Press release
Outcome of the ‘Trinco 5’ case is emblematic of Sri Lanka not delivering justice for serious crimes committed against Tamil civilians
GENEVA, July12,2019: The Australian Tamil Congress (ATC), the British Tamils Forum (BTF), the Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC) and the US Tamil Action Group (USTAG) are dismayed at the reports that the thirteen Sri Lankan Special Task Force and Police personnel charged with the killing of five Tamil youths in Trincomalee on January 2, 2006 were acquitted of all charges and
Common Ground Award accorded to former President of Sri Lanka Chandrika Bandaranaike
The 2019 Common Ground Award accorded to former President of Sri Lanka Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga on the 17th of June 2019 has created an uproar amongst the victimised Tamil community worldwide. Intractabilityof Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict as it is today is a legacy of Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. Her lack of vision and unwillingness to pursue a sustainable political solution during her tenure
Attacks on Churches and other places across Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday
The British Tamils Forum (BTF) strongly condemns this evil act in Churches and Hotels across Sri Lanka on a holy day of Easter Sunday. We are deeply shocked and saddened to hear that over 190 people were killed and many more injured at this terrible premeditated attack today. We call on the Sri Lanka Government to establish an investigation with
A Position Statement on Mrs. Rohini Sivagurunathan vs Tamils Forum UK Ltd (a.k.a. British Tamils Forum)
It is with extreme sadness and total dismay, that British Tamils Forum (BTF) has to report of a court judgement which has resulted in a large sum being awarded in favour of a member who made a claim using the Equality Act 2010. The British Tamils Forum faces huge financial liability by way of legal costs and awards “for injury
ATC, BTF and USTPAC Call for Strong Action to End Anti-Muslim Attacks in Sri Lanka
March 09, 2018 London, Washington DC, Canberra: The US Tamil Political Action Council (USTPAC), the British Tamils Forum (BTF) and the Australian Tamil Congress (ATC) express our deepest sympathies to the victims of the recent anti-Muslim pogrom in the Kandy and Amparai districts in Sri Lanka. We are deeply frustrated that ethnic violence
Tamil Diaspora Organizations call for action on the eve of Sri Lanka’s 70th Independence Day
On February 4 Sri Lanka marks its 70th year of independence from Britain. Historically, this day has been a painful one for the Tamils both who live in Sri Lanka and those who have been forced into exile by discrimination and anti-Tamil violence. Tamil dignitaries and politicians did not attend the ceremonies celebrating the event from 1972 to 2014 in protest for the exclusion of the Tamil population from the political, economic, and cultural life of the country and the elimination of protections for non-Sinhalese Buddhist communities left embedded in the constitution at independence.
British Tamils reiterate call for UK Government to boycott CHOGM in Sri Lanka
In a recent meeting with Rt. Hon Alistair Burt MP – the Foreign Office Minister responsible for South Asia, British Tamils expressed their disappointment at the Prime Minister David Cameron’s decision to visit Sri Lanka in November 2013, for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). In the meeting, which was facilitated by the British Tamils Forum, Tamil representatives from a number of Tamil groups based in the UK explained to the minister the reasons why the UK Government should reconsider its decision to attend CHOGM in Sri Lanka. They further reasoned that this Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka would be against the fundamental political values of the Commonwealth and the Commonwealth charter signed by the Queen on Commonwealth Day this year. The delegation explained the culture of impunity, lack of accountability and continuing structural genocide against Tamils in Sri Lanka ‐ describing both historical and current events and discussing their moral and legal ramifications. They criticised the UK’s role in the failure to protect Tamils in 2009 and the failure to bring Sri Lanka to account ever since – a failure that sets the conditions for continued abuses with impunity by the Sri Lankan state. The Minister was sympathetic to the concerns expressed by the Tamil representatives but differed on the suggested course of action to address these concerns. The delegation also pointed out to the minister the failure of the UK’s strategy: soft diplomatic engagement and influence has still not delivered justice to the victims though the war ended over four years ago. The Minister, in his response declined the delegation’s suggestion for a boycott or venue change for