in the plantations. They are the most underprivileged and vulnerable segment of Sri Lanka. The surveys of UN organizations, the World Bank, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Special Rapporteur confirm this sad reality. We request the Government of the UK to support our vulnerable segment on Affirmative Action principles.”
“All that our community wants is that we wish to come further and further into the Sri Lankan national mainstream polity as full citizens,” he added.
TPA Leader MP Mano Ganesan further urged that Britain should use its good offices with the Government of Sri Lanka to help the hill country Tamil community in Sri Lanka. (NewsWire)