Uma Kumaran, a British national of Sri Lankan descent, has made history by becoming the first MP for Stratford and Bow in the United Kingdom. Running as a candidate from the Labour Party, she secured her position with 19,145 votes in the general election on July 4th.

In an interview, Uma shared her roots, revealing she was born in East London, where her parents settled after fleeing the armed conflict in Sri Lanka.

Addressing issues important to the Tamil community, such as war crimes, Uma expressed disbelief that no one has been held accountable for the atrocities that occurred in May 2009 in Sri Lanka. She highlighted the immense loss of life and land, the shelling of hospitals and Red Cross sites, and the torture and sexual violence endured by Tamil men and women.

Uma also conveyed her frustration with the fact that Sri Lanka is not a party to the Rome Statute or the ICC, making it difficult to seek justice without UN Security Council intervention. She emphasized Labour’s commitment to achieving lasting peace and reconciliation for the Tamil people, promising to work towards accountability and justice if elected.

Uma supports Canada's recognition of May 18 as Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day and believes it should be a core goal of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Tamils. She advocates for presenting a united front to the government to increase the chances of recognition and for seeking international court rulings on the genocide.

She also stressed the importance of sanctioning Sri Lankan war criminals in the UK, similar to actions taken by Canada and the United States, and called for an assessment of sanctions against those accused of war crimes.

Regarding Tamil asylum seekers facing deportation, Uma criticized the Conservative government’s policies, particularly the scheme sending asylum seekers to Rwanda. She assured that a Labour government would abolish this inhumane policy and ensure that Tamils with legitimate asylum claims are not sent back to danger.