FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Stop Genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka Immediately
Your Silence Is License for Tamil Genocide in Sri Lanka

Tamil Youth Organiation (New Zealand) is organising a vigil on Aotea Square Queen Street, Auckland CBD on Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th April 2009 from 3:00pm till 6:00pm, to request the New Zealand Government to put pressure on Sri Lankan Government to call for an immediate unconditional ceasefire.

Situation in the Vanni area of Sri Lanka has reached a critical stage. The Sri Lankan Government has announced that they have cleared all the LTTE control areas apart from the "Safe zone". This is not true; we believe the Sri Lankan Government is saying this as they want to target the Safe Zone. This area has around 200,000 innocent people in temporary sheltered areas with no hospital, food and medicine. The Sri Lankan Government is also claiming that there are only 70,000 people living in this area. We are worried that the Sri Lankan Government is trying to estimate the numbers small, so that the losses can be hidden. It is also worth noting that the media has been banned by the Sri Lankan government in this area and surrounding areas. Also all the NGO's have left this area, as the Sri Lankan Government told them to evacuate from this area earlier this year. Every day around 100 innocent Tamil people including children, woman and elderly people are being killed by the Sri Lankan Government’s war. Government of Sri Lanka is using chemical weapons and other unconventional banned weapons (e.g.: cluster bombs) on the civilians to cause mass casualties.

Tamil Youth Organisation (NZ) is holding this vigil to request the following: 1. Sri Lankan Government shouldn't attack the or enter the "Safe Zone"; 2. Immediate unconditional ceasefire in Sri Lanka; 3. Food and Medicine to be provided for the people trapped in the war zone.

4. The democratic decisions of the Tamil people must be recognized and respected.

Date: Wednesday, 8th April 2009 & Thursday, 9th April 2009 Time: 3:00pm – 6:00pm Place: Aotea Square, Queen Street, Auckland CBD TAMIL YOUTH ORGANIZATION

ENDS

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