NUS send Solidarity to Jaffna University student union and Affiliates with Tamil Solidarity

The National Union of Students (NUS), which represents hundreds of thousands of students

voted to affiliate to Tamil Solidarity at the national executive committee on 2nd June

following their 2015 National Conference.

The NUS is a confederation of 600 students’ unions, amounting to more than 95 percent of

all higher and further education unions in the UK.

The following motion which includes some of Tamil Solidarity’s wider programme was

brought to the conference by Coventry University Students’ Union.

Full Text of the Motion

The Conference believes that:

1. Many reports – by the UN, Channel 4, human rights organisations etc – have highlighted

the slaughter of tens of thousands of Tamil civilians by Sri Lankan armed forces in 2009.

2. A general clampdown on democratic rights throughout Sri Lanka continues. Sri Lanka is

still considered unsafe place for journalists, human rights campaigners and other activists.

The Sri Lankan government enforced ban on various organisations and individuals who

fight for human rights continues.

3. Students are constantly under attack for taking part in peaceful protest and an

international solidarity movement is required to protect their rights.

4. The Jaffna University Students’ Union (JUSU) is protesting against the delay in releasing

a UNHRC report and calls for an independent war crime investigation.

5. Tamil Solidarity is a grassroots campaign that stands for the rights of all the students,

workers and oppressed people in Sri Lanka. . The campaign demands:

 An End all police and state violence

 No attack on the right to protest

 Immediate release of all students and activists arrested for protest

 No attack on democratic rights

 Freedom of speech and freedom to organize

 Freedom to build active trade unions

The Conference resolves:

1. To send a message of solidarity and support to the students in Sri Lanka, particularly

the JUSU and stating our support for Tamil Solidarity’s demands.

2. To affiliate to the Tamil Solidarity Campaign. ”

Having the backing of the NUS once again is a large leap forward for Tamil Solidarity,

providing further support to the campaign. Tamil Solidarity is very grateful and expresses

its thanks for all those who made this possible.

Please see full text NUS international backed up Tamil Solidarity campaign in 2013:

NUS-International Students Back Tamil Solidarity

Reported by:

Devi