High profile politician from Tamil Nadu (India), Mr. Sebastian Seeman arrives in Geneva to push for an independent investigation on human rights abuses in Sri Lanka
Geneva International Airport, 19.3.2013The well-known actor, director and politician from Tamil Nadu province in India, arrived yesterday in Geneva in order to push India to take a strong stand against Sri Lanka and support the US-backed resolution at the Human Rights Council. The US backed resolution is requesting an independent investigation on all the human rights abuses in Sri Lanka, namely those against the Tamil community in Norther Sri Lanka. Seeman is a respected person amongst the Tamil community in Tamil Nadu, in Sri Lanka and abroad. He is a Tamil activist who founded the Naam Tamilar Katchi party on May 18, 2010 in Madurai. Seeman campaigned against the DMK-INdian National Congress coalition in the 2011 assembly election in Tamil Nadu. Seeman’s vigorous campaign, oratory skills and the role of his campaigning team contributed to the massive losses suffered by the Congress-DMK coalition in the state elections.[1] In the last Parliamentary elections Seeman campaigned against Congress party and was successful in defeating Congress bigwigs like Mani Shankar Aiyar, E. V. K. S. Elangovan and Thangabalu. The Congress party contested in 63 constituencies and Seeman campaigned in 59 of the 63 places.
Seeman has met with numerous controversies, largely linked to his support of the organisation LTTE and its leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran. He was detained twice under the National Security Act of India. He was first arrested in February 2010 for his support to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and against Sri Lankan Government for the genocide against the Eelam Tamils. He was arrested again in the same act in July 2010, this time for allegedly making speeches against Sri Lanka and against its Navy which killed 800 Tamil fisherman while fishing in the sea, and later released. Seeman is passionate about the Tamil language, the culture and the people, and he is also a skillful orator. As such, when he describes the suffering of the Eelam Tamils, people are moved and some even shed tears. He attacks Congress party because he holds them responsible for the genocide against the Eelam Tamils and this evokes anger among the audience. He also attacks DMK chief Karunanidhi for being a silent spectator witnessing the genocide committed against the Eelam Tamils.
