DUSHY GNANAPRAGSAM
June 18, 2008
Toronto -- So, Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day wants us to "stay
tuned" to the continuing RCMP investigation of the World Tamil
Movement (Tamil Fundraiser Group Put On Banned List - June 17). And
while we stay tuned, a Canadian community organization that has served
the needs of Tamil immigrants to Canada for many years will cease to
exist.
It's one thing to ban a foreign entity as terrorists. But it's
entirely another matter to ban an organization started and run by
Canadians, and registered as a non-profit organization under Canadian
laws, without due process or even as much as a day in court to defend
the allegations. But in this climate of colour-coded fear, due process
and basic rights are the furthest thing from the minds of people. (National Post)
'If you want to go fight in a war, just go already. But
leave us out of it'
National Post Published: Monday, July 14, 2008
ReutersA Sri Lankan
police officer holds a pistol near the body of an unidentified ethnic
Tamil.
Reproduced below are some of the more interesting online
comments posted on the Web site of the National Post Comment pages,
www.fullcomment.com, in reaction to an editorial entitled
"Terror-Friendly Tamils on parade." Join the debate at:
www.fullcomment.comchuck80 Now this is what I call an editorial! In a
global village of opinions, this one stands out as a good opinion in
every sense of the words. It is informed, it takes a stance and it does
not compromise.
Thank
you for your bold stance on this issue. I'm surprised that none of the
supporters of the Tamil Tigers have responded yet. Usually, they crowd
these pages with a bunch of disinformation and excuses.
But,
I hope you will agree that the government of Sri Lanka is not without
blame either. It must also answer to war crimes charges.
Yo!
You call leaving "murderous old-world disputes at the door" a price of
admission. When-oh-when can we start calling that the prize for reaching
this promised land instead? For far too many of our fellow citizens and
residents, the forced conscription into supporting Tamil terrorists
continues. It is about time the Canadian government did something to
stop the bullying shakedown of our citizens and residents. May they have
the political guts to not waver.
srilankan Thank you for supporting the genocide of Tamils. I also like
how this editorial blames the Tigers for everything. You have written
here like a true Singhalese. Surely everyone in the world except the
Post's editorial board is a terrorist.
Ottawan We Canadians have a democratic system. So, it is absolutely the
Canadian way to have a rally or lobby if one wishes to express a point
of view.
Unfortunately, the Post's editorial board lacks an understanding of very
core issues of the armed struggle for freedom that simply uses all tools
for survival from state terrorism.
Neither the ban on the Tamil Tigers in 2006 nor the recent ban on the
World Tamil Movement will save civilians in Sri Lanka. Only a just
political solution, meeting the aspirations of Tamils, will. Therefore,
Canada must reverse its ban and actively engage in seeking peace.
Yo!
Geez, guys, if you want to go back and fight in a war, just go back
already. Leave us out of it! And leave our fellow residents and
citizens, so many of whom fled to get away from that dangerous
stupidity, alone.
The
democratically elected Parliament in this country says "no support for
terrorists." Those are the rules.
http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/story.html?id=649316
The lesson from Sri Lanka
National Post Published: Saturday, July 12, 2008
Re:
Terror Friendly Tamils On Parade, editorial, July 8.
There
is no doubt that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is guilty of
human rights abuses, along with the Sri Lankan government. However, the
global community is culpable in the creation of this movement. From 1947
to the 1970s, the Sri Lankan government engaged in horrific abuse and
discrimination against the Tamil minority, and yet peaceful Tamil protests
yielded zero results. This provoked the creation of a violent separatist
movement.
The
lesson to be learned is that when oppressive dictatorships like Communist
China and Islamic Malaysia commit horrific abuse against peaceful
minorities, like Tibetans and Malaysian Hindus, other democracies must
intervene and force justice for the oppressed. Otherwise, frustrated
minorities may be forced to take up arms to achieve justice.
This
applies only to dictatorships which abuse human rights, not democracies
like India and Israel.
Ron
Banerjee, director, Hindu Conference of Canada, Toronto.
http://www.nationalpost.com/todays_paper/story.html?id=641416
Tamil protesters had legitimate grievances
National Post Published: Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Re:
Terror-Friendly Tamils on Parade, editorial, July 8.
Tamil
Canadians were taken aback by this editorial. Canada is a nation built on
immigration; apart from the aboriginals, every Canadian can trace their
ancestry to a foreign land. It is audacious to expect that immigrant
communities would simply "leave their baggage behind." The scars of the
armed conflict in Sri Lanka that has been raging for over 25 years is part
of the lived experiences of Tamil-Canadians, much like the Holocaust is
very much a part of the Jewish diaspora's history or the Armenian genocide
is a part of that community's collective memory. These memories and
experiences cannot be simply left behind.
The
only difference is that in Sri Lanka these atrocities continue to take
place and many Tamil Canadians still bear fresh wounds that have not yet
healed. When members of the Tamil community in Canada gather by the
thousands to express their discontent at government policies, they are
perfectly within their rights to exercise this freedom.
These
are rights that were denied to Tamils in Sri Lanka. Perhaps it should be
brought to your attention that Sri Lanka has been ranked as the third most
dangerous place for journalists. Sri Lanka has also been condemned for its
brutal human rights record by several international actors and was
recently kicked out of the UN Human Rights Council.
Canada
is world renowned for its peace-building role and the Canadian media is
perceived as neutral and objective in portraying foreign conflicts. Not
only does this editorial stance run counter to Canadian values, but it is
also a dangerous weapon to place in the hands of the government of Sri
Lanka, a regime that continues to pursue a military approach to the
conflict within its borders.
David
Pooplapillai, Canadian Tamil Congress, Toronto.
://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/story.html?id=645974
Tamil rally sent the wrong message
National Post Published: Friday, July 11, 2008
Re:
Terror Friendly Tamils On Parade, editorial, July 8.
What are these Canadian Tamils doing [taking part in a Toronto protest
rally]? They are abusing Canadian hospitality and trying to tarnish
the image of a friendly country, Sri Lanka.
If
they had a little respect for Canada they wouldn't have carried the
flags and displayed the face of their terrorist leader Velupillai
Prabhakaran, a man more ruthless than Osama Bin Laden and killer of
two world leaders. How could they defy Canadian laws and protest
against Canada's Minister of Public Safety, Stockwell Day? Those
people who carried flags of a terrorist group banned in Canada today
will carry AK-47s tomorrow. That is the danger.
They continue to disgrace Sri Lanka because they lack grace. They are
doing the same to Canada because they don't have grace.
I
have always maintained that all Tamils are not LTTE. Most of them are
harassed and forced to slave for the LTTE, even in Canada. Others who
are supporting the LTTE are doing it for their livelihood and to make
a quick buck. They are true warmongers. If they really want peace to
dawn in Sri Lanka, they must force the LTTE to lay down arms and agree
to talk peace with Sri Lanka.
I
would like to extend an open invitation to the misguided LTTE
supporters who are warmongering from Canadian soil. Come down from the
ivory towers you live in. Remove your pinstriped suits, wear a sarong
and a shirt. Come with me to Sri Lanka. Let's work together to rebuild
Sri Lanka.
Bandula Jayasekara, Sri Lankan Consul General, Toronto.
http://www.nationalpost.com/todays_paper/story.html?id=641418
Tamil protesters had legitimate grievances
National Post Published: Wednesday, July 09, 2008
The
UN, Human Rights Watch, Louise Arbour and others have all condemned the
Sri Lankan government for its oppression of a people, the Tamils in the
north and east of Sri Lanka. These citizens are only asking the
numerically higher Singhalese in the south to let them be, to let the
Tamils govern themselves, as it is their inalienable right. Implying
that the 30 or 40 thousand Tamil-Canadians who gathered last Sunday in
Toronto support terrorists is ignorant and unfortunate. Please get both
sides of the story before you go to print.
Kail.
T. Rajah, Toronto.
http://www.nationalpost.com/todays_paper/story.html?id=641419
Tamil protesters had legitimate grievances
National Post Published: Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Democracy can lead to quite a dangerous situation in a multi-ethnic
society like Sri Lanka, unless it is accompanied by economic and
political policies to protect diverse groups. Where ethnic identities
coincide with economic and/or social identities, instability of one
sort or another is likely. Today, as many as 338,000 Sri Lankans are
dead and two million more have been displaced. Tamil-Canadians are
asking Canada to pressure Sri Lanka to put forward an acceptable
political solution to end 60 years of occupation.
Ganes Selva, Toronto.
To:
sbell@nationalpost.com (STEWART BELL)
Sent: Wednesday, July 09, 2008 1:24 PM
Subject: Terror friendly Thamils on parade
July 08, 2008
The Editor
National Post
Toronto
Dear Sir,
Reference your editorial titled "Terror friendly Thamils on parade" of
July 07, 2008 I regret the editorial was biased and not balanced. Sri
Lankan government's horrendous
human rights violations have been ignored completely.
Sri Lanka is being perennially ruled under Emergency Regulations that
vests sweeping powers to the armed forces to detain without charge anyone
suspected of terror activity. These Regulations have been used almost
exclusively against Thamils.
