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AUSTRALIANS PROTEST NORWAY’S AND JAPAN’S BETRAYAL OF SRI LANKA AND DEMAND STOP HANDING OVER COUNTRY TO TERRORISTS

The four photos from top left show varied stages of the successful protest demonstration held in Melbourne organized by FAST. The first one on top left is how more than 300 slogan-shouting protesters marched along the busy Sawanston Street on their way to the Parliament House in Melbourne. The second one in top right shows the protestors in front of the Parliament House. The lower left photo shows the protesters lining up for the demonstration in the Federation Square in front of the Finders Street Railway station. Lower right photo shows SPUR Vice President Dr. Dasaratha Jayasuriya addressing the protesters in front of the parliament. (Photos by SPUR-caption by Walter Jayawardhana)

By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles

September 21.07.30 AM:Reports from Melbourne Australia said hundreds of placard carrying and slogan shouting Sri Lankan expatriates paraded streets of the metropolis, walked up to Victorian Parliament House and demanded Norway and Japan, whom they called new colonialists to take their hands off Sri Lanka.

Organized by the newly formed organization called FAST, the Front Against Separatism and Terrorism, a joint organization of Sri Lanka’s Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and Australia’s Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights (SPUR) the rally also said the Ranil Wickremesinghe government should immediately stop handing over Sri Lanka to the Tamil Tiger terrorists.

The Socialist Students Organization and the Sinhala Cultural and Community Service Foundation Of Melbourne Australia also supported the rally.. The headquarters of JVP’s international organization is located in the same city.

Conservative estimates said more than 300 protesters participated in the rally.

After meeting in Federation Square, in front of Melbourne’s main railway terminal, the Finders Street Railway station the banners and placards carrying protestors marched about three kilometers along Swansto Street and Collins Street to the Victorian Parliament House 11.15 a.m. September 20. They also distributed a large amount of pamphlets among the enthusiastic spectators along the streets.

Malin Abeytunga, President of SPUR delivered the welcoming address to the protestors.

P.Seneviratne of the JVP international Group said the grave danger faced by Sri Lanka of disintegration by the LTTE under the Premiership of Ranil Wickremesinghe and what their party was doing against it in Sri Lanka. He said the unity of all patriotic forces was the need of the hour now.

The Vice President of SPUR, Dr. Dasarath Jayasuriya explained the deteriorating security situation in the villages bordering the LTTE dominated area.

Ranjith Soysa , spokesperson for SPUR described LTTE’s fund raising activities in Australia to conduct continued terrorism in Sri Lanka despite a Ceasefire Agreement.

Dr. Olga Mendis of the Sinhala Cultural and Community Services Foundation described the dangers faced by the Sinhala nation under the present government.

All speakers were of the opinion that both Norway and Japan had betrayed Sri Lanka to appease the Tamil Tigers . They said the Sri Lankan government should not ignore that fact.

Fast officials said such protest rallies would be held in other cities in Australia.

(21/09/03 go2lanka.com)