A Harrow Tamil martyrs himself to protest against the Sri Lanka government (From Harrow Times)

A Harrow Tamil martyrs himself to protest against the Sri Lanka government

1:40pm Wednesday 18th February 2009 in

Exclusive By Tristan Kirk »

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A TAMIL from Harrow poured petrol over his head and burned himself to death in protest at the civil war which is devastating large parts of the population of Sri Lanka.

Murukathasan Vanakulasingam left his family last Tuesday to fly to Switzerland and take part in a mass protest against the attacks on Tamils by the Sri Lankan government.

But on Thursday night, hours before he was expected to fly home and return to his job, the 27-year-old computer science graduate set fire to himself outside the gates of the United Nations headquarters in Geneva.

He left a letter ten metres away, explaining he had sacrificed his life to draw attention to the plight of his fellow Tamils who are caught up in an increasingly bloody civil war.

Murukathasan's family found out about his death when it was reported on websites, and they spoke to the Harrow Times about the anguish of finding out he had taken his own life.

His sister Arumdevi, 24, said: “All he did for the last few weeks was watch television and get angrier and angrier that nobody was doing anything about how many people are dying. He was very sad.

“Everyone is calling and saying he is equal to gold, they are praising what he has done.”

Murukathasan lived with his family in Grange Avenue, in Belmont, since 2000, and had been working for the last few months as a cashier at the local Sainsburys.

He was expected back at work on Friday, but when he did not return, his family started scouring the Internet for any news of him.

The protest Murukathasan went to join was sparked by reports 120 Tamil women were forced by Sri Lankan soldiers to abort their children.

The government and Tamil Tigers, a separatist guerilla organisation, have been embroiled in a 25-year civil war, with the Tigers fighting for an independent state in north and east Sri Lanka.

In recent months, the country's government has started an aggressive crackdown to try to win the war, but this has led to the deaths of many Tamils.

His brother Velmurugam, 24, said his brother should be remembered as a martyr who died for the people of his country.

He said: “He wanted to protest about what he was seeing happen in Sri Lanka, but nobody knew he was going to do this.

“We are sad because we have lost a life, but we are very proud of what my brother has done.

“There is a genocide going on, 100 people are dying every day. But the international community doesn't want to do anything about it.

“We want there to be freedom for the people of Sri Lanka because that will be the price of his sacrifice.”

Murukathasan's father has flown out to Geneva to identify the body and bring his son home to Harrow, and his mother Puveneswary has been inconsolable since hearing of her son's death.

The Tamil community is planning a memorial service and funeral in Harrow, when it is thought as many as 50,000 could come to pay their last respects.

Councillor Thaya Idaikaddar, who represents Roxeth ward and is a leader in the international Tamil community, said: “Even though I appreciate and admire his courage and what he has done, I am pleading with people not to do it.

“We don't want any further incidents like this, we don't want any more loss of human life.”

Comments(11)

kunaes says...
3:44pm Wed 18 Feb 09

Although I understand how Murukathasan pushed himself to take this extreme level of self punishment on the in-action of the international community and draw its urgent attention on the worst ever in-human atrocities against Tamils in Sri Lanka by the Singhalese lead army for so long. I pay my unconditional respect to this young man who had full life in front of him but he scarified his lives to save more lives in Vanni.

Over 2000 people killed and over 4000 injured including infants, children, women and elderly within mere past four weeks. Thousands of women sought refuge in the government controlled area forced to go under abortion to kill their babies by the Sri Lankan forces, hundreds of young female taken away for the sexual abuses by the army, and hundreds of young men were massacred by the Sri Lankan army, and people are being killed daily, day and night in artillery shells, multi barrel shells, cluster bombs, ‘white phosphorous’ shells attacks on them by Sri Lankan forces.

These horrendous crimes against humanity are sure to have short term and very long term consequences to the society and unimaginable psychological effects on all of us. We are not able to go to work, eat, sleep or do our daily routine as news emanating from Vanni and images are eating into our inner selves. I beg our people all over the world to not to go the extent of what Murukathasan did. We are seeing loss of lives among our community every minute.

It is a human tragedy at its worst order to witness what is happening to the Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka where innocent Tamil children, infants, and women are taking the brunt of the enforced violence by the state without any witnesses.

As you are already aware biggest, bloody and worst ever humanitarian catastrophe amounting to ‘Genocides of Tamils’ are unfolding in Sri Lanka. Our government which stands for the better world order cannot allow ourselves to talk about similar to post ‘Genocides’ in RWANDA like situation in north of Sri Lanka where ‘Genocides of Tamils’ are well underway without any witnesses as Sri Lankan government expelled or banned independent journalists, local and international aid workers and rights groups from Vanni, northern Sri Lanka.

Major problem here in Sri Lanka, government openly and explicitly expelled (even massacred and assassinated) independent journalists, local and international aid agencies’ representatives including Red Cross and UN agencies, health workers and religious leaders and prosecuting the genocidal war against Tamils without any witness while the world silently watching the proceeding of the so called ‘Democratic country of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka completely and openly severed all forms of communication from the rest of the world to the hundreds of thousands of Tamil civilians who are entrapped in their normal homes in Vanni, northern Sri Lanka prosecuting dangerous, in-humane and destructive war with impunity against Tamils without any witnesses.

I am so saddened by the fact that, not a single media personals in the world asking the very pertinent question of why Sri Lanka is not allowing the international observers, independent journalists and aid agencies to operate in the Vanni area to monitor, report and provide assistances to the needy people in the area. Even worse, how one can report info rmation disseminating from the very people (Sri Lankan Government) banned independent observes, journalists, and aid agencies.