Sri Lanka has been branded as a "failed
state" by the Washington-based Fund for Peace and the prestigious
Foreign Policy magazine. It ranked 25 out of 177 countries with Sudan,
the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast and Iraq occupying the
first four places. Sri Lanka has been included in the "in-danger"
category while the first 20 nations on the list have been grouped
together into a "critical" category.
The World Association of Newspapers has ranked Sri Lanka as the third
most dangerous country in the world for media workers in 2007. Twelve
journalists (Sinhalese and Thamils) have been killed during the last 2
years.
Global Peace Index - produced by Vision of Humanity, based on
peacefulness determined by 24 qualitative and quantitative indicators
ranging from a nation's level of military expenditure to its relations
with neighbouring countries and the level of respect for human rights
has ranked Sri Lanka 125th among 140 countries (2008) Rankings: (Zimbabawe
124 and Myanmar 126)
Freedom of Press Index - produced by Reporters without Borders ranked
Sri Lanka at 156 out of 169 countries (2007). (Afghanistan 142, Rwanda
147, Pakistan 152, Syria 154, Iraq 157....)
Like in Kosovo, East Timor and Eritrea why not allow a UN supervised
referendum on Tamil Statehood so that the Thamil people can decide their
own political destiny? Why don't the National Post support the
proposition to bring peace in Sri Lanka?
Insinuating Thamil Canadians as "Terror friendly Thamils on parade"
might be self-gratifying, but it will not solve the problem. It will
only help the beleagued Sri Lankan government propaganda machinery to
justify the current genocidal war against Thamils fought under the
pretext of terrorism.
Yours sincerely
Veluppillai Thangavelu
TAMIL RESPONSE :
11-07-2008
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tamilinfodaily/message/1504-
National
Post editorial is a collective obsession and a torrential outpouring of
hate, with a markedly fascist and racist character - By: Rajan
Thangavelu, Canada [TIS]
True to form the National Post Editorial Board (NPEB) (Terror friendly
Thamils on parade – July 07, 2008 ) has done it again. The editorial is
a collective obsession and a torrential outpouring of hate with a
markedly fascist and racist character. The NPEB has consistently and
relentlessly carried out a campaign of vilification against Thamil
Canadians and used the fig leaf of terrorism to cover its own
chauvinism. Therefore, the current outburst is nothing surprising given
the fact it is a rightwing neo-conservative mouthpiece. NPEB seem to
think that they are the exclusive saviours, guardians and godfathers of
Canada.
This editorial is further proof, if proof is needed, that one cannot
straighten a dog's tail. All the pleadings by Thamil Canadians for a
better understanding of their plight have proved nothing but pearls
before swine.
To brand Thamil Canadians as "terror friendly supporters" is a mindset
like the cliché that "if you are not with us, you are against us!" The
editorial failed to identify the root cause of the national conflict and
Sri Lanka 's long history of racial oppression of Thamil people.
The editorial lacks objectivity and even-handedness in dealing with a
complex problem that has defied solution for the last fifty years or
more. One should pose to find out the reasons why a docile and peaceful
Thamil people took to arms.
The NPEB exhibits an extreme manifestation of the antipathy towards the
Liberals. It is Liberal bashing by the National Post at the expense of
Thamil Canadian community.
Time and time again the NPEB through editorials and concocted news
stories have accused Thamil Canadians of "raising funds through migrant
smuggling, passport fraud, organized crime, front organizations and
rallies at Toronto area public schools featuring men in camouflage
uniforms carrying mock assault rifles" but sans a shred of evidence to
prove them. Once it even went to the extent of publishing a story
quoting a self-styled terrorism expert of The MacKenzie Institute
accusing Canadian Thamils of raising funds for the LTTE through
prostitution! Thamils took to the streets to protest this obscene and
insane accusation.
By insinuating Thamils as "terror-friendly" the NPED is saying that only
Thamils can be terrorists! It does not want to make a distinction
between blind terrorists acts based on fanaticism and freedom struggle
based on the right to self-determination.
Again this is the same newspaper which made a mountain out of a molehill
by berating Mr. Paul Martin, then Minister of Finance and Ms. Maria
Minna, MP that they attended a fund raising dinner for the Thamil
Tigers! It was a vicious campaign of character assassination of two
senior Liberal MPs for the benefit of the Conservatives.
The un-evenhanded editorial of the NPEB left untouched the horrendous
human rights abuses and war crimes committed by the Sri Lankan
Government (GoSL).
The World Association of Newspapers recently ranked Sri Lanka as the
third most dangerous country in the world for media workers in 2007.
Twelve journalists have been killed in Sri Lanka since August 2005 for
reporting on the war. Opposition MP Joseph Michael Perera told
parliament that the recent series of abductions, assaults and other
violence against journalists were carried out by a "special team"
controlled by Lt Gen Sarath Fonseka. (Lankaeverything – July 09, 2008)
A historical approach shows that it is absurd to speak only about LTTE
terrorism when the facts show that it was propelled really by the
terrorism of Sinhalese fascists and racists. Sri Lanka's state terrorism
that indiscriminately killed defenseless non-combatant Thamils on a
genocidal scale is the reason why LTTE took arms as a last resort. More
than 3,000 Thamils got killed in the 1983 slaughter of Thamils is a good
example. Even today, Sri Lanka state terrorism continues unabated when
its air force planes dropped 16 bombs on Chencholai killing 65 girl
students on August 14, 2006 .
The notion that the LTTE is purely, and in its very essence, a terrorist
movement and nothing else is wrong. Today, LTTE is a military force with
conventional warfare capability and holds territory and runs a de facto
state. LTTE will cease violence once state violence ends and the Thamil
people are left alone to manage their own affairs.
The NPED is free to label Thamil Canadians as "terror friendly Thamils"
but it should understand that one man's terrorist is another man's
freedom fighter! The terrorist of yesterday is the hero of today, and
the hero of yesterday becomes the terrorist of today.
Martin McGuiness and his Sinn Fein comrade Gerry Adams who were branded
as "terrorists" not so long ago are now honoured as freedom fighters.
Today Martin McGuiness is the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland
.
Like wise, no fewer than three Israeli prime ministers once branded as
terrorists later become heads of governments.
Menachem Begin, who's Irgun blew up the King David Hotel and carried out
the massacre of Palestinian villagers in Deir Yassin in April of 1948
was a wanted terrorist by the British who offered 100.000 British pounds
for his head.
Yitzhak Shamir, head of the Stern Gang that murdered Edward Lord Moyne
in Cairo in 1944 – enraging Churchill, who gave Moyne's eulogy – and
assassinated U.N. mediator Count Bernadotte in Jerusalem in 1948 was
another wanted terrorist.
Ariel Sharon, as head of Force 101, was accused of massacring scores of
Palestinian villagers at Qibya in 1953 in a reprisal raid for the murder
of an Israel woman and her children.
Nelson Mandela, Nobel Peace Prize winner did not get life imprisonment
in Robben Island for sitting in at lunch counters, but for plotting
terror to overthrow the Apartheid regime. It's very hard now to imagine
Nelson Mandela as a terrorist. . He is the international symbol of
freedom and most universally admired living human being, almost a
secular saint,
Jomo Kenyatta, the "Grand Old Man" of Africa , in the 1960s, was the
leader of the Mau Mau in the 1950s. Ahmed Ben Bella led Algeria 's war
of independence, in which terror was the insurgents' weapon and torture
the counter-weapon of the French.
The Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) - an Albanian-based Islamic mujahideen
force - was listed by the State Department as a terrorist organization
till recently. Its leader Hashim Thaçi is now the Prime Minister of
Government of Republic of Kosovo. Kosovo has been recognized by most of
the EU countries, US and Canada.
The Nepal Communist Party (Maoists) leader Prachanda (Pushpa Kamal Dahal)
is the front runner for the next Nepal 's Prime Minister. His party
which emerged as the largest party in the general elections held this
year is in the US terrorist list. US Ambassador Ms Nancy Powel has
opened talks with the leader of the Nepal Communist Party (Maoist)
despite the fact NCP (M) remains in US list of banned foreign terrorist
organizations.
Contemporary history is replete with a multitude of such examples of
terrorists metamorphosing as heads of state.
Of course, no one has defined the word "terrorism" not even the UNO. All
of them explain it, express it emotively and polemically to arouse
emotions rather than exercise intelligence.
Bruce Feine, a former US Deputy Attorney General, in a statement
released to the media on March 26, 2008 asserted that the rights
violations and violent incidents Colombo either allegedly was complicit
in, or had direct involvement, and concludes that "GOSL is a terrorist
state under any sensible definition of the term.... Under international
law and practice, the victims of state sponsored terrorism are regularly
entitled to separate statehood. Kosovar Albanians had their Slobodan
Milosevic. East Timorese had their Suharto. Eritreans had their Mengistu
Haile Mariam. The southern Sudanese had their Hassan al-Turabi. And
Thamils have their Rajapakse brothers and General Fonseka."
