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:
Reported by:
Devi