Over 7000 Tamils participating in a massive indoor rally at Alexandra Palace in London on 9 September, called for the recognition of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam as the true representatives of the Tamil people. This massive turn out was easily the largest ever indoor Tamil gathering in London.

More than 25 Eelam Tamil associations in Great Britain participated in the Rally and condemned Sri Lanka's genocidal onslaught on the Tamil homeland and called for the ending of arm sales by Britain to Sri Lanka. The five hour rally commenced with a live Nathaswaram recital and the Tamil Eelam flag was raised in the hall by a Tamil mother whose son had given his life in the struggle. Life size video clips of Velupillai Pirabakaran, moving amongst the people of Tamil Eelam were shown on a large screen on the stage, together with his statements on the underlying nature of the Tamil struggle for self determination.

The General Secretary of the United Kingdom Federation of Tamil Associations, Dr. N. Sathchitanandan who was the first speaker, said: "It is not for President Chandrika Kumaratunga to determine who were the true representatives of the Tamil people. The Tamil people know who it is who has defended them and who it is who is struggling to establish their right to self determination. It is Velupillai Pirabakaran and the Liberation Tigers who are the true representatives of the Tamil people."

Speaker after speaker at the Rally denounced the genocidal military offensive launched on the Tamil people by the Chandrika government and condemned the bombing of the Navaly Church. They pointed out that the so called political package was a mask to hide the ugly military face of the Sri Lanka government. "President Chandrika has already promised the Buddhist High Priests that nothing will be finalised until the war is over" they said.

Rev. Richard Wooton, of the United Church of Australia who had specially flown from Australia for the Rally, expressed his solidarity with the Tamil struggle for self determination and pointed out that it was the oppression and violence of the Sri Lankan state which had lead to the rise of the lawful armed resistance of the Tamil people led by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Mr. M. Vasantharajah, who until five months ago had functioned as Chairman of Sri Lanka State Television, said that the Sri Lanka government had used the peace talks as a 'tactical episode' in its attempt to undermine Tamil resistance and marginalise the Liberation Tigers. "It was a tactic which had miserably failed," he said to rousing applause from the audience. He said that he had little doubt that if Sri Lanka recognised the existence of the Tamil nation and its right to self determination and also recognised the Liberation Tigers as the true representatives of the Tamil people, the two parties to the armed conflict would be able to talk to each other on equal terms and work out structures to secure a just and durable peace in the island.

The Rally concluded with the entire seven thousand strong gathering standing up and declaring in unison and together: (1) "We condemn the genocide of the Tamil people by Sri Lanka; (2) We call upon the British government to stop selling arms to Sri Lanka; and (3) We recognise the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam as the true representatives of the Tamil people."