Haroon Siddiqui, the Toronto Star's editorial page editor emeritus, who
was in Colombo recently quoted a Western diplomat who said "Nowhere in
Sri Lanka are the Thamils safe. What's happening here is de facto ethnic
cleansing," as Thamils flee for India or the Middle East and beyond.
"The government doesn't seem to care if they all leave." (Tor Star – May
08, 2008)
Despite several reports by high ranking UN diplomats critical of the
human rights record of GoSL little or nothing has been done to arrest
the worsening situation. Instead UN diplomats like
Allen Rock, Special
Advisor to the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed
Conflict, were subject to innuendos by Minister Keheliya Rambukwella who
questioned un-ashamedly his personal character. (Transcurrents -
November 18th, 2006)
The same fate fell on John Holmes — the U.N. undersecretary-general for
humanitarian affairs. Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, the government's chief whip
in Parliament and a Cabinet minister branded Holmes a "terrorist" who is
in the pocket of the Liberation Tigers of Thamil Eelam rebel group. "I
think the LTTE has bribed Holmes. Otherwise he would not have done such
a wrong thing," Fernandopulle said. (The Associated Press Wednesday,
August 15, 2007)
Even peace envoy and the Norwegian International Development Minister,
Erik Solheim, was the focus of Colombo 's ire. Dissatisfied with Solheim's approach to peace process, Sinhala nationalists accused him of
bias, labelled him a "White Tiger" and called for his ouster. State-run
media accused Solheim of joining LTTE rallies in Norway , of accepting
money from Tigers and in turn providing material assistance to Thamil
Tigers.
Thamil people continue to face aerial bombardments, artillery shelling,
economic sanctions and other horrors and indignities of the war.
We are not amused that the Conservative Party which called Nelson
Mandela a terrorist right inside the Parliament chose to ban the LTTE
and WTM as terrorists. The NPEB is delighted that "Mr. Harper is cut
from different cloth" - more accurately from the same cloth as George
Bush. Only last week Bush signed a decree that removed Nelson Mandela's
name from the terrorist list! Nelson Mandela's is a great statesman who
has left so indelible an imprint on the world stage.
Stephen Harper is a disappointment since we Thamils trusted him to have
a slightly more nuanced approach than the "bomb them all into the stone
age" mentality of George Bush. Many Thamils in the GTA campaigned and
voted for the Conservative Party candidates, with one contesting on the
Conservative Party platform.
We must be excused, if we do not understand why the NPEB is calling
"Thamils terror friendly" but not the Sinhalese who are raising funds to
fill Sri Lanka 's official war chest! Sri Lankan armed forces have
bombed the Thamils from their homes, tortured them, denied them food and
clothing and raped their women folk, yet are not called 'terrorists' by
the National Post. What is worse Western countries are providing
military hardware, weapon training and intelligence to the Sinhala armed
forces in spite of the unspeakable human rights abuses against not only
the Thamils but Sinhalese as well. GoSL uses or rather misuses a myriad
of draconian laws in its armoury to harass, bully and incarcerate
Thamils merely on grounds of ethnicity. The price the nation is paying
at the altar of political expedience, ethnic fanaticism, and religious
and language frenzy is colossal.
On January, 2006 5 students at Trincomalee were shot and killed by
Special Task Force.
On August 04, 2008 Sinhala soldiers and Home Guards shot and killed 17
aid workers (16 Thamils and one Muslim) employed by French based INGO
Action Against Hunger(ACF) at Muthur. These killings of aid workers sent
shock waves through the global humanitarian community.
A total of 4 Thamil Members of Parliament have been killed since Mahinda
Rajapakse came to power in November, 2005.
What distinguishes a terrorist organization and a national liberation
movement is mass support and LTTE enjoys mass support as evidenced by
the Pongu Thamil (Upsurge) rally in Toronto. To deny this is to deny the
truth.
By banning the LTTE and WTM Stephen Harper's Conservative government is
wasting tax payers' money. Instead of cutting violent crime or fighting
drug and arms trafficking the RCMP and CSIS have been asked to hunt down
"Terror-friendly Thamils." Suffice to say that Canadian Thamils have the
eerie feeling of living under Stalin's Soviet state and the feared KGB.
CSIS is the local KGB which is shadowing, photographing and
videographing individual Thamils and Thamil cultural events.
The Minister of Public Safety Stockwell Day has claimed that "The
listing of the WTM is meant to support the Thamil Community of Canada ,
which consists of law-abiding and hard working people who have left
their country of origin to build a better life for themselves and their
families in Canada . The government is taking this step to help ensure
that Canadians, including the Thamil community, are protected from the
activities of this organisation." But the fact remains that no Thamil
Canadian sought protection from the Conservative government. Therefore,
the Minister's statement is devoid of truth! Over 100.000 that rallied
on Saturday proved that beyond any reasonable doubt.
The NPEB has been making a song and dance about child recruitment.
Suffice to say that it is the symptom of the military violence unleashed
against a national minority by a theo-fascist Sinhala -Buddhist state!
Not everybody agrees with Canadian government's definition of terrorism.
The two Democratic presidential candidates who fought the primaries have
a different perception about national liberation fought by the Thamil
Tigers. Let us quote same for the benefit of the NPEB.
Senator Clinton made her comments to Michael Tomasky of Britain 's `The
Guardian' newspaper in an interview which covered Iraq , the legacy of
the Cold War and ceding executive powers.
When asked "do you think that the terrorists hate us for our freedoms,
or do you think they have specific geopolitical objectives?" she
replied:
"Well, I believe that terrorism is a tool that has been utilized
throughout history to achieve certain objectives. Some have been
ideological, others territorial. There are personality-driven
terroristic objectives."
"The bottom line is you can't lump all terrorists together. And I think
we've got to do a much better job of clarifying what are the
motivations, the raisons d'être of terrorists."
"I mean, what the Thamil Tigers are fighting for in Sri Lanka , or the
Basque separatists in Spain , or the insurgents in al-Anbar province may
only be connected by tactics. They may not share all that much in terms
of what is the philosophical or ideological underpinning."
"And I think one of our mistakes has been painting with such a broad
brush, which has not been particularly helpful in understanding what it
is we were up against when it comes to those who pursue terrorism for
whichever ends they're seeking."
Last January,2008 Senator
Obama characterised the conflict in
Sri Lanka as a “vicious civil war” at the ‘Candidates@Google’ meeting.
He described the Sri Lankan crisis as the inability of people to
accommodate others “who are not like us,” and mentioned Sri Lanka as an
example, pointing out that war rages even when “everybody there looks
exactly the same.”
Jaffna peninsula is an open prison for Thamils now. More than 60,000
strong Sinhala army has imposed military rule over 500,000 Thamils
denying them freedom of movement. On an average 5 civilians are killed
daily by the Sinhala army and the Para-military squads operating along
with it. Three hundred Thamils volunteered to be locked up in prisons to
escape assassination of government backed death squads!
The Sinhala armed forces have mounted attacks from several fronts to
capture Vanni before the year is out. Aerial bombardment and artillery
shelling have escalated causing loss of lives and destruction of
property. Several thousand families have been displaced.
More than 150, 000 Thamils displaced in the East during army military
operations are still waiting re-settlement. Thamil families in Sampur
and adjoining villages have been driven out permanently from their homes
to create HSZ.
The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has indicted Sri Lanka 's President Mahinda
Rajapaksa as "once a rights advocate," has now led his government to
become "one of the world's worst perpetrators of enforced
disappearances." (HRW Press Release "Recurring Nightmare: State
Responsibility for 'Disappearances' and Abductions in Sri Lanka
,............... " March 06, 2008 )
According to Red Cross (ICRC) the number of civilians killed and injured
in Sri Lanka has reached "appalling levels". A total of 180 civilians
died in the first six weeks of 2008 and nearly 270 more were injured.
More than 1,000 people have been killed since the government withdrew
from the ceasefire according to the military. (BBC - March 06, 2008 )
The International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) invited
by President Mahinda Rajapakse to monitor a government commission
investigating human rights abuses has resigned on Thursday ( March 06,
2008 ) in frustration over the government's lack of support.
GoSL is refusing to investigate, prosecute and punish human rights
violators. The many ad hoc commissions of inquiry of the past two years
have accomplished nothing, while disappearances and political killings
continue, especially in the Jaffna peninsula. The military offensives
launched by the government have caused heavy loss of lives, social
oppression, political subjugation and economic deprivation. (AP - March
06, 2008 )
Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe told a media briefing on
Wednesday ( March 05, 2008 ) " that armed Thamil groups Pillaiyan group,
EPDP, and a Muslim group mobilised by the government are in operation in
the East". Last month (June) alone 48 Thamils have been killed, 29
abducted and 253 arrested by the armed forces.
Sri Lanka is being perennially ruled under Emergency Regulations that
vests sweeping powers to the armed forces to detain without charge
anyone suspected of terror activity. These Regulations have been used
almost exclusively against Thamils. Thamils have to register their names
at the nearest police stations and hang the family photo in front of
their houses!
