Open letter to Canadaidan High Commissioner in Colombo: Declaration of May 18 as Tamil Genocide Day by the Parliament of Canada

Dear Sir / Madam,

We understand with dismay that the Parliament of Canada has declared the 18th of May as “The Tamil Genocide Day”. When this motion was introduced in the Parliament of Canada by MP Gary Anandasagari, he did not elaborate on the topic at all. The topic was not debated or discussed at all, no questions were asked, no concerns regarding the truth or accuracy were expressed before the motion was passed unanimously.

The Parliament of Canada showed total lack of concern and lack of responsibility for not looking for factual substantiation before such a drastic and unfair Bill was passed unanimously, we understand.

I wish to bring to your kind notice that the “Liberation of the Vanni “or the elimination of terrorism in the North of Sri Lanka, began when the Tamil Tigers captured Mavil Aru in June 2000”. This siege completely deprived water, a basic necessity of life for 30,000 people in the vicinity of Marvil Aru. No one can object to the government for making every possible effort to restore water to the affected unfortunate community living in this area. This military action against the LTTE at Mavil Aru, finally lead to the defeat of the LTTE, and the liberation of our country from a protracted war, spanning over 30 yearsYou will probably recall that it was the Sri Lanka Army who saved 294,00 Tamil civilians who were held as human shields by the Tamil Tigers in the last stages of the war. All these innocent civilians were brought from Tiger, controlled areas in Mullaiaikkal and Pudumathalan to the safety of government-controlled areas in the Vanni. This is the absolute truth, where the Tamils were saved, quite the opposite of the so called “genocide of the Tamils”

It is strange that no genocide day has been passed by the Parliament of Canada with regard to the thousands of indigenous children who went missing in residential schools under the repression policies of the government of Canada many years ago. Possibly, such a motion should be passed in the Canadian Parliament without delay.Considering the total inaccuracies and prejudicial nature of the motion, and the negative image created against Sri Lanka, we urge the Parliament of Canada to retract this declaration with immediate effect in fairness to Sri Lanka. The elimination of terrorism has given all Sri Lankans the right of life and the freedom to live without fear.

Dr Anula Wijesundere
President, Success
Colombo.