War in Sri Lanka - Press Statement

PRESS STATEMENT

5th November, 2008

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

MIC Youth together with Youth NGOs have gathered peacefully at the Sri Lankan Embassy this morning to hand over a Memorandum of Protest to His Excellency the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka, Kuala Lumpur.

The memorandum was presented to register our protest against the Sri Lankan Government’s continued air and ground attacks in recent weeks that has resulted in civilians being killed and maimed; hundreds of thousands of Tamils have been displaced, literally refugees in their own country!

Without taking sides as to who is fighting the ‘right war’, Malaysian Youths are deeply concerned with the alarmingly high rate of civilian casualties in the on going war.

On humanitarian grounds, we Malaysians cannot stand-by as mere spectators, as innocent civilians especially children, suffer the atrocities of war. Malaysians and in particular, Tamil speaking Malaysians, are deeply disturbed by the daily reports and graphic pictures of civilian casualties of the war. Malaysians, like our fellow citizens of this world do not wish to see more lives being sacrificed in the name of war.

It was due to this reason that MIC Youth had taken the initiative to present a Memorandum of Protest to the Sri Lankan Government through its embassy here. We have been joined in this cause by our fellow brothers from NGOs.

The purpose of delivering this Memorandum is three-fold:
1. To call upon the Sri Lankan Government to stop forthwith the current military attack on civilian areas and to take immediate steps to provide necessary assistance to suffering civilians.
2. To call upon the all parties in the armed conflict to respect the call of the International Community to stop fighting and resume negotiation with a view to finding lasting peace between the brothers of Sri Lanka.
3. To bring awareness to all Malaysians on the atrocities of war in Sri Lanka and do our part in giving a helping hand to our fellow brothers who are suffering from the ravages of war.

In In addition to the presentation of this Memorandum, MIC Youth, in close co-operation with NGOs, will also pursue the following actions:
a. Forward a similar Memorandum to our Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Prime Minister in order for our government to express, on a government to government basis, the wishes of the Malaysian people for Peace in Sri Lanka.
b. To work closely with the local media to raise fund, food and medical supplies in order for the same to be delivered to the suffering people of Sri Lanka.

A detailed list of the toll the war had taken on civilians is set out in the Memorandum of Protest presented to His Excellency the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka and attached together with this Press Statement.

Thank you.

Murugesan Sinnandavar
Organising Chairman
Youths for Peace in Sri Lanka

P/S The Memorandum was not delivered to the High Commissioner because of the conditions set by the Embassy. Follow up story on the Press Release by MIC Youth in the next post