Sri Lanka has been branded as a"failed state" by the Washington-based
Fund for Peace and the prestigious Foreign Policy magazine. It ranked
number 25 out of 177 countries with Sudan , the Democratic Republic of
Congo, Ivory Coast and Iraq occupying the first four places. Sri Lanka
has been included in the "in-danger" category while the first 20 nations
on the list have been grouped together into a "critical" category.
The World Association of Newspapers has ranked Sri Lanka as the third
most dangerous country in the world for media workers in 2007.
Global Peace Index – produced by Vision of Humanity, based on
peacefulness determined by 24 qualitative and quantitative indicators
ranging from a nation's level of military expenditure to its relations
with neighbouring countries and the level of respect for human rights
has ranked Sri Lanka 125th among 140 countries (2008) Rankings:
(Zimbabwe 124 and Myanmar 126)
Freedom of Press Index – produced by Reporters without Borders ranked
Sri Lanka at 156 out of 169 countries (2007). ( Afghanistan 142, Rwanda
147, Pakistan 152, Syria 154, Iraq 157....)
At the heart of the Sri Lankan conflict is racism and religion that the
whole island belongs to Sinhala – Buddhists only and they are its chosen
people.
The Buddhist chronicle Mahavamsa (Great Chronicle) covers events from
the supposed arrival of prince Vijaya up to 300 AD. It was written in
Pali in the fifth century AD by a Buddhist Monk named Mahanama for the
"serene joy and emotion of the pious" whose aim was to glorify Buddhism
and the Buddhist kings who ruled Anuradhapura . According to Mahavamsa
Buddha just before his death, summoned Sakra the king of gods and the
divine protector of Sasana (the dhamma doctrine as taught by Buddha) and
instructed him "Vijaya son of Sinhabahu has come to Lanka .... together
with 700 of his followers.... In Lanka O Lord of Gods will my religion
be established, therefore, Do thou, O lotus-hued One, protect with zeal
Prince Vijaya and his followers, and the Doctrine that is to endure in
Lanka for full five thousand years." Thus following Mahavamsa's effort
to eulogize Sinhala – Buddhist kings, the Thamils came to be presented
as invaders, vandals, non-believers, marauders and destroyers of
Sinhalese civilization. It is this Mahavamsa mind-set. - A lethal
cocktail mix of race and religion - that has defied any just and
reasonable resolution of the conflict!
Buddhist monks frequently visit battle fronts to recite pirith (Buddhist
sermon) and invoke the Triple Gem to guide the soldiers and their
weapons in warfare. But the spirit of non-violence permeates Buddhism
and the first of the five precepts that all Buddhists should follow is
"Avoid killing, or harming any living thing." Nothing in Buddhist
scripture gives any support to the use of violence as a way to resolve
conflict. Buddha says "In times of war Give rise in yourself to the mind
of compassion, Helping living beings, and Abandon the will to fight."
Finally, it is said the sting is in the tail. The NPEB gives gratuitous
lecture on good behaviour to Thamil Canadians stating " Canada has
always been a nation of immigrants, one that welcomes newcomers from all
over the world. But traditionally, the price of admission was that
newcomers left their murderous old-world disputes at the door. In recent
years, we have forgotten to charge this fee. The result: disgraceful
displays such as last weekend's rally — in which a group of Canadians
unashamedly shouted slogans in support of a terrorist group."
Is NPEB serious that Canadian Jews, Palestinians, Tibetans, Irish and
Afghans who came to Canada have left their "murderous old-world
disputes" at the door? Don't Jewish Canadians raise funds to build
Jewish settlements in occupied Palestinian Territory ? And what is this
non-sensical and arrogant talk about "we have forgotten to charge this
fee" as though the NPEB is ruling this country?
May we also ask the NPEB whether they and their forefathers came to this
country after leaving their guns and horses behind or they came with
guns and horses and killed the Canadian Indians in their thousands and
stripping the culture of the remaining Indians? Did not the British
fearing that the American Indians would fight for independence, which
would throw the British out of North America, gave the Indians blankets
contaminated with small pox. During the 1770's, smallpox killed at least
30% of the West Coast Native Americans. This bio warfare overnight gave
the British the advantage in numbers over the Aboriginals and quickly
ended any thoughts of independence.
The history of the Indian people for the last century has been the
history of the impingement of white civilization upon the Indian: the
Indian was virtually powerless to resist the white civilization; the
white community adopted a policy of apartheid of a particularly cruel
and degrading kind. Did they not begin by taking the Indians' land
without any fee, without any surrender and without their consent? Did
the Indian people not herded onto Indian reserves? This was nothing more
or less than apartheid and that is what it still is today? And Apartheid
has become synonymous with oppression, injustice and racism? We hope the
NPEB will give us honest answers!
Unfortunately for the NPEB and fortunately for the Thamil Canadians we
have a Charter of Rights and Freedoms that guarantee our fundamental
rights of free speech and freedom of assembly. Little Hitlers cannot rob
us of those rights and freedoms under the pretext of fighting terrorism.
We shall fight back using all democratic means available to us.
[THE END]
National Post Editorial Board:
Terror-friendly Tamils on parade
It’s
the sort of sight that too often makes Canadian politicians go weak in
the spine: ethnic voters rallying for a parochial, unsavoury cause.
Over the weekend, thousands of Tamil Canadians gathered in a Toronto
park to denounce Ottawa’s decision to outlaw the World Tamil Movement (WTM),
which the RCMP believes is nothing but a fundraising front for the Tamil
Tigers, a Sri Lankan-based terrorist group that has been outlawed in
Canada since 2006.
Even by the standards of terrorist insurgencies, the Tigers are a brutal
organization — a creepy cult-like outfit that habitually engages in
massacres of civilians, and abducts children to fight on the front lines
of its 25-year-old campaign against Sri Lanka’s government. Its leader,
Velupillai Prabhakaran, can fairly be described as the Hassan Nasrallah
of South Asia.
Since much of the funding that enables the Tigers to fight their war
comes from expatriate Tamils, the stakes in Canada are high. This nation
is home to several hundred thousand Sri Lankan migrants of Tamil
extraction. Many of them, small business owners in particular, have in
the past been strong-armed by Tamil thugs into contributing war funds
for the Tigers. (Those same entrepreneurs reportedly were told to
shutter their stores over the weekend — to ensure a better turnout at
the rally.) Should the Tories give in to the pro-Tiger lobby by
legalizing the group, they would reopen the financial floodgates, which
would in turn result in more weaponry for the Tigers, and therefore more
dead Sri Lankans.
Since 1984, the Tigers have dispatched nearly 400 suicide bombers. The
Black Tigers — the Tamils’ suicide-bombing wing — is not particular
about whom it presses into service. Men, women and children are all seen
as potential human bombs.
Last year, a female suicide bomber walked into Sri Lanka’s defence
headquarters pretending to be pregnant. But her tummy bulge in fact
contained explosives. She missed killing the Sri Lankan chief of staff,
but managed to take out 11 others. Just last month, in two separate
attacks, Black Tiger bombers killed 27 passengers on civilian buses.
This is the sort of cowardly tactic commonly employed by the men and
women who were hailed as “freedom fighters” from the podium at last
weekend’s Toronto rally.
But over the last four months, the Tamils have suffered serious military
losses. They have been largely expelled from their strongholds on the
country’s east coast, while some of their bases and arms depots in the
north have been overrun by government forces. One of their senior
commanders was sniped by a government rifleman. And over the weekend, 40
Tigers died when Sri Lankan soldiers captured an LTTE operations centre,
perhaps their largest.
A contributing factor to the Tigers’ poor battlefield performance may be
traced to Canada’s own government: As Canada, and other nations, have
worked harder to shut off the flow of money to the Tigers from inside
Western nations, Colombo has been able to establish a decisive advantage
for the first time in a decade or more. Stephen Harper and his
Conservatives should be proud that they took a stand against Tiger
fund-raising. The Liberals, under both Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin,
never had the political courage to stand up to Toronto-based Tamil
voters. In some cases, Liberal glad-handers even showed up at
Tiger-friendly events.
It is a shameful legacy, one that implicated every Liberal Cabinet
member of the era — including several who loved to speechify against
terrorism in other parts of the world. But Mr. Harper is cut from
different cloth.
Canada has always been a nation of immigrants, one that welcomes
newcomers from all over the world. But traditionally, the price of
admission was that newcomers left their murderous old-world disputes at
the door. In recent years, we have forgotten to charge this fee. The
result: disgraceful displays such as last weekend’s rally — in which a
group of Canadians unashamedly shouted slogans in support of a terrorist
group.
It is enough to give multiculturalism a bad name.
Canadian Tamils hold rally, condemn Ottawa's ban
Stewart
Bell
Canwest
News Service
TORONTO
- Waving the flag of the Tamil Tigers guerrillas, thousands of Canadian
Tamils gathered this weekend for their first rally since the federal
government shocked the community by outlawing a Toronto-based Tamil
non-profit group under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
A
statement issued by the event's organizers condemned the government for
last month's decision to ban the World Tamil Movement as a suspected
financial front for the Tigers, and called on Canada to recognize
guerrilla-held areas of northern Sri Lanka as an independent state, called
Tamil Eelam.
