Welsh folk singer Dafydd Iwan has asked people who oppose the housing of asylum seekers to stop using his song. On Twitter the Carmarthenshire-born singer and activist shared that he had found out that protesters against the housing of asylum seekers had been using one of his most iconic songs, Yma o Hyd, during a protest.
He then went on to request that they stopped using the song. In the tweet he wrote: "Mae wedi dod i'm sylw fod 'Yma o Hyd' yn cael ei defnyddio gan bobol sy'n gwrthwynebu rhoi cartref i geiswyr lloches. Os gwelwch yn dda, peidiwch!! It has been brought to my notice that 'Yma o Hyd' is used by groups opposing the housing of asylum seekers. This must stop!!"
It comes amid opposition against plans to house hundreds of asylum seekers at Stradey Park Hotel in Llanelli. In May the Home Office announced it plans to house around 300 people at the hotel in the village of Furnace.
Read more: Community unites to support asylum seekers amid plan to house 300 at hotel
Speaking to WalesOnline following the tweet on Sunday evening Mr Iwan confirmed that it had been brought to his attention that the song had been used during a recent protest opposing the plans in Llanelli. Many on the social media platform have praised the singer for taking a stand in the matter with one Twitter user saying that there was a "profound misunderstanding" of the song's meaning. Yma o Hyd has been a familiar anthem for some time but firmly moved into the mainstream in recent years with sport playing a big part in its popularity.
The song is about the survival of Welsh culture and language. In 1983 the song, which translates to 'still here' in Welsh, was written at a time of political and economic turmoil where the age of Thatcherism saw many coal pits closing, thousands of men and women losing their jobs, and times of great hardship for many.
On Monday Mr Iwan said: "I just want to make it clear that I do not support the right-wing attitude and racism against asylum seekers. The message behind the song is that we have to fight for our identity but that does not mean that we close our doors to everyone else."
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