I had the honour of speaking at the National Day of Remembrance for the British Tamil community at Excel Centre in Docklands.  The size of the audience was staggering - thousands and thousands of people quietly queuing to lay a rose on the temporary memorial to the tens of thousands killed in the conflict in Sri Lanka, while politicians of all political parties were invited to speak from the main stage.  The event was being televised globally to the scattered Tamils who have made their homes outside their ancestral home, while members of their families who were unable to escape are held in camps, often denied access by charities or outside observers.

The dignity and scale of the event was very sobering, and it was humbling to be received with such gratitude.  Along with David Cameron, William Hague and Liam Fox, I wish a peaceful resolution can be found in Sri Lanka, and the Tamil people given their rightful stake in their homeland once again.

Postscript: I have been overwhelmed by the many comments and emails I have received from Tamil people around the world.  Thank you to all of you.  And to those people who have tried to make crass, irresponsible and deeply unpleasant comments, I have nothing at all to say.  I always try to speak openly and honestly about what I believe.  That will not always make me popular!  But I would rather be unpopular than to stand by and watch an injustice.