Chitranganee Wagiswara: Sri Lanka’s High Commissiner in Canada
Posted on January 23rd, 2013
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . Canada
23 January 2013
The Editor
EMBASSY, Ottawa
Dear Editor:
How right Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s High Commissioner Chitranganee Wagiswara is, when she says that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Change in Sri Lanka not a sprint, itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s a marathonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, after a 30 year Tamil separatist war which was aided and abetted by Canada for 13 long years under the Liberal PartyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Jean Chretien and Paul Martin governments.
It was our former High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Martin Collacott who was candid when he said that it was CanadaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s interference and supporting the Tamil Tigers through the Tamil Diaspora that prolonged the separatist war in Sri Lanka that killed over 100,000 innocent civilians.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ One-third of the annual war budget for the Tamil Tigers went from Canada.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Canada being guilty of being an indirect participant in this prolonged Tamil separatist 30 year war is now showing our impatience regarding human rights violations in Sri Lanka, four years after the war ended on 19 May 2009.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I have difficulty to accept such hypocrisy.
What was strange and embarrassing about Minister Jason Kenney going to Sri Lanka on January 7 and preaching to Sri LankansƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-We are Holier than ThouƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ about human rights violations when on that very day the First Nations peoples ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Idle No MoreƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ protests were going on at Victoria Island, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ just a stoneƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s throw from his Parliament office, and their Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence was on a hunger-strike for the very complain that their Human Rights are being violated by the Canadian government.
As for the bully threats by our GovernmentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ not wanting toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ participate at the Commonwealth Heads Summit in Colombo if Sri Lanka doesnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢tƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ improve their human rights to satisfy us, letƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s not make a song and dance of it. Prime Minister Stephen Harper should announce that Canada will not participate at the summit and that he will not attend without showing to the world that we are a bunch of goody-two-shoes when it comes to human rights as we are not.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Just ask Amnesty International and they will tell Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his caucus so.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I can bet that the Commonwealth Nations Summit will survive and will carry onƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ with its business without having CanadaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Prime Minister Stephen HarperƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ sitting at the Conference designated chair.
Asoka Weerasinghe
January 24th, 2013 at 2:05 am
Even if Canada Prime Minister Harber or any other Commeronwealth Joker did NOT participated Commonwealth Nations Summit will survive.
After spending Tax payers money same staled & repeated joint statement of “successful and understanding Summit concluded ” will issue. We experienced Non Alliance Conference held during Sirima Bandaranaike’s period. What did Sri Lanka achieved with Non Alliance Summit?? Commonwealth Summit also will be the same spending Tax payers money
for big party.
January 24th, 2013 at 4:58 am
Canadian political VIPs have yet to acknowledge the Case Base of Tamil problems, and Tamil Nadu stuck in same for 3,000 yrs. Until then, Canada is ‘at sea’ chasing shadows in the dark !
Canada, together withe UN, probably have the resources to help Tamil Nadu recover from 3,000 yrs of the Caste scourge. For a start, a modern sanitary system for TN,, setting free some 95,000 Tamil low caste ‘night soil carriers’ employed by the State of Tamil Nadu. Help modernize TN, and Canada will be on the right track.
January 24th, 2013 at 9:01 am
As Asoka highlights saying How right Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner Chitranganee Wagiswara’s statement “Change in Sri Lanka not a sprint, it’s a marathon”.Yes, these white pariahs were helping LTTE supporters in Canada to finace LTTE to by heavy arms etc, CANADA TOO HAS VIOLATED HUMAN RIGHTS OF ENTIRE SRI LANKS EXCEPT LTTErs.LTTE was carrying on regardles killing thousands of INNOCENT SINHALESE,MUSLIM & MODERATE TAMILS, BUT CANADA OR ANY WESTERN GOVT EXPRESSED THEIR PROTES.
But now they talk of HRVIOLATIONS IN SRILANKA,WHAT A SET OF JOKERS???
January 24th, 2013 at 11:43 am
Tamils of Sri Lanka fought their Caste wars on the back of the Cold War. As JR went west, this was seen as a threat to the Eastern bloc. Go back to the 1983 Riots that were a SET UP for Tamils of Lanka to flee to the west.
Sinhela people : Never get caught in international traps again.