APPGT Reconstituted

(June 07, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils in the British Parliament has been reconsitued following stepping down of controvercial Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP as Chairman. The reconsitued office bearers are:(Image: Virendra Sharma MP )

Virendra Sharma, MP for Southall and Ealing - Chairman
Simon Hughes, MP for Southwark and Burmondsey - Vice Chairman
Lee Scott, MP for Ilford North -Secretary
Joan Ryan, MP - Deputy Chairman
Angus Robertson MP of Scottish National Party -Treasurer

In a press release exclusively published in the LTTE front British Tamil Forum, these details have been revealed. APPGT failed to send their press release to any of the other Tamil contact groups and decided to maintain its exclusivity with the LTTE front. The newly constituted APPGT is expected to continue with the Keith Vaz MP's policy of exclusively working with the LTTE fronts.

Election of pro-LTTE Virendra Sharma as the Chairman is expected to further strengthen the proscribed LTTE in the UK. Virendra Sharman MP was the Mayor of London Borough of Ealing in 1996. Addressing a LTTE confrence at that time, he praised the violent activities of the LTTE. During conversation with the organisers of the conference, he glorified the suicide bombers of the LTTE and said that he cannot believe that committed younsters could make such sacrifices for a cause.

In a letter addressed to the Leader of Tamil Democratic Congress R Jayadevan, in response to concerns raised, The Rt Hon Lord Mallock-Brown (Minister of State) stated: All Party Groups are informal cross-party groups that have no official status within Parliament. They are essntially run by, and for, members of the Commons and Lords. The Government has no control or influence on the activities of the All-Party Groups, but we trust they act in good faith and in the interest of their members. While we share the aim of promotion of peace in Sri Lanka, the APPGT's activities and initiatives do not necessarily reflect UK government policy.
- Sri Lanka Guardian