Glasgow (August 19, 2014): The Glasgow based human rights organisation Global Minorities Alliance (GMA) has demanded absolute support for the Sikhs who were found in a container at Tilbury port, Essex on Saturday (August 16).
The group who is believed to be from Afghanistan consists of 13 children, including a baby and adults up to the age of 72.
One Sikh man identified as Meet Singh Kapoor was found dead in the container.
In a written statement sent to the Sikh Siysasat News (SSN), GMA’s Director for Interfaith and Dialogue, Shahzad Khan, expressed his condolences over the death of Mr. Kapoor. Mr. Khan said “We are saddened to learn about the death of Meet Singh Kapoor. Our thoughts are with the bereaved family.”
“It is unimaginable to fathom the plight these people must have gone through in their home country which forced them to take the risk to board on a container with their children.”
“We believe that the hostile climate for minorities in Afghanistan and to the Sikhs in particular provides any ground to these people absolute and immediate support here in the UK.”
“Sikhs have long been persecuted because of their faith in Afghanistan. Persecution reached to its acme since Taliban took over in 1992. Since then the Sikh population has shrunk from 75.000 to just 4.000”
“GMA strongly opposes the thought of the traumatised stowaways being sent back to their home country where they face terror and violence on basis of their faith”
“It is the UK Government responsibility to show gratitude to these people and grant sanctuary in the UK on humanitarian ground in a quick and non-bureaucratic manner.”