Time for Real Canadian Action on Sri Lanka – Paul Dewar
Posted on November 9th, 2013

Ira de Silva Ontario, Canada

The Editor
Embassy Magazine
Ottawa, Ontario
‚ 
Attention: Kristen Shane
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‚ Mr. Dewar’s tone and sentiments in this article indicate that he believes that Canada is in a position of authority on Sri Lanka when he states that the Canadian Government can and should do more to defend democracy and human rights in Sri Lanka. As a member of the Canadian Parliament he is entitled to his‚ opinions of how he and Canada are in the world but the fact remains that when it comes to international politics and Sri Lanka in particular, neither he nor Canada are in any position to defend democracy or human rights of Sri Lankans because Canada supported‚  Tamil terrorism in Sri Lanka for decades.‚ Backing the most ruthless terrorist organization in their attempts to divide Sri Lanka by extreme violence in order to‚ create a mono ethnic, racist, fascist state‚ was not defending democracy or human rights in Sri Lanka.‚  The whole world knows that it is not, does Mr. Dewar?‚ I trust he knows the difference because those Canadians who funded terrorism in Sri Lanka to divide the country have not given up their goal of doing so. Every statement from them indicates that they have merely changed their tactics‚ and are‚ using people like him who are not interested in the realities in Sri Lanka but who will say or do anything to get Canadian votes.
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The extent of his interest and knowledge of the situation in Sri Lanka is indicated when he says that “he and his NDP colleagues have been active and consistent on this file for many months”! The question Sri Lankans‚ have for him and his colleagues would be whether‚ they have forgotten the extent of suffering inflicted on the people of Sri Lanka in terms of life and‚ livelihood‚ for decades, not just a few months during which he has been “active and consistent”.‚ ‚ It appears convenient for him and‚ his colleagues in parliament to forget that for decades‚  two millions dollars‚ a month was sent by Canadians‚ for guns, suicide attacks, bombs, massacres and other acts of terrorism with the knowledge of and support of Canadian parliamentarians. ‚ Canadians were certainly active and consistent‚ in this and‚ there was not a whimper about defending democracy and human rights in Sri Lanka unless Mr. Dewar and his colleagues believed that supporting Tamil terrorism was their version of democracy and human rights for Sri Lankans.
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Since the end of the war, which Sri Lankans had to do in spite of the best efforts of Canadian and other western politicians‚ to save the leadership of the Tamil terrorists so they could escape and live to return and terrorise Sri Lankans, those Canadians who supported the Tamil terrorists have waged another “war” on Sri Lanka to‚ achieve the same goal fought for by the terrorists. Now however the war consists of attacking Sri Lanka at every turn‚ no matter what the country does, calling for war crimes investigations, not for those who supported and carried out terrorism in Sri Lanka but for those who against all odds rid the country of the leadership of the Tamil terrorists. They concentrate on the final months perhaps because if there was a fair an impartial investigation of the entire war too many of those who are calling for war crimes investigations will be in the dock themselves. Since in any conflict there are two sides, if the Sri Lankan leadership is on one side, then the leadership of the LTTE in Sri Lanka and overseas as well as the LTTE fighting cadres turned advocates of democracy living in the western democracies and waging their new “war” as well as those in the western democracies who supported them, ‚ should be investigated and held accountable for their murders and gross violations of the human rights of Sri Lankans for nearly thirty years.
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Mr. Dewar states that the NDP has been consistent in “calling for a full and complete Canadian boycott”. Perhaps he is unaware of the protocol of the meetings of the Commonwealth. Each country has a vote which has equal weight. Canada does not have special status or a veto. At the last Commonwealth Conference conference in Australia sixteen countries did not attend. No one heard any song and dance from Canada about that because even then all Canada was interested in was preventing Sri Lanka from holding the current summit. Although countries did not attend, the conference was termed a success. That will be the same this year. Canada can continue to attack, criticise and condemn but the conference will‚ not be impressed‚ ‚  because although Canada is an important country,‚ the fact that the boycott is based on‚ domestic votes rather than on principle,‚  has downgraded Canada’s voice and influence.‚ 
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If as Mr. Dewar believes Canada can be a force for positive change delivering real results it certainly means that there has to be a responsible commitment from Canada. That responsible commitment should start with the acknowledgement that Canada played a role in the terrorist war in Sri Lanka, that Canadian politicians of all parties‚ criticise Sri Lanka not based on‚  facts or principle but just to get their share of the Tamil votes in Canada, that these votes are not in the best interests of the people of Sri Lanka just the Canadian politicians‚ and that Canadians having paid‚ for terrorism should assess the‚ damage they caused and initiate a plan‚  to re-build the economy that they attempted to destroy, pay compensation for the damage caused and‚ commit‚ to and provide compensation‚ to those Sri Lankans who were killed and‚ whose lives were destroyed by Canadian funded terrorism.‚ 
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Such‚ action that would go a long way to promote democracy and human rights rather than the empty rhetoric from parliamentarians such as Mr. Dewar. It would also enhance Canada’s stature and return the country to it’s former position in the world community, a country that promoted peace not terrorism. However, all Sri Lankans know that this will never happen. Although it is time for real Canadian action on Sri Lanka based on the needs of Sri Lankans not Canadians, this country’s‚ politicians are not interested in helping human rights and democracy in Sri Lanka, they are only‚ interested in‚ helping themselves.
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Yours truly,
‚ 
Ira de Silva
Ontario, Canada

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