Help liberate Tamils from LTTE's clutches

Anandasangaree tells international community:

PARIS: Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) Leader V. Anandasangaree called on the international community "to help liberate the Tamil people of Sri Lanka from the clutches of the ruthless LTTE" and appealed to the Tamil diaspora "to ensure that no funds and support are provided to a terrorist outfit, who will never be able to achieve the aspirations of the Tamil people living in Sri Lanka by the use of terror and violence".

Anandasangaree made this appeal speaking at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, where he was awarded the 2006 UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Prize for Tolerance and Non Violence on November 16.

The award carrying US$ 100,000, a sculpture and a certificate, was presented at a ceremony at the UNESCO on the International Day of Tolerance, a release from Sri Lanka Embassy in France said.

Anandasangaree was selected the winner of the award on the recommendation of an independent international jury comprising former President of Colombia Andres Pastrana Arango, President of the Commission for Education, Science and Culture of the Lebanese Parliament Bahia Hariri, former Prime Minister of India Inder Kumar Gujral and UNESCO Artists for Peace Sergei Markarov and Manu Dibango.

Announcing the Award to Anandasangaree, the UNESCO described him as an indefatigable advocate of democracy and peaceful conflict resolution, (who) has contributed to raising awareness of the Tamil cause in a spirit of dialogue, while seeking to promote non-violent solutions to Sri Lanka and opposing terrorism".

Speaking after accepting the award Anandasangaree said "it is the spread of exclusion and intolerance that has resulted in the rise of racist ideologies that separate people and create barriers".

He said that education for peace is education for life and urged UNESCO, as the lead agency in education, to make use of this immense opportunity, to focus and promote worldwide concepts such as peace, human rights and respect for the environment, which are the very foundations of tolerance and non violence.

Only then he said, would future generations be inculcated with the values that would ensure democracy, good governance, tolerance, human rights, freedom of expression and justice for all.

The UNESCO - Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non Violence was created in 1995 on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi thanks to the generosity of the Indian writer and diplomat Madanjeet Singh, who is also a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.

Dedicated to advancing the spirit of tolerance in the arts, education, culture, science and communication, the Prize is awarded every two years to an individual or an institution for exceptional contributions in the promotion of tolerance and non-violence.

The award ceremony was attended by diplomats, officials, UN staff, media, civil society representatives and the Sri Lankan community in France. Following the ceremony, the Embassy of Sri Lanka organised Sri Lankan artistes to perform Baharathanatyam, Kandyan and folk dances. A reception has hosted by the Sri Lankan Ambassador on November 17 to felicitate Anandasangaree.