We refer to the press release issued by the Canadian High
Commission in Colombo in connection with the visit to Vanni by High Commissioner
Ms. Ruth Archibald on Tuesday May 01. It is reported that the principal purpose
of her visit was to see at first hand the programs funded by Canadian
International Development Agency (CIDA) at Puthukudiruppu and Mallawi villages.
It is further reported that a 'chance' meeting took place between Ms. Archibald
and Mr. S.P. Thamilchelvan, leader of the Political department of the Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam( LTTE.)
Whatever might be the objective of Ms. Archibald's visit, we certainly welcome
her bold initiative in undertaking the hazardous journey to Vanni, a feat not
many diplomats based in Colombo have ventured to do. It is a first for any
Canadian diplomat and to that extent we wish to convey our appreciation to her.
Only last year Ms. Archibald herself was alleged to have advised the Canadian
foreign ministry that Finance Minister Paul Martin and Ms Maria Minna
participation in the FACT New Year dinner would be construed as supportive of
the LTTE.
The press release also said that "Canada strongly believes that the North-East
conflict can only be brought to an end through a political settlement and is
fully supportive of the Norwegian bid to encourage this process." Unfortunately
to our dismay, such hackneyed pronouncements have been repeated ad nauseam for
years by the Canadian government which in practical terms remained nothing but
stale rhetoric. It is important that any government which genuinely wants to end
the bloody war which has claimed more than 75000 lives (95% Tamils) should be
perceived as treating both parties to the conflict as equals. As a corollary any
government which has labelled the LTTE as a terrorist organization suffers
serious credibility in addressing the Sri Lankan national conflict.
Long before USA 's designation of LTTE as a foreign terrorist organization and
UK's proscription of LTTE, the Canadian government has labelled the LTTE as a
"terrorist organization" or an organization engaged in "terrorist acts." Such
labelling has not only stigmatised the entire Tamil Canadian community as
"terrorists" or "supporters of terrorists", but has also denied them equality
before law.
We presume Ms. Archibald would have herself witnessed the extensive humanitarian
relief assistance provided by the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) in
Vanni and other areas. to people who due to the economic embargo live in squalor
and poverty. In spite of this stark reality, TRO (Canada) has been denied tax
exempt status on the alleged grounds that it is a front organization of the
Tamil Eelam Society. Whether it is a front or back organization, the fact
remains TRO is providing humanitarian relief assistance to more than half a
million refugees and displaced people living in Vanni, a hundred-fold more than
the Canadian government itself.
Recently TRO (Canada) sponsored over 1,500 Tamil children out of many thousands
who have lost both or either parents due to the ongoing war. Very soon TRO will
extend such sponsorship to cover more than 18,000 war widows living in the
Northeast.
The denial by the Revenue Minister acting on the advice of unelected and
heartless bureaucrats, living in a world of their own oblivious to the human
tragedy in Vanni, tantamounts to treating Tamil Canadian taxpayers as second
class citizens.
Ms. Archibald's historic visit to Vanni and her talks with Thamilchelvan has
given a ray of hope that Canadian government is willing to abandon its practice
of observing internal as well as external Apartheid against Tamils.
In our opinion Canadian government has singularly failed to take into
consideration the racist and undemocratic character of the Sri Lankan state,
its sponsorship of state terrorism and denial of basic human rights and
freedoms to the Tamil people.
If the Canadian government is genuinely interested in promoting peace efforts
and see an end to fighting it should abandon the
current policy of labelling the LTTE as a terrorist organization. Such
blinkered policy is not only tragically counter-productive, but also ignores the
state
terrorism directed against the Tamil people. It has further emboldened the
Sri Lankan government to build a sophisticated military machinery and to conduct
high tech
genocidal war
against the Tamil people. Many cities and villages in the Northeast have been
flattened, fauna and flora destroyed by
indiscriminate aerial bombings and heavy artillery shelling.
We, therefore, appeal to the Canadian government to re-view its foreign policy
perspectives visa-a-viz the Tamil national liberation struggle in the light of
Ms. Archibald's visit to Vanni and her declaration of support to Norwegian peace
efforts. LTTE is the authentic representative of the Tamil people and it is a
political and military force to reckon with in finding a just and lasting
solution to the ethnic conflict.
Media Enquiries-(416) 281 1165; (416) 477 6314; (416) 281 5846
