Rejected petition: Recognise and Honour SS Tilawa 1942 UK, Indian & Commonwealth Maritime Tragedy
Rejected on
Amend the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 through the Armed Forces Bill to apply SS Storaa Court of Appeal ruling, protect qualifying wartime merchant vessels such as SS Tilawa as maritime war graves, improve transparency & whistleblower protections, & establish a permanent national memorial
SS Tilawa was a British merchant vessel sunk by enemy action in 1942 with the loss of 280 lives, including many Indian passengers & crew, reflecting the Indian diaspora’s & Commonwealth’s contribution to Britain’s WW2 effort. We believe qualifying wartime merchant vessels should receive protection comparable to military maritime graves, consistent with the SS Storaa Court of Appeal judgment, together with greater transparency, whistleblower protections, and a permanent national memorial.
Why was this petition rejected?
It’s not clear what the petition is asking the UK Government or Parliament to do.
We find this unclear since the Court of Appeal ruling found fault with the MoD's interpretation of the Act not with the scope of the Act itself (in terms of it covering wartime merchant vessels). We are also unclear what the reference to transparency and whistle-blower protection refer to in this context. Also, are these things you want to to find a place for in the Armed Forced Bill?.
As the text of the petition stands, were it to gain 10,000 signatures, I think the Government could only supply a very poor response to most of what you are asking for as the petition lacks sufficient clarity.
We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.