Lifelong human rights activist Viraj Mendis sadly passed away on 16th August 2024, his critical perspectives and tireless praxis relating to systemic inequalities and the deep rooted power bases which drive them will be missed. All who knew him will remember his heartfelt humanity for those fleeing persecution and at the brutal end of the worst inequalities across the world, in particular in Sri Lanka.
While there is much written about his anti-deportation campaign in the UK there is much less about his wider work both at that time and in Bremen where he has lived since leaving the UK, in particular with https://humanrights.de . Perhaps the most overlooked aspect of Viraj’s deportation is that Sri Lanka was deemed safe by the UK government at that time, yet years later as a result of investigative reporting by journalists of the highest calibre it became evident to the world that this was plainly untrue, and that the Tamil population were in fact subjected to sustained attacks, murders and intimidation. Worth also reading the funeral tribute in the Tamil Guardian at https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/friend-colleague-and-supporter-tamil-eelam-struggle-viraj-mendis-laid-rest .
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