Tamil Justice

                                    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE on 27 March 2009

                                Tamil March for Freedom to shut down Sydney

Traffic is expected to come to a standstill on Saturday in Sydney’s CBD as thousands prepare to march in protest of the genocide of Tamil’s in Sri Lanka by state military forces and demand an independent Tamil homeland.

Police will shut down the busy Elizabeth Street artery as an expected 6000 protestors from across the nation take part in a “visual march” to condemn the killing of Thousands of Tamil civilians by the Sri lankan Government.

Event organisers have described the rally as a “graphical depiction of the horrors of ethnic cleansing through art”, combining elements of dance and theatre throughout the procession to depict the plight of thousands of Tamil civilians in the war torn nation.

“If we do not act now, an entire race of people will be terminated in a matter of months” urged Jana Sivaram, head of the organising committee Tamil Youth Organisation.

The protest comes only days after the Sri Lanka Government launched a scathing attack on aid agencies, charging prominent humanitarian groups Care International and Human Rights Watch with being part of a “vicious coalition” and masterminding an “abominable conspiracy” according to BBC news.

The ministry’s attack came in response to claims by Human Rights Watch “of civilians being killed and wounded daily in the no-fire zone, while the Sri Lankan government continues to deny the attacks”.

2683 Tamil civilians have been killed and 7,241 injured from 20^th January to 7 March alone with the death toll doubling daily according to reports released by the United Nations.

Concern is mounting for a further 250,000 people trapped by advancing troops without food or medical aid, as the governments continue to block the delivery of essential aid to civilians in the conflict zone. 

Protestors will gather at Martin Place at 11am before travelling to the steps of City Town Hall via Elizabeth Street and Park Street.

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Contact: Aheelan Rajan – 0420 522 099                                           info@tyoaustralia.org