Your endorsing the CHRV Human Rights & Sri Lanka Conference
Posted on February 9th, 2011
Asoka Weerasinghe (a Sustaining Donor, but not anymore)
Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . K1J 6G1 Canada
9 February 2011
Hon. Jason Kenney , PC, MP
Minister of Citizenship & Immigration
House of Commons, Ottawa
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Dear Jason:
I have just read your glowing endorsement of the Canadian Human Rights VoiceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s (CHRV) Human Rights & Sri Lanka Conference.
You amazed me.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Perhaps you were pandering to the Tamil community with such an endorsement when eight of the ten Board Members were from the Tamil community.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ And you knew exactly the direction it was taking when the Tamils discuss ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Human Rights in Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I cringed. And further more it was closed to 50 persons mostly invited guests.
May I suggest that before you endorse such ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ one-sided palavers organized by the anti-Sri Lanka Tamil community, that you find out whether they had invited a speaker who would provide the opposite view to counter the Sri Lanka bashers.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ That would be fair and to discuss their concerns about Human Rights in Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Perhaps, you may want to keep the name of Asoka Weerasinghe in mind and suggest,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ they invite a person like Asoka Weerasinghe to the panel.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ That would be fair, donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t you?
Jason, let me be honest and blunt with you.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Knowing the direction that the Conservatives are going supporting the Tamil cause, I have decided NOT TO VOTE FOR THE CONSERVATIVES,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ at the next ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Federal election nor contribute funds for election preparedness.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ There is a principle involved here.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ And here is something that you may want to make note of and discuss in caucus if the subject has any value.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The most important event for the Sri Lankan-Canadians happen to be their home-country celebrating their Independence Day.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ This happened last Sunday at the Ukraine Church Hall on Byron Street.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ While the Canadian Government keeps saying that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Canada and Sri Lanka have had good relations for yearsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, the Conservative Government was not represented by a single parliamentarian, just to read a message saying ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-On behalf of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, I would like to extend the words of congratulations to you all on the celebration of the 63rd Anniversary of your Independence.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢. I got your message with your absence.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ We got your message with your absence.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It was clear as a Sunday Church bell.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ You all insulted Sri Lanka, period.
And here is the fall out from the absence of the Government representative at that occasion.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ You all lost at least 250 votes from us, mainly in Royal GalipeauƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s and Pierre PoilievreƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s ridings. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ This insult on Sri Lanka has had reverberations right across Canada, and the Conservatives have lost thousands of votes. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ You can takeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ my word on it. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Perhaps not that you care as I/we notice that you all rush to attend functions organized by the ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ GTA Tamil community in droves like a bunch of blue flies attracted to a newly deposited cake of cow dung. VotesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦votesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦votes, I suppose wanting to gain the nine ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Liberal ridings in the GTA.
And moreover, even Paul Calandra ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ cut the ceremonial ribbon to declare open the office of the National Council of Canadian Tamils (NCCT) in Toronto, who I have concludedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ after much researchƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ isƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a group continuing with the LTTE/WTM agenda. And you all banned the LTTE in April 2006, and Jason you happened to be an architect of that banning with Minister Stockwell Day.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Why this change of heart, Jason?
Well, I didnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t expect that there would be a day for me to write this letter having followed you all since the Reform days.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Hey! Ce la vie.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ What more can I say.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I just cringe.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I am disappointed.
Have a good day.
Sincerely,
Asoka Weerasinghe (a Sustaining Donor, but not anymore)
February 9th, 2011 at 5:34 pm
I do not believe it is a change of heart by Jason Kenney. It is simply another case of “cant be bothered about SriLanka’s welfare”. Like many politicians in the Western world, Jason K. too could be an unprincipled opportunist who needs the votes and campaign funds even from groups weeping the defeat of terrorism in a land outside Canada. Rather than protect the human rights of 21million people in a distant land called SriLanka terrorised for 3 decades and also protest for the denial of democratic rights of Canadians who oppose terrorists by being locked out from this undemocratic meeting, organised by a group led by 8 Tamil directors out of a Board of 10, Jason K. is quite happy about their conduct in Canada.