Item in http://www.eelampress.com/2012/02/50119/ under this title: ” Youth’s opinion on raising the LTTE flag at the Sydney Cricket Grounds”
The cricket match between Australia and Sri Lanka was played in Sydney. Here we wanted to publicize that we are Tamils from Tamil Ealam, and with courage and endurance, we will fight anywhere, hence we are raising our Tamil ealam national flag. Several web sites have published that the Police have seized our flag. It did not happen that way inSydney. I raised our national flag among several thousands of Sinhalese. Those Sinhalese who noticed the flag informed the Police.
The Police who arrived at the site said to me that if I had to watch the cricket match, then I have to give them the flag or talk to them. I narrated about genocide and destruction of our people. The Police praised us. The Police personel stated that, however, by raising the flag among several thousands of Sinhalese, you may create problems.
I stated that we did not come here to create problems, but to propagate our struggle, which we did. I told the police that we are not prepared to handover our flag to anyone, but we will come on our own.
Sri Lanka army has been carrying out Tamil ethnic cleansing for the last 60 years. Sri Lanka is cheating the world that there is no problem for the Tamils in SriLanka. SriLanka is pointing out that in cricket, Tamils and Sinhalese are the same. However, I am not a Sri Lankan, but a Thamizhan.
Sri Lanka has carried out ethnic cleansing of several hundreds of thousands of Tamils. We will never ever give our support to Sri Lanka. Although we are unable to raise our national flag in Thamil Ealam, we will raise the flag wherever Tamil Diaspora live. One day our Tamil Ealam national flag will be raised in the United Nations anyway.
I want to emphasize to all Tamil youths: Whatever, plot or opposition Sri Lanka raises, we should not hesitate to propagate that we are Tamils and raise our national flag.
Below is a sentence Tamils always utter to indoctrinate other Tamils: “ Raise your head, stay firm, and say that you are a Tamizhan”
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A Letter of Protest from the Sri Lankan High Commission sent to DFAT, dated 20 February 2012
No. 14/2012
The High Commission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka presents its compliments to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and with reference to the visit of the Sri Lankan National Cricket Team to Australia has the honour to bring to the attention of the esteemed Department an incident that occurred on the 17th of February at the Sydney Cricket Grounds during the match between Australia and Sri Lanka for which I too was a witness from a distance.
It has been reported that supporters of the LTTE brandishing LTTE flags had been hurling abuse in Tamil at the cricketers who were close to the boundary line. Some information received including photographs are attached of the LTTE supporters who were at the grounds on that day. A translation of the article which appeared on the pro-LTTE website is also annexed. Several community members complained that there had been arguments between those persons carrying the LTTE flag and the Sri Lankan supporters in the stands which may have erupted in a brawl.
Ground and security authorities were witness to this terrorist front organisation members making use of an international sporting event to claim for a separate state inSri Lankawhilst raising communal tensions.
As theSri Lankateam is expected to play in several other venues inAustralia, the High Commission requests that necessary steps be taken to inform relevant authorities to prevent the use of the LTTE flag and other insignia at those venues as there are possibilities for clashes between these persons and the Sri Lankan Community members during the matches.
The High Commission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka avails itself of the opportunity to renew to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade the assurances of its highest consideration.
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ALSO SEE “Cricket as Protest Arena: Tamil Incursions” in Michael Roberts, Incursions and Excursions in and around Sri Lankan Cricket, Colombo, 2011 ,distributed by Vijitha Yapa Publications at www.vijithayapa.com
