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Thousands march for Tamil rights | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Thousands of people have marched in London in support of the minority Tamil population in Sri Lanka. | |
In May government forces wiped out the Tamil Tiger leadership, ending a 26-year war between the army and rebels. | In May government forces wiped out the Tamil Tiger leadership, ending a 26-year war between the army and rebels. |
More than 250,000 people are displaced from their homes in northern Sri Lanka, according to the UN. | More than 250,000 people are displaced from their homes in northern Sri Lanka, according to the UN. |
The demonstration follows a 73-day protest for peace in the country that ended on Wednesday and featured mass sit-ins blocking central London roads. | |
Many of those at Saturday's demonstration waved black flags representing the civilians killed in the last phase of the conflict. | |
'Genocide' | 'Genocide' |
They carried placards accusing the Sri Lankan government of genocide and asking for thousands of displaced people held in camps to be released. | |
Several main routes through the centre of London were closed to allow the march to take place. | |
The organisers said they were hoping as many as 100,000 people would take part, but according to police the number was closer to 4,500. | |
The Tamil Tiger rebels started fighting in the 1970s for a separate state for Tamils in Sri Lanka's north and east. | The Tamil Tiger rebels started fighting in the 1970s for a separate state for Tamils in Sri Lanka's north and east. |
They argued Tamils had been discriminated against by successive majority Sinhalese governments. | They argued Tamils had been discriminated against by successive majority Sinhalese governments. |
The UN says thousands of civilians were killed in the war earlier this year. | The UN says thousands of civilians were killed in the war earlier this year. |