Sri Lanka clearly and explicitly violating all the norms of the international laws of war situation as it is shelling, bombing, attacking and killing civilians in hospitals, schools, religious places even self designated ‘safe zone’. Extensively uses even internationally banned ‘Cluster Bombs’& 'White Phosphorous shells' against civilians according to UN agencies maiming even children, infants, elderly and women. Still and video images emerging from battle zone too much bear as even a fellow human being let alone as their brethren.

I am also saddened by the very fact that, Sri Lanka’s current regime doesn’t even allow any critics from Singhalese area (Classic Example was Mr. Lassantha Wikramatunga’ assassination where he clearly pointed out that current regime was responsible for his untimely death) while our government to stop the killing of civilians for the past three weeks in Vanni in so called ‘safe zone’ where over 2000 were killed and over 5000 injured including hundreds of children, infants, elderly and women and bled to deaths without any medical helps and still dying in the hands of Security Forces of Sri Lanka.

Please see this clip: http://www.yarl.com/
forum3/index.php?s=7
33dea10cbcb09ad26ca0
96effcc3053&showtopi
c=50953

I urge people to push their respective governments to push the UN sponsored ceasefire to halt the ‘genocides of Tamils’ without further delay.

Finally people must push their respective governments both warring parties in Sri Lanka towards a political solution based on Tamils right to Self-determination to end this genocidal war against Tamils as this is the only meaningful solution will permanently end this long conflict in Sri Lanka.

Although I understand how Murukathasan pushed himself to take this extreme level of self punishment on the in-action of the international community and draw its urgent attention on the worst ever in-human atrocities against Tamils in Sri Lanka by the Singhalese lead army for so long. I pay my unconditional respect to this young man who had full life in front of him but he scarified his lives to save more lives in Vanni. Over 2000 people killed and over 4000 injured including infants, children, women and elderly within mere past four weeks. Thousands of women sought refuge in the government controlled area forced to go under abortion to kill their babies by the Sri Lankan forces, hundreds of young female taken away for the sexual abuses by the army, and hundreds of young men were massacred by the Sri Lankan army, and people are being killed daily, day and night in artillery shells, multi barrel shells, cluster bombs, ‘white phosphorous’ shells attacks on them by Sri Lankan forces. These horrendous crimes against humanity are sure to have short term and very long term consequences to the society and unimaginable psychological effects on all of us. We are not able to go to work, eat, sleep or do our daily routine as news emanating from Vanni and images are eating into our inner selves. I beg our people all over the world to not to go the extent of what Murukathasan did. We are seeing loss of lives among our community every minute. It is a human tragedy at its worst order to witness what is happening to the Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka where innocent Tamil children, infants, and women are taking the brunt of the enforced violence by the state without any witnesses. As you are already aware biggest, bloody and worst ever humanitarian catastrophe amounting to ‘Genocides of Tamils’ are unfolding in Sri Lanka. Our government which stands for the better world order cannot allow ourselves to talk about similar to post ‘Genocides’ in RWANDA like situation in north of Sri Lanka where ‘Genocides of Tamils’ are well underway without any witnesses as Sri Lankan government expelled or banned independent journalists, local and international aid workers and rights groups from Vanni, northern Sri Lanka. Major problem here in Sri Lanka, government openly and explicitly expelled (even massacred and assassinated) independent journalists, local and international aid agencies’ representatives including Red Cross and UN agencies, health workers and religious leaders and prosecuting the genocidal war against Tamils without any witness while the world silently watching the proceeding of the so called ‘Democratic country of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka completely and openly severed all forms of communication from the rest of the world to the hundreds of thousands of Tamil civilians who are entrapped in their normal homes in Vanni, northern Sri Lanka prosecuting dangerous, in-humane and destructive war with impunity against Tamils without any witnesses. I am so saddened by the fact that, not a single media personals in the world asking the very pertinent question of why Sri Lanka is not allowing the international observers, independent journalists and aid agencies to operate in the Vanni area to monitor, report and provide assistances to the needy people in the area. Even worse, how one can report info rmation disseminating from the very people (Sri Lankan Government) banned independent observes, journalists, and aid agencies. Sri Lanka clearly and explicitly violating all the norms of the international laws of war situation as it is shelling, bombing, attacking and killing civilians in hospitals, schools, religious places even self designated ‘safe zone’. Extensively uses even internationally banned ‘Cluster Bombs’& 'White Phosphorous shells' against civilians according to UN agencies maiming even children, infants, elderly and women. Still and video images emerging from battle zone too much bear as even a fellow human being let alone as their brethren. I am also saddened by the very fact that, Sri Lanka’s current regime doesn’t even allow any critics from Singhalese area (Classic Example was Mr. Lassantha Wikramatunga’ assassination where he clearly pointed out that current regime was responsible for his untimely death) while our government to stop the killing of civilians for the past three weeks in Vanni in so called ‘safe zone’ where over 2000 were killed and over 5000 injured including hundreds of children, infants, elderly and women and bled to deaths without any medical helps and still dying in the hands of Security Forces of Sri Lanka. Please see this clip: http://www.yarl.com/ forum3/index.php?s=7 33dea10cbcb09ad26ca0 96effcc3053&showtopi c=50953 I urge people to push their respective governments to push the UN sponsored ceasefire to halt the ‘genocides of Tamils’ without further delay. Finally people must push their respective governments both warring parties in Sri Lanka towards a political solution based on Tamils right to Self-determination to end this genocidal war against Tamils as this is the only meaningful solution will permanently end this long conflict in Sri Lanka. kunaes