Happy 90th Birthday to Dr Brian Senewiratne 16th of January: 2022

We take this opportunity to wish Dr Brian (90 years), a healthy and happy Birthday wishes!!

He was the Director for Australian Tamil Congress (ATC) QLD Chapter for a brief period during the early stage of ATC formation and currently a Senator in the TGTE.

This outstanding personality – highly respected Physician, Activist in many fronts, Human Rights Champion, a prolific Writer, an Academic etc,, steadfast commitment to the Tamil Struggle is much appreciated by the global Tamil communities. Some of his contributions listed below:

 Dr Brian Senewiratne has received several international awards in human rights, including the Annual Canadian Genocide Educators Award for 2008 – ‘In recognition for his dedication to inclusivity and equity in genocide education’. The meeting was titled “Peace with Justice in Sri Lanka”, and his acceptance speech was titled: “Genocide of Sri Lanka Tamils: Its Causes and Solutions”.

He has written numerous articles and has addressed a number of Human Rights and public protest meetings in Canada, USA, India, Europe, Malaysia, New Zealand and Australia. He has also taken part in a number of public demonstrations at what is being done to the Tamis in Sri Lanka, hence responsible internationalising the Tamil Struggle particularly in post-war period. It is noteworthy that he has addressed meetings in the British House of Commons, the European Parliament, Canadian Parliament and Indian Parliamentary complex etc.

In 2008, he met Archbishop Desmond Tutu in Cape Town to discuss the deteriorating situation in human rights in Sri Lanka. The Archbishop commended him for campaigning for the cause of the Tamil people for so many decades, saying “Isn’t it remarkable that a Sinhalese should campaign for the Tamil people for so many years?” The response was that this was not a Tamil issue or a Sinhalese issue but a humanitarian issue that should be of concern to all those who call themselves human beings!

He has appeared on a number of Radio and TV shows in several countries, to present the disastrous humanitarian situation in the Tamil areas of Sri Lanka. He was invited to address key public meetings in London, Toronto, Sydney etc on the Abuse of Democracy in Sri Lanka.

He has made a major contribution by recording more than 10 DVDs on the Sri Lankan ethnic conflict, one being, “Sri Lanka: Genocide, Crimes against Humanity and Violation of International Law”. The last was in September 2012, “The deterioration of Human Rights in Sri Lanka. An Appeal for Action”.

 In 2018, he was awarded the Nelson Mandela Memorial Award by the TGTE.

His last publication in March 2019, “UN Human Rights Council fails to Address the Humanitarian Disaster in the Tamil North & East of SriLanka”, attached the Book Cover (with the Printer’s permission – ‘Mr Print and Sign’, Brisbane).

I conclude by saying, Dr. Brian’s life sits well with the saying of Albert Einstein : “Strive not to be a success, but rather be of value.” 

 NOTE: Brisbane Tamil Community organised a public dinner to celebrate this day with Dr Brian. This event is now postponed due to the current uncertainties and pandemic.

Brian Senewiratne
MA (Cantab), MBBChir (Cantab),
MBBS (Hons) (Lond),
MD (Lond), FRCP(Lond), FRACP
Consultant Physician
Brisbane, Australia

Brian Senewiratne is a Sinhalese from the majority community in Sri Lanka, one of the very few members of his ethnic group to campaign for the cause of the minority Tamils to live with equality, dignity, justice and safety in the country of their birth. His human rights activities started in 1948, when as a 16 year old schoolboy he organised a
protest in school in Sri Lanka, when a million Plantation Tamils of Indian origin (one seventh of the population of the country at the time) were decitizenised and disenfranchised by the first government of newly independent Ceylon (as it then was). Two weeks later he was invited to address a large public protest of more than 2,000 people in Colombo. In 1956, he started a long campaign when the Indigenous Tamils were discriminated against by the Sinhalese-dominated government in the use of their language, entry into universities and employment. He has continued his protests over the years, and has done so to this day.

He left Sri Lanka in 1976 when it became unsafe for him to remain there because of his outspoken views. He accepted a University appointment in Queensland and emigrated to Australia. He is a specialist Physician in Australia. Over the years, he has addressed many meetings across the world, in the United States, Canada, London, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia, the Parliamentary Complex in the House of Commons, London, the EU Parliament, the Canadian, Indian and Australian Parliament and numerous public meetings in the United States, Canada, London, Geneva,New Zealand and Australia.