"There
is no other solution to this conflict," said Brian Senewiratne, a medical
doctor from Australia who was the keynote speaker, addressing the large
crowd at Downsview Park from a giant stage.
The Sri
Lankan-born physician, who showed video clips of helicopter gunships
firing rockets, called the Sri Lankan government a "murderous, barbaric
regime" that was at war "against the Tamil people."
He said
the Tamil Tigers, also known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or
LTTE, were a legitimate liberation movement. "There is a very clear
distinction between terrorism and freedom fighters."
He
urged the crowd to get more involved in the fight for Tamil independence.
"What I
want to do is move you from watching things happen to making things
happen." Canada's decision to ban the Tamil Tigers "has to be challenged,"
he said.
The
rally was just the latest of many similar events that have taken place
across Canada over the past decade but it came at a critical time: as the
Tigers are apparently losing ground steadily on the battlefield and the
Conservatives in Ottawa are taking a firm stand against Tamil Tigers
activities in Canada.
Following a five-year RCMP investigation, Public Safety Minister Stockwell
Day announced in June that the government had placed the World Tamil
Movement, which had offices in Toronto and Montreal, on Canada's list of
outlawed terrorist groups because of evidence it was financing the Tigers.
The
location of the rally was not announced until late Friday afternoon. The
Sri Lankan United National Association of Canada had written to police
asking them to cancel the event's permit because the Tigers are an
outlawed terrorist group under Canadian law.
Participants were bussed in from around the region. They ranged from young
children to the elderly, and carried signs that read: "O Canada you have a
responsibility," and "Don't label us as terrorists."
Organizer Thiru Thiruchelvam said the location was only announced at the
last minute because the event kept growing and they had to find a venue to
accommodate the expected crowds.
"What
we want is peace," said Thiruchelvam, who told how his 19-year-old son was
killed by Sri Lankan government forces. "We are asking the Canadian
government to get involved."
Sri
Lankan Consul General Bandula Jayasekara denied Senewiratne's claim
that Sri Lanka was at war with the Tamil people.
"The
LTTE has killed more Tamil leaders than anyone else," he said.
"Unfortunately the LTTE, a ruthless terrorist organization, has brought
its ruthless war to Canada."
PRESS RELEASE
Ref: 26/JU08/en/03
IFT Denounces Criminalization of the Tamil
Diaspora and Calls for Engagement.
Geneva, 26th June 2008. The International Federation of Tamils (IFT)
is disappointed that the anti-terrorist
legislation has been misused to suppress the voice of the Canadian Tamil
Diaspora by listing the World Tamil Movement (WTM) as a ˜terrorist
organization. This comes in the wake of the arrests of Tamils in Europe, the
USA and Australia on similar charges.
The rationale for these actions is clearly based on the Tamil Diaspora's
support for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam (LTTE), which has been listed as a terrorist organization by these
countries. The Tamil Diaspora's support for
the LTTE stems from its unswerving commitment to the democratic verdict
delivered by the Tamil people in 1977 at a free and fair election for
independence from Sinhala rule.
Tamils are mindful that it was the Sinhala State's oppression of Tamils
through state orchestrated pogroms and
draconian anti-terrorism legislation that caused thousands of Tamils to
flee the island in search of refuge.
Tamils are also mindful that it is the LTTE that has since then defended
them from this brutal oppression and it is
the LTTE which has on behalf of the Tamil people entered into negotiations
and signed Cease Fire Agreements. Nor are Tamils unaware that it is the LTTE
which administers the defacto Tamil state.
It is ironical that those very governments, which, over the years have
provided refuge for Tamils fleeing persecution
by successive Sri Lankan regimes, should cause Tamils fear persecution for
voicing their political views!
IFT denounces the measures undertaken by these governments as plainly
unhelpful and clearly counter productive.
Instead of criminalizing the Diaspora's support for the LTTE, IFT calls for
actions to address the root cause of a
conflict which has driven hundreds of thousands of Tamils out of Sri
Lanka and forced tens of thousands resort
to an armed struggle.
Indeed by engaging with the Tamil Diaspora communities, the international
community can help forge an enduring peace in the island of Sri Lanka. IFT
will support all initiatives by international governments for engagement
with the Tamil Diaspora to;
Understand the Diaspora's motives for
supporting the Tamileelam struggle for self-determination spearheaded by the
LTTE.
Consider the Diaspora's views on structures for the
Tamil and Sinhala people to coexist as equals within the island of Sri
Lanka.
Enhance the Diaspora's capacity to promote democracy
and build the economy of the Tamil state.
(the end)
For media
Contact: ift@bluewin.ch
June 25, 2008
The editor
Tor Star
Toronto
Dear editor, ,
Reference
"And then they came for the Tamils" (Tor Star - June 25, 2008)
by Harini Sivalingam. Like Harini the vast majority of Tamil Canadians
are justifiably outraged at the
decision of the Public Safety Minister to demonize and criminalize an entire
community.
Perhaps Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day, a former leading light of the
Alberta based Anti-immigrant and Rightist Reform Party erroneously thinks a
little bit of totalitarianism and a little dose of Hitlerism is 'good' for
Canada. The temptation to exercise dictatorial powers vested in the Minister
by the Anti-terrorism Act is too difficult to resist.
The listing of
World Tamil Movement by the Minister is politically motivated and nothing
short of a brutal assault on the fundamental right to
Freedom of
Association and Freedom of Speech enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights
and Freedom.
There is
no doubt in our minds that the action of the Minister will embolden the racist
Sri Lankan government to ruthlessly escalate the bloody war against the Tamil
people. It makes mockery of the Canadian government often repeated
pronouncement that both parties to the conflict should hold talks when one of
the parties is labelled as a "terrorist" organization by the same government.
It is blatant hypocrisy under the cloak of diplomacy!
Under
the Anti-Terrorism law the decision to list an organization is held behind
closed doors with no notice to the organization targeted and no opportunity
for it to be informed of – let alone test – the evidence on the basis of which
the Minister makes his recommendation. Second, the judicial review provisions
allow the judge to examine the Minister’s information in private and to hear
evidence in the absence of the listed organization and its counsel if he or
she is of the opinion that the disclosure of the information would injure
national security. These
provisions are similar to the national security certificate process under
section 40.1 of the Immigration Act. This section which did away with due
process of law was held ultra-vires
of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms by the Supreme Court
2 years ago.
The Minister in his press
conference parroted the argument that he acted according to the wishes of the
majority of Tamil Canadians. This is a fanciful argument and I invite the
Minister to hold a mini-poll to ascertain the truth. Even an ultra- right
wing newspaper like the National Post concedes the fact that the majority of
Tamil Canadians support the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
It was Lord Acton , first Baron
Acton (1834–1902),historian and moralist who in a letter to Bishop Mandell
Creighton in 1887:acidly observed:
"Power
tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Great men are almost always bad men."
Another English politician William Pitt, the Earl of Chatham and British
Prime Minister from 1766 to 1778, said something similar. In a speech to the UK
House of Lords in 1770 he said:
"Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of
those who possess it"
Unfortunately history repeats itself. Little tin -pot Hitlers keep cropping
and they don't listen and don't learn anything from history.
http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/448606
And then they came for the Tamils
TheStar.com - comment - And then they came for the Tamils
RON BULL/TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO
Harini Sivalingam
June 25, 2008
Harini Sivalingam
On June 16, Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day announced that the World
Tamil Movement would be added to Canada's list of terrorist entities.
This announcement was entirely unprecedented. Prior to June 16, every one
of the 40 organizations listed was foreign-based, the vast majority (over
80 per cent) based in the Middle East or South Asia. Now, for the first
time, a community-based, non-profit organization legally incorporated in
Canada – one which has provided settlement, counselling and cultural
services to members of the Tamil Canadian community for more than 22 years
– has been proscribed.
Along with the listing of the WTM comes a new set of legal challenges that
have profound implications for fundamental Canadian democratic values such
as freedom of association, freedom of speech and due process rights, all
of which are enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
It is unclear what the actual effect of this listing will be on the World
Tamil Movement and its ability to continue to exist, as never before has a
domestic group been criminalized in this manner.
Questions abound. For example, is the WTM's ability mount a legal
challenge to the listing impaired because the provision of services
(possibly including legal services) could be regarded as providing a
benefit to a listed terrorist group? The leadership of the WTM has
indicated they will exhaust all legal remedies to vindicate their
constitutional rights, and we will have to wait and see how the courts
respond to these complex legal issues.
In November 2001, lawyers, judges and legal academics convened at the
Faculty of Law at the University of Toronto to debate the impending
enactment of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
During that conference, several jurists raised serious concerns about
provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act that were perceived to be
unconstitutional. For example, procedural safeguards were only "after the
fact," or after a listing had already occurred; the legislation did not
provide the listed entity with an opportunity for a hearing prior to the
listing taking place, and several provisions – including the definition of
"terrorist activity" – were unconstitutionally broad and vague.
In the meantime, an entire community has been tarnished and painted with
the same brush. After the listing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE) by the Canadian government in April 2006, there was significant
backlash against members of the Tamil Canadian community who experienced
discriminatory treatment at schools, workplaces and in the general public.
