Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . Canada

2 May 2013

Hon. John Baird, PC. MPƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
Minister or Foreign Affairs for Canada
House of Commons, Ottawa

Dear John:

This letter to you is in response to four news articles which you have been quoted in reference to Sri Lanka hosting the Commonwealth Heads Summit in November and Canada wanting to deny it happening because of the alleged human rights violations.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  My response to it is ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-See who is talking?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Phew! Canada has a mighty big ego with an attitude of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-We are Holier than ThouƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ to say that we are squeaky clean when it comes to Human Rights.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  That is a string of Byward Market baloney.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  I will come to that later.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

The four articles are ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” 1.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Pressure Sri Lanka on political reforms, The Nation (UAE) Editorial of 30.4.2013;ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  2. The Colombo Page of May 1, 2013 – Canadian Government not to send full delegation to CHOGM in Sri Lanka;ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  3. The Ottawa Citizen of 1 May 2013 ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” Commonwealth failing on Sri Lanka, Baird says; and 4. The Ottawa Citizen of May 2, 2013 ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” A rebuke to Sri Lanka.

For starters John, wipe out that Cheshire-cat grin off your face and stop gloating about the Ottawa CitizenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Editorial: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…” A rebuke to Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It said, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-One of the biggest insults a government can deliver to another ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” the diplomatic equivalent of a slap in the face ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” is for the leader of one country to refuse to attend a high profile gathering hosted by another.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Well, Canada has just slapped Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

Well John, the Ottawa Citizen wasnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t doing you, Prime Minister Stephen Harper or Canada any favours, as its reverse Logic saw Canada being isolated and 52 other Commonwealth Nations slapping Canada back for itsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  unprecedented stupidity as they all will be attending the Summit.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And I hope those 52 slaps did hurt Canada.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Sri Lanka being the host is the 53^rd nation who has been watching and laughing at this Canadian fiasco and the out of step dance by Hon. John Baird, CanadaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Foreign Minister, and isolating his nation.

John, it is very likely that Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s President Mahinda Rajapaksa will take the leaders of the other 52 nationsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  one early morning in luxury coaches to the shores of the Nandikadal lagoon where the Tamil Tigers were wiped out on 19 May 2009, to watch the sun rise from the east of the island and report back to you and Prime Minister Harper that the sunƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  indeed rose over Sri Lanka from the east, and Canada not participating at the Commonwealth Summit, did not impact or shake Sri Lanka at all.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  John and that is how the cookie crumbles.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And you can send Minister Jason Kenny to Toronto as your emissary to report back to the separatist Tamils that Canada did make an honest effort to stop the sun rising from the east of that island that they seem to hate, but you all unfortunately failed and not to penalize the Conservatives and beg for their bloc vote in the Greater Toronto Area at the next federal election.

John, if your intention was to bully the puny democratic island nation, Sri Lanka, with your brand of Canadian-Parliamentary-Terrorism, and along the way annoy non-Tamil Sri Lankans, you did an excellent job and since you got my goat I would give you an A+.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  But getting the A+ doesnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t get you off the hook for being a huffing-and-puffing Canadian ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-HumbugƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ parliamentarian.

John, here lies my problem with you.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  I being aware of your pit-bull persona, I know you would go to any length to achieve your partyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s policy on Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The policy is ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” letƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s beat up Sri Lanka and make over the 80 percent of the 300,000 Canadian-Tamils who are Eelamists in the Greater Toronto Area happy and then pick their bloc vote at the next federal election and hang on to the Conservative majority in parliament.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Who cares about Sri Lanka! Right, John?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ItƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s a case of usƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.usƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦usƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦and damn Sri Lanka which has come through a nasty 27-year war with the Tamil Tigers.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  LetƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s do more to cripple her and the Conservatives will govern Canada for the next 50 years with the separatist Tamil vote.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Right, John?

Continuing with that thread, John, do you really want me to take you seriously, when you are a politician who has difficulty to decipher between a classic text-book example of human rights achievements and that which is not?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Stop challenging my intelligence by bullying me into believing that what you say about Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s alleged human rights violation during the last five months of the 27 year Tamil Tiger War is the truth and nothing but the truth.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  I am afraid, John, you got that one wrong big time, as I donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t believe you nor do I trust you.

So just come off it John, and for PeteƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s sake get off that high-horse of yours as that thrown doesnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢tƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ belong toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ political pit-bull con-artists.

When the UN reviews CanadaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s records on rights the way we treat the First Nations peoples you have the gall to question Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s alleged human rights violations.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It is notƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I who is questioning this; itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s the Governments of Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Slovenia, Sweden and Mexico who have submitted written questions in advance asking what Canada is doing to tackle their sordid human rights violations against the aboriginal women.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  That itself should penalize you going around the international political campus circuit questioning Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s human rights and speaking ill of that island saying they are ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-evilƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, and when you come out of these meetings meet and shake hands with the Tamils the Tamil Tiger supporters and not with the Sinhalese as you did in London recently.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  What a crock full of cods-wallop, John!

