[antiwar-van] *Wednesday* MAWO forum on the Tamil People's Right to Self-Determination

[Kira Koshelanyk]

* Please Forward Widely * 

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MAWO PUBLIC FORUM:
Civil War in Sri Lanka & the Tamil
People’s Right to Self Determination
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WEDNESDAY April 22
6:30pm
Joe’s Cafe ~ in the large North Hall 
Commercial Drive at William Street

For decades the Tamil people in Sri Lanka have been heroically struggling for their self determination. In addition, in the last 30 years the government of Sri Lanka has imposed a vicious military campaign against the Tamil people, in which Tamil and Sri Lankan people are the primary victim of this civil war. Over the past three months, the government of Sri Lanka has intensified the civil war against the Tamil people, in which the UN estimates (a conservative estimate) that over 4,500 civilians have been killed and 12,000 wounded. Estimates say between 150,000 to 200,000 Tamil civilians are trapped in the combat zone in a north eastern coastal strip, without adequate access to food, water and medical attention, and under bombardment by the Sri Lankan Army shelling. The government of Sri Lanka has done this killing campaign with the complete shut down of any independent media and even most mainstream media, as well as independent activities of aid
agencies (including NGOs) and medical support. The government of Sri Lanka has ignored and violated every democratic right and human right of Tamils. It is very unfortunate that the Tamil people’s only “wrong doing” is that they demand and fight for their basic right as an oppressed nation to form their own government and nation-state, the right that without any problem the governments of Sri Lanka and India have been exercising for decades.

The Tamil community and supporters have been protesting the indiscriminate attacks on the Tamil people from Ottawa, Canada to London, England, and around the world. Thousands of protesters have held a two week long vigil and peaceful actions outside the Parliament buildings and on the streets. Protesters, as well as the UN and governments world wide have called for an immediate ceasefire, a call rejected by the Sri Lankan government.

This forum will discuss the issues at stake and the role of the antiwar movement in the Tamil struggle for self determination. The forum will include a multimedia presentation, speakers both from MAWO and the Tamil community, as well as a discussion period.

For poster click:
http://www.mawovancouver.org/materials/posters/090422forum.pdf

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MAWO ~ Mobilization Against War & Occupation
http://WWW.MAWOVANCOUVER.ORG 
info at mawovancouver.org 
P 604.322.1764 || F 604.322.1763

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