There is a concern among Tamil Canadians that this listing will have a
more profoundly negative impact on the community at large.
Martin Niemoller's famous poem illustrates the importance of speaking out
for vulnerable community groups: "First they came for the Jews and I did
not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist. Then they came for
the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade
unionist. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for
me."
The listing of the WTM is a clear instance that "they have come for the
Tamils." Even if one is not a Tamil, we should all speak out and voice our
concerns about protecting important civil liberties and preserving
fundamental Canadian values.
Harini Sivalingam is a law student at McGill University and a member of
the Canadian Tamil Congress.
Remember Quebec?
The Tamils are no different
Vel Velauthapillai, Tamil
Guardian 18 June 2008
One Tamil responds to the Canadian
government’s terrorism ban on the WTM.
Dear Hon. Stockwell Day:
I read your latest
announcement about 'Terrorism" and the ban on the World Tamil Movement, a 20
years old cultural organization on Monday.
I am surprised to see
that the Tories are bringing
Canada
to what feels like dictatorship. While US Democratic candidates Mr. Obama and
Ms. Clinton are showing maturity and expressing a willingness to reconsider
their "list of terrorists", you are encouraging state terrorism and rewarding
human right violations.
After the Tories banned
the LTTE in 2006, Sri Lankan government waged war against Tamils and killed more
than 5000 Eelam Tamils. Now, the Sri Lankan government may plan to execute more
massacres with newly pledged financial support from
Iran.
In Sri
Lanka,
the problem is state terrorism and the Sri Lankan government is killings Tamils
in much larger numbers than the civilians you mention in your public statements.
Please ask the UN or ask HRW for reports.
Please remember you used
the same HRW reports to support your decison to ban the LTTE in 2006. Why don't
you use their recent reports to ban the Sri Lankan government and close their
terror funding embassy in Ottawa?
In fact, in the reverse,
several Canadian UN officials, notably UNHCHR Louise Arbour, have been branded
as 'terrorists' by the Sri Lankan government.
Tamils democratically
decided to free themselves from Sri
Lanka
in 1977, long before the LTTE came into the picture. The problem is similar to
Kosovo, Tibet,
or
Bangladesh
where a separation is needed to solve the problem.
Tamils were waited for
help from International community more than 30 years until 1977, then they
decided to go separate and started to fight against Sri Lankan state terrorism.
In
Canada,
Tamils are a successful hardworking community with many thousands of doctors,
professors, engineers, business leaders and other skilled professionals. It is
true that many Tamils came to
Canada
as refugees, but they immediately started to contribute to the Canadian economy
and very quickly joined with the Canadian mainstream, including in politics.
It is very hard to
believe such a educated community could be threatened by the LTTE for money.
Even if that is the case, I believe the Canadian police and the RCMP are capable
of handling the situation with available laws.
In fact, there are many
Tamils who have worked for the police, army, and the RCMP as well. Please
recruit more Tamils to the police if you want to know more about what is
happening in the community.
Branding Tamil
organizations as terrorists, shutting down public voices or threating the Tamil
community will not help in any way. In fact, it will be counter productive.
On the other side, those
who really want to help Tamils back on the island, will do so underground. Is
this what the Tories want to achieve?
In the 1970s, Canada
faced the similar scenario as what is happening in Sri Lanka
in
Quebec,
but a civilized and mature Canadian leadership very peacefully resolved the
issues and provided adequate powers to
Quebec.
If Canada
had banned the Bloc Quebec, the situation may be similar to Sri
Lanka.
It is always better to learn from history.
Tamils know how the Sri
Lankan government has denied their rights using anti-terror laws. It was the
US
who armed the Taliban, and it was the
US
who armed
Iraq.
Now, it is the
US
and
Canada
who help Sri Lankan state terrorists.
Dictatorship or
governance using fear will cause more problems. Please don't play political
games at the expense of a young fast-growing, productive, law-abiding community.
I believe
Canada
still honors freedom of speech. Please don't apply any criminal charges to me
for directly writing to you.
Press conference held at Ruby & Edwarde Law firm 11
Prince Arthurs Ave, Toronto on June 19, 2008
WTM Lawyer Marlys Edwarde’s statement
We absolutely intend to challenge the listing, and our first step will be to
apply for a stay of the regulation. We will then make an application to the
Minister, and assuming he is not inclined to reconsider his recommendation, to
the Federal Court for judicial review of the decision to include the WTM on the
list of terrorist entities.
We also intend to challenge the constitutionality of the listing provisions
themselves. There are several things that must be understood about the process
of listing. The first is that it occurs behind closed doors, with no notice to
the organization targeted, and no opportunity for it to be informed of – let
alone test – the evidence on the basis of which the Minister makes his
recommendation. Second, the judicial review provisions allow the judge to
examine the Minister’s information in private, and to hear evidence in the
absence of the listed organization and its counsel if he or she is of the
opinion that the disclosure of the information would injure national security.
The organization is entitled only to a statement summarizing the information
available to the judge so that it may be “reasonably informed” of the reasons
for the decision, and to have a “reasonable opportunity” to be heard. The
organization is not entitled to see any of the documentary evidence or to
cross-examine any witness who may testify.
These provisions do not, in our view, accord with the principles of fundamental
justice enshrined in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The consequences of listing are profound, both for the organization itself and
for anyone who might have dealings with it. Once an organization is listed, it
becomes an indictable offence punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment to
collect, provide, or invite someone to provide property knowing that it will be
used by or will benefit that organization – regardless of the purpose for which
the organization uses it. For a volunteer-run, volunteer-funded organization
such as the World Tamil Movement, this is absolutely devastating. The
regulations are incredibly broad, and no court has had an opportunity to
consider and interpret their true scope, so that it would appear that it may be
an offence for anyone to donate a book to the World Tamil Movement’s community
library. It may be an offence to donate equipment for children’s sports meets
organized by the World Tamil Movement. It may be an offence to donate
educational materials to Tamil language classes. Add to this the incredible
stigmatization that results from being branded a terrorist group, and you begin
to understand why we feel it is essential that a decision such as this be made
with the utmost care, subject to public scrutiny and judicial oversight, and
with all the procedural safeguards our constitution provides.
We are also establishing a defence fund, to be administered by a lawyer and
members of the Tamil Canadian community and which will be entirely separate from
the WTM, in order to fund a challenge to the listing, and will be releasing more
details shortly for those who wish to contribute.
Press Release – June 19, 2008
WTM ex-president Sitha Sittampalam’s statement
Good afternoon and thank you for attending this very important event.
My name is Sitha Sittampalam and I was the President of the World Tamil Movement
- Ontario (WTM) until several days ago. Alongside me is Marlys Edwardh from the
law firm of Ruby & Edwardh who has been retained by the WTM to act as its legal
counsel, and her colleague Adriel Weaver. We have also retained Barbara Jackman
of the law firm Jackman and Associates to act as co-counsel, but she is
unfortunately unable to be here today.
As you are all aware, the Minister of Public Safety, Mr. Stockwell Day announced
this past Monday that the World Tamil Movement had been added to the list of
terrorist entities under the Criminal Code of Canada.
The Board of Directors of the WTM, the thousands of Tamil Canadians who have
benefitted from the services provided by the WTM, and the Tamil Canadian
community at large are profoundly shocked and dismayed by the decision of the
Government of Canada to criminalize a community-based organization in this
manner.
Over the past several days, there has been much misinformation spread about the
nature and activities of the WTM. Let me take this opportunity to clarify today
what WTM does and what it stands for.
The WTM was incorporated in Ontario in 1986 as a non-profit corporation, and
over the past 22 years has provided much needed settlement, counselling, and
cultural services to tens of thousands of Tamil Canadians. An estimated 200,000
Tamil Canadians live in the Greater Toronto Area, the vast majority of whom came
to Canada as refugees fleeing persecution based on ethnicity by the Sri Lankan
government over the past 20 years.
WTM diligently served the settlement and integration needs of Tamil newcomers,
assisting them to establish new lives in Canada while maintaining ties to their
cultural community. Over the years, the WTM has offered a variety of programs
and services, including document translation, interpretation, language and
vocational training, Tamil language and culture classes for children, a Women’s
organization to address the particular needs of women newcomers, a 16,000-volume
library, sports leagues, and cultural celebrations. The WTM is staffed and
funded entirely by volunteers.
As a result of the listing, these important services will no longer be provided
to the Tamil Canadian community by the WTM. The WTM has decided to vacate the
premises at 39 Consentino Drive, and the Board of Directors will be suspending
its operations. Effective immediately, all services will cease and the 1600
volume library will be closed to the public.
It is no secret that the World Tamil Movement supports the right of the Tamil
people to self-determination in the North and Eastern part of Sri Lanka. This
is a political position – perhaps one that not everyone will agree with, but one
that we are constitutionally entitled to hold. Many of us came to Canada
precisely because this country safeguards the right of everyone to hold and
express their own opinions.
These rights are unfortunately not equally recognized in Sri Lanka. It is our
belief that the listing of the World Tamil Movement will encourage the Sri
Lankan government – which has been repeatedly chastised by the United Nations
and international human rights organizations such as Amnesty International for
its dismal human rights record – to continue to use violence and intimidation to
stifle dissent.