When you as the Foreign Minister of Canada havenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t as yet recognized Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s human rights achievements like giving back the basic human right of the right-to-life to 22 million of its peoples on 19 May 2009, by eliminating the most ruthless terrorists in the world, the Tamil Tigers, what moral right can you claim to question the alleged human rights violations during the last five months of a 27 year long war.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  That is not ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-evilƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ John that is Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Buddhist compassion ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Metta.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  I am a Buddhist.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ John what moral right have you got to question Sri Lanka on the unsubstantiated human rights violations whenƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Canada aided and abetted that war by allowing the Tamil Diaspora collect 2 million dollars a month for 13 years and stuffed it into the Tamil Tiger war chest to purchase sophisticated killing weapons to snuff out innocent Sinhalese and Muslims by the thousands.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  That is what it is, John?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  LetƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s come clean with some honesty.

Is it because Canada is guilty and trying to hide from that fact, to having aided and abetted the Tamil TigersƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ truck-bombƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  assault which brought down the Central Bank Building in the Fort in Colombo on 31 January 1996,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  killing 114 and maiming for life ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  another 1,338.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  If I was Judge and Jury I would charge Canada as culpable of this criminal act.

Do I hear you say, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Oh, No, we had nothing to do with that bombing and killings.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

And this will be my response. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-John, you were not in CanadaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Tamil Tiger supporting political picture in 1994, so you wouldnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t know.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It was during that year that the Tamil Tiger supporters cut a cheque for $7.5 million dollars from a bank in Vancouver to purchase 60 tons of RDX and TNT explosives from the Rubezone Chemical plant in the Ukraine.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It were these explosives bought out of Canadian dollars that brought down the Central Bank Building in Colombo,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  on 31 January 1996.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And logic and association says that Canada was culpable of this criminal act.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Canada is no goody two-shoes, John.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Go after Sri Lanka as you do, much will be revealed and Canada will get fried as brainless and vindictive.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  If you do your research well, you will keep your bully-hands off Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-EvilƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, you called Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Explain to me how you would equate ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-evilƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ with the Sri Lankan armed forces liberating 295,873 Tamils from the clutches of the Tamil Tigers on 19 May 2009, who were used as a human shield for 30 months when the cockyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”invincibleƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ Tamil Tigers were retreating like rats with their tails between their legs.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  John, I didnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t hear a whimper ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  protest from you nor from your boss, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, against the Tamil Tigers when the Tamil human shield was moved from the west coast to the east coast like a herd of unwashed cattle.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Where were you two when this was happening?

Surely John, I donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t have to twist your arm to have these Sri Lankan soldiers nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Do it John.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  These guys deserve it.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  They were not ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-evilƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, when they chanced their lives when they carried frail Tamil grandmothers and grandfathers in their arms like babies to safety dodging Tamil Tiger bullets during the last phase of the war.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And these old Tamil folks kissed the Sinhalese soldiers cheeks and said ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Thurunuwan sarani PuthaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-MayƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the Triple Gem bless you Son.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  John, these are facts and I doubt that you can be crass to call it acts of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-evilƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  These are acts of valour in compassion.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Where the hell did you get that notion of Sri Lanka being ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-evil.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  This cruel joke could only come out of the pit-bull persona of John Baird, and no one else.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Right, John?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And you seem to be proud of yourself.

John, I doubt you knew that Sri Lanka performed a human rights miracle during the months after the Tamil Tigers were wiped and the 295,873 Tamils were liberated from the clutches of the Tamil Tigers.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The Government prepared a million meals a day to feed these liberated Tamils three hearty meals ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” breakfast, lunch and dinner each day.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  I cannot see how you could equate this effort of compassion as ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-evilƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The majority of the people who prepared the food were from the Sinhalese community as they did not want the members of the Tamil community die of starvation.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And you call it ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-evilƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  You are a strange man, John, some sort of a Humbug.

Let me conclude this note to you by pointing out one more embarrassing incident by one of your Conservative colleagues trying to intimidate Sri Lanka.

Minister of Citizenship Jason Kenney goes to Sri Lanka and on January 7^th sits with the Sri Lankan Government officials like a Laughing Buddha, and introducing himself as ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-I am the son of a Preacher-manƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and preach on Human Rights and how Canada is concerned about the alleged human rights violations in their island.

The stupidity of all this was that on that very day, a stoneƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s throw away from his parliament office the First Nation peoples were demonstrating against the Canadian Government about the violation of their human rights, and their Attawapiskat ChiefƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Theresa Spence was on a hunger strike.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  How stupid can Jason be to preach to the Sri Lankans that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-We are Holier than Thou,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  when we are damn well not. What crap was that John?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Do you all really think that these Sri Lankans are a bunch of stupidsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And I am sure these Sri Lankans laughed Jason out of their office that day.

And Jason was lucky, that the Sri Lankan hosts were diplomatically polite, or else he would have beenƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  told -ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Minister get that arse of yours back to Canada and resolve your human rights problems as we are appalled the way you treat your First Nation peoples.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Once you get your act cleaned up, then you may want to come and preach to us about Human rights.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Until then keep your hands off Sri Lanka.

Well John, CanadaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s stakes are high in the Commonwealth as we have isolated ourselves.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And as for Canada participating at the summit and Prime Minister Stephen Harper boycotting the Summit, the Sri LankanƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s couldnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t care two prairie straws.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  And I am certain that most Sri Lankans would want yours and Prime Minister HarperƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s feet kept off from their holy, sovereign kabook soil.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  I will let you into a secret JohnƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…”the Sri Lankan resent unfriendly people who want to hurt their much treasured island nation. And I donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t blame them either!

Sincerely,

Asoka Weerasinghe