Rather than criminalizing community organizations in Canada, the government
could better direct its efforts to promoting peace in Sri Lanka and providing
humanitarian assistance for those displaced by the ongoing conflict.
We believe this act is the first step on a slippery slope, where all of our
fundamental rights and freedoms can be eroded. We see the listing as a political
move intended to silence a voice within the Tamil diaspora. The entire
community feels tarnished and threatened by this announcement. After the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were listed in April 2006, there was
significant backlash against members of the Tamil Canadian community, many of
whom experienced discriminatory treatment in schools, workplaces and in the
general public. There is a concern amongst Tamil Canadians that this listing
will have a more profoundly negative impact on the community at large.
We are grateful for the overwhelming support we have received from Tamil
Canadians of all stripes. Their response, and ours, is that we will not be
silenced.
The Board of the World Tamil Movement has therefore instructed its counsel to
vigorously challenge the listing, which we view as an attack on the fundamental
freedoms of expression and association enshrined in the Charter of Rights and
Freedoms. We have full confidence in the Canadian legal system to uphold
the constitution, and will diligently pursue all legal remedies available.
Thank you all for taking the time to be here this afternoon.
Sitha Sittampalam
c.j.,af;fk; gaq;futhjg; gl;baypy; gl;bayplg;gl;lij vjpHj;J KOg;gyj;NjhL
ePjpkd;wj;jpy; tof;fhLNthk;!
vkJ thia ahUk; %l KbahJ!
; fNdba ePjpj;Jiwapy; vkf;F KO ek;gpf;if cz;L!
nra;jpahsH khehl;by; Kd;dhs; jiytH #Siu
(cyfj; jkpoH ,af;fk; fNdba murpdhy; gaq;futhjg;
gl;baypy; NrHf;fg;gl;lJ njhlHghd nra;jpahsH khehL A+d; 19 (tpahof;fpoik ez;gfy;
1.00 kzpf;F fPo;efH Gwk; ,y. 11 gpupd;]; MHjH mntdpA+tpy; cs;s tof;fwpQHfs;
Ruby and Marlys Edwardh mYtyf
Ehyfj;jpy; eilngw;wJ. mq;F c.j.,af;f Kd;dhs; jiytH rpj;jh rpw;wk;gy; mtHfs;
tpLj;j nra;jp mwpf;ifapd; jkpohf;fk; fPNo nfhLf;fg;gl;Ls;sJ)
tzf;fk;. ,e;j Kf;fpa ClftpayhsH khehl;Lf;F
ePq;fs; tUif je;jpUg;gjw;F Kd;$l;bNa vdJ ed;wpia cq;fSf;Fj;
njuptpj;Jf;nfhs;fpNwd;.
vdJ ngaH rpj;jh rpw;wk;gyk;. rpy ehl;fSf;F
Kd;dH tiu ehd; c.j.,af;fj;jpd; jiytuhf ,Ue;Njd;.
vd;Dld; Ruby &
Edwarde tof;fwpQH FOitr; NrHe;j
Malys Edwarde
,Uf;fpwhH. ,tiuNa cyfj;jkpoH ,af;fj;jpd; tof;FiuQuhf c.j.,af;fk; mkHj;jpAs;sJ.
mtNuhL tof;fwpQH Adriel Weaver
mtHfisAk; mkHj;jpAs;Nshk;. NkYk; Jackman
and Associates FOitr; NrHe;j tof;fwpQH
Barbara Jackman ,iz tof;fwpQuhfr; nray;gLthH. jtpHf;f
Kbahj fhuzj;jhy; mtH ,d;W ,q;F tUif ju Kbatpy;iy.
fNdba Fw;wtpay; rl;lj;jpd;
(Criminal Code)
fPo; fle;j jpq;fl;fpoik (A+d; 16> 2008) nghJkf;fs; ghJfhg;G mikr;rH
Stockwell Day
c.j.,af;fj;ij gaq;futhj mikg;Gfspd; gl;baypy; NrHf;fg;gl;bUg;gjhf mwptpj;jpUg;gJ
ePq;fs; mwpe;j rq;fjpNa.
xU r%fj;ij mbj;jskhff; nfhz;l xU mikg;gpd; kPJ
Fw;wtpay; Fw;wk;Rkj;jp fNdba muR vLj;jpUf;Fk; ,e;j KbT c.j.,af;fj;jpd; ,af;FeH
mit> m.j.,af;fk; toq;fpa Nritfshy; gadile;j gy;yhapuf;fzf;fhd fNdba jkpoHfs;
kw;Wk; fNdba jkpo;r; r%fj;ij mjpHr;rpf;Fk; jpifg;Gf;Fk; cs;shf;fpAs;sJ.
fle;j gy ehl;fshf c.j.,af;fj;jpd; jd;ik
gw;wpAk; mjd; nraw;ghLfs; gw;wpAk; jtWjyhd nra;jp;fs; gug;gg;gl;L tUfpwJ. vdNt ,d;W
vdf;Ff; fpilj;Js;s tha;g;igg; gad;gLj;jp c.j. ,af;fk; vd;d nra;fpwJ mJ vjw;fhfg;
ghLgLfpwJ vd;gij njspthf;f tpUk;GfpNwd;.
c.j.,af;fk; 1986 ,y; xU ,yhg Nehf;fw;w FOkkhf
xd;uhwpNahtpy; gjpT nra;ag;gl;lJ. fle;j 22 Mz;Lfshf gy;yhapuf fzf;fhd fNdba
jkpoHfSf;F FbakHT> cstsj;Jiw kw;Wk; gz;ghl;L Nritfis toq;fp te;Js;sJ. nuhwd;Nuh
ngUk;ghfg; gFjpapy; 200>000 fNdba jkpoHfs; tho;fpwhHfs; vd kjpg;gPL
nra;ag;gl;;Ls;sJ. ,jpy; ngUk;ghd;ikNahH =yq;fh murpd; ,d mbg;gilapyhd
xLf;FKiwf;F mQ;rp Vjpypfshf ,q;F Xbte;jtHfs; MtH.
jkpo;f; FbtuthsH fdlhtpy; Gjpa tho;itj;
njhlf;Ftjw;Fk; mtHfs; gz;ghl;L cwTfis r%fj;jpy; xd;wpizg;gjw;Fk; Ntz;ba vy;yhtpj
cjtpfisAk; c.j.,af;fk; mf;fiwNahL toq;fpaJ.
fle;j fhyq;fspy; Mtz nkhopngaHg;G>
nkhopngaHj;jy;> nkhop kw;Wk; njhopw; gapw;rp> gps;isfSf;Fj; jkpo; kw;Wk;
gz;ghl;L tFg;Gfs;> kfspupd; Njitfis epiwT nra;Ak; tz;zk; kfspH mikg;G> 16>000
Ehy;fs; nfhz;l Ehyfk;> tpisahl;Lf; fofq;fs; kw;Wk; gz;ghl;Lf; nfhz;lhl;lq;fs;
cl;gl fNdba jkpoHfSf;Fg; gy;NtW Ntiyj; jpl;lq;fisAk; NritfisAk; c.j.,af;fk;
toq;fp te;Js;sJ. c.j.,af;fk; Kw;wpYk; jd;dhHtj; njhz;lHfsJ ciog;gpdhYk; kf;fsJ
epjpg;gq;fspg;gpdhYk; ,aq;fp te;j xU mikg;ghFk;.
c.j.,af;fj;ij gaq;futhjg; gl;baypy; gl;baypl;l
fhuzkhf ,e;jr; Nritfis njhlHe;J fNdba jkpoHfSf;F toq;f Kbahj xU epiy Vw;gl;Ls;sJ.
c.j.,af;fk; ,y. 39 nfhd;nrd;upNdh tPjp> ];fhgNuhtpy; cs;s fl;;blj;ij tpl;L
ntspNaw KbT nra;Js;sJ. ,af;FeH mit cWg;gpdHfs; jq;fsJ nraw;ghLfis ,ilepWj;jp
itj;Js;shHfs;. ,d;W Kjw;nfhz;L c.j. ,af;fj;jpd; NritfSk; epWj;jg;gLk;. 16>000
Ehy;fisf; nfhz;l EhyfKk; nghJkf;fSf;F %lg;gLk;.
c.j.,af;fk =yhq;fhtpd; tl-fpof;fpy; thOk;
jkpo;kf;fsJ jd;dhl;rp cupikia Mjupf;fpwJ vd;gJ xd;Wk; ,ufrpaky;y. ,J xU murpay;
epiyg;ghlhFk;. vy;NyhUk; mjid Mjupg;ghHfs; vd;wpy;iy. Mdhy; murpay; rl;lj;jpd;gb
mjidr; nrhy;tjw;F vkf;F cupik ,Uf;fpwJ. vq;fspy; ngUk;ghNyhH fdlhTf;F te;jNj ,e;j
ehL xt;nthU FbkfDk; jdf;F tpUg;gkhd fUj;ij itj;jpUf;fTk; njuptpf;fTk;
cupikAilatHfs; vd;gijf; fl;bf; fhg;gjhNyNa.
Jujpl;ltrkhf ,e;j cupikfs; =yq;fhtpy; rkkhff;
filg; gpbf;fg;gLtjpy;iy. c.j.,af;fj;ijg; gl;baypl;;lJ =yq;fh murpd; ,dtopg;G
eltbf;ifia NkYk; Cf;fg;gLj;JtNjhL td;Kiw kw;Wk; gaKWj;jy;fs; %yk; khw;Wf;
fUj;Jf;fs; eRf;fg;gLk; epiy ePbf;f toptFf;Fk; vd;gJ vkJ ek;gpf;ifahFk;. =yq;fhtpd;
ghuJhukhd kdpjTupik kPwy;fis ma;f;fpa ehLfs; mit kw;Wk; nghJkd;dpg;G mit
Nghd;wit kPz;Lk; kPz;Lk; fz;bj;J tUtJ njupe;jNj.
fdlhtpy; cs;s r%f mikg;Gf;fisf; Fw;wthspfshf
rpj;jpupf;fg;gLtjw;Fg; gjpy; fNdba muR =yq;fhtpy; mikjp Kaw;rpia
Kd;ndLj;jpUf;fyhk;. jw;Nghija Nkhjy;fhuzkhf ,lk;ngaHe;j kf;fSf;F kdpjhgpkhd
cjtpfis ey;fp ,Uf;fyhk;.
fNdba murpd; eltbf;ifahdJ vq;fsJ mbg;gil
cupikfs; ahtw;iwAk; mopj;JtpLk; tOf;fy; ghijapd; Kjw; gb vd ek;GfpNwhk;.
Gyk;ngaHe;j jkpoHfspd; Fuiy milj;JtpLk; Kw;W KOjhd xU murpay; efHthfNt ,jid ehk;
ghHf;fpNwhk;. fNdba murpd; mwptpj;jy; vk;ikf; fiwgLj;JtjhfTk; mr;RWj;JtjhfTk; ,Uf;fpwJ
vd KO r%fKk; epidf;fpwJ. fle;j 2006 Mk; Mz;L jkpoPo tpLjiyg; Gypfs; ,af;fk;
gaq;futhjg; gl;baypy; gl;bay; ,l;l gpd;dH fNdba jkpo;r; r%fj;ijr; NrHe;jtHfSf;F
vjpuhff; Fwpg;gplj;jFe;j vjpHtpisTfs; Vw;gl;ld. gyH gs;spf;$lq;fs;> Ntiyj;jsq;fs;
kw;Wk; nghJkf;fs; kj;jpapy; ghugl;rkhf elhj;jg;gl;l mDgtj;Jf;F cs;shdhHfs;. ,g;NghJ
c.j. ,af;fk; gl;bay; ,lg;gl;lJ Kd;diutplg; ghuJhukhd vjpHkiw tpisTfis Vw;gLj;Jk;
vd;w ftiy fNdba jkpoHfs; kj;jpapy; Vw;gl;Ls;sJ.
gy;NtWgl;l fNdba jkpoHfsplk; ,Ue;J vkf;Ff;
fpilj;j NguhjuTf;F ehq;fs; ed;wpAs;stHfshf ,Uf;fpNwhk;. mtHfsJ vjpnuhypg;Gk;
vq;fsJ vjpnuhypg;Gk; nrhy;Yk; nra;jp vd;dntd;why; vkJ thia ahUk; milj;Jtpl KbahJ
vd;gJjhd;.
vdNt c.j. ,af;FeH mit c.j.,af;fj;ijg;
gaq;futhj mikg;Gfspd; gl;baypy; NrHf;fg;gl;lij vjpHj;J KOg;gyj;NjhL
ePjpkd;wj;jpy; tof;fhLkhW jdJ tof;fwpQHfisf; gzpj;Js;sJ. fNdba murpd; ,e;j
eltbf;if cupikfs; kw;Wk; Rje;jpuq;fs; gw;wp ahg;gpy; Nghw;wpg; gjpf;fg;gl;l
mbg;gil fUj;Jupik kw;Wk; $ly; cupik Mfpatw;wpd; kPjhd jhf;Fjyhf ehq;fs;
ghHf;fpNwhk;. fNdba murpay; rl;lj;ijj; fNdba ePjpj;Jiw cWjpahff; filg; gpbf;Fk;
vd;gjpy; vkf;F KO mstpyhd ek;gpf;if ,Uf;fpwJ. vdNt ehq;fs; vq;fSf;F ,Uf;Fk;
rl;lg; gupfhuq;fis KO mf;fiwNahL Kd;ndLg;Nghk;.
cq;fs; Neuj;ijAk; nghUl;gLj;jhJ ,q;F tUif
je;jjpw;F cq;fs; miidtUf;Fk; ed;wp.
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Editorial/1063641.html
Don;t feed
the Tigers
Mon. Jun 23 - 4:30 AM
TERRORISM
those who practise it and those who support it has no place in Canada.
Ottawa
officially placed the Tamil Tigers on its list of terrorist organizations two
years ago. The LTTE Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam is the guerrilla
group that’s used extortion, assassinations, suicide bombings and the forced
recruitment of child soldiers in its bloody fight for an independent state
within the island nation of Sri Lanka. By rightly banning the LTTE, Canada
finally joined the United Nations, European Union and many other countries,
including the United States, Britain and Australia, in explicitly designating
the Tigers as a terrorist group.
Last week,
Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day citing RCMP evidence which he said
showed that the World Tamil Movement (WTM) had been raising funds to support the
Tamil Tigers added the Tamil non-profit group, with offices in Toronto and
Montreal, to the terrorist blacklist.
Faced with
hundreds of pages of RCMP affidavits alleging police knew how LTTE leaders in
Sri Lanka had been using the non-profit group to extract money from the Tamil
community in Canada, Mr. Day had no choice but to act. As the minister pointed
out, the WTM which denies the allegations has every right to appeal the
move, to himself and then to a federal court, where automatic appeal provisions
renew every two years.
Though the
Tigers no doubt have the support of some in Canada’s Tamil community, there
have been reports others, including many Tamil-owned businesses, have felt they’ve
been intimidated into donating significant sums of money through the WTM
to support the separatist group.
Mr. Day
seemed to suggest the ongoing two-year RCMP investigation into the WTM may soon
bring charges against individuals. "Stay tuned," said the minister.
None of this
should suggest the Sri Lankan government controlled by the country’s
majority ethnic group, the Sinhalese has been innocent of outrageous
human-rights abuses in its on again, off again civil war with the Tamil Tigers
for almost two decades, a conflict which has so far claimed perhaps 65,000
lives. Human-rights watchdogs have condemned the Sri Lankan government for use
of torture and the nation’s military for causing indiscriminate civilian
casualties in Tamil regions.
Canada
clearly cannot allow groups that use terrorism or the organizations that
support such groups to operate legally in this country. At the same time,
Canada can continue to try to persuade both sides the Sinhalese government
and LTTE to stop the bloodshed and realize an end to the conflict would
benefit both peoples.
http://www.nationalpost.com/story.html?id=607126
'All should agree that LTTE is not the best representation of
Tamils'
National Post Published: Monday, June 23, 2008
Reproduced
below are some of the more interesting online comments posted on the website
of the National Post Comment pages, www.fullcomment.com, in reaction to
a blog post entitled "Innocent Sri Lankans are pleased with Canada," by
Bandula Jayasekara. Join the debate at www.fullcomment.com.chuck80 I am
in full agreement with the government of Canada banning the LTTE (Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam) and WTM (World Tamil Movement). There is no place in
Canada for any of their sympathizers either, as far as I'm concerned.
On the
other hand, representatives of the Sinhalese government of Sri Lanka should
also be vetted for having committed or having been complicit in crimes against
humanity -- displaying a wanton disregard for civilians' lives -- in their
responses to the LTTE.
So many
times you get LTTE supporters referring to the government's abuses while
refusing to acknowledge the terrorist work of the LTTE.
Well, I
hope that you will admit that the government of Sri Lanka has a lot to answer
for, and its abuses cannot be mitigated by referring to the necessity of doing
these things in the name of combatting terrorism.
P. S.: I
expect that you will get a lot of comments to this blog from the
aforementioned LTTE sympathizers who reject any criticisms of LTTE. Wait for
it; it is sure to come.
WTF2008
Shame on you, Canada! By doing this you became a terror state.
npragas It
was wrong for the government to ban the entire WTM organization in Canada when
only a few individuals who misrepresent the organization and its views should
have been charged. Bandula, it's wrong for you to speak on behalf of Canadian
Tamils of Sri Lankan descent. You don't represent us. The WTM is no terrorist
organization, it's a group that works to keep Tamils together.
Human
Rights By banning the WTM, Canada joins hands with anti-democratic countries
such as Iran, Pakistan and China. Not even a month ago, Sri Lanka was expelled
from the United Nations Human Rights Council over appalling human rights
violations. Why is the Canadian government silent on the atrocities committed
by the Sri Lankan government? While the