Asada M Erpini

‚ There was a time, some decades ago, when Canada was viewed as a distant country, which gave aid to Sri Lanka, and not having any malicious intent towards the small island nation. There were Canadian railway engines that chugged along the age old rail tracks, assistance following the December 2004 tsunami and a few other projects to which Sri Lankans at the time were grateful. A government of Canada website mentions that development assistance dates back to the 1950s and that the annual bilateral assistance amounts to $6 million.

‚ An important matter as far as the relations between Canada and Sri Lanka is concerned is that Canada declared the LTTE, and with it the World Tamil Movement, as a terrorist organisation in April 2006.

‚ In spite of the -long standing friendship- and the banning of LTTE as a terrorist group, the Canadian MP Deepak Obhrai, in the company of the Canada-â„¢s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, had laid flowers at an LTTE cemetery in Elephant Pass on 11 November 2013 when the former had arrived in the island to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. The two Canadians took this action disregarding the request of a Sri Lankan official not to do so. The MP is representing the Prime Minister of Canada, and one would conclude that the move received the blessings of Canada-â„¢s current leader.

‚ The Canadian High Commission in Colombo had later stated -MP Deepak Obhrai laid a wreath at Elephant Pass to honour all innocent Sri Lankan victims of violence-.‚  This is rubbing salt into the wounds caused by Canada. In the same breadth Canada continues, -Canada will continue to stand by Sri Lankans- and that the wreath laying was -to honour all innocent Sri Lankan victims of violence-. ‚ But it is patently clear that -all Sri Lankans- as far as Canada is concerned are the Tamils and the LTTE backers operating in Canada.

‚ How all Sri Lankans suffered at the hands of LTTE – the darlings of Canada – is fresh in their minds. A few of the horrendous massacres for which the LTTE and its Canadian Tamils of Sri Lankan origin, who financed the macabre projects to the tune of $2 million per month, are responsible, are listed below (For want of space, the writer does not wish to add to the list, which can go on and on):

‚ First and foremost is the blowing up of the Central Bank building in Colombo and with it killing 114 innocent civilians in 1994. The explosives used in the LTTE bravado had been bought using money donated by Canada-â„¢s Tamils.

‚ The massacre at Anuradhapura Sri Maha Bodi -” one of the most sacred places for the majority Buddhist community of Sri Lanka – in May 1984 resulted in the death of 146 devotees. The attack on a civilian bus at Habarana on 17 April 1987 -” two days after the Sinhala New Year, the most joyous event for the Sinhala ethnic group -” led to 127 deaths. The LTTE killed 110 innocent civilians on 21 April 1987 when it exploded a bomb at the Central Bus Stand in Pettah, Colombo. 600 policemen had surrendered to LTTE on the orders of the President of Sri Lanka in June 1990, but were gunned down by the LTTE in cold blood. Muslims preying at the Kattankudy Mosque were the target of the LTTE on 3 August 1990, and 147 got killed.

‚ If the Canadian Prime Minister-â„¢s representative wished to remember the dead, going to the Central Bank premises would have been a mere hop step and a jump from the hotels reserved for the CHOGM delegates. Furthermore, the Pettah Bus Stand is almost walking distance, provided the gentleman dared to walk. It was not necessary for him to wait until he landed at Elephant Pass, nearly 350 kilometres away from Colombo, to lay wreaths to remember the dead.

‚ A rethink of Sri Lanka-â„¢s diplomatic relations with Canada is long overdue. According full diplomatic recognition to Canada in the same manner as being done to countries such as China, Pakistan and Russia that help Sri Lanka a great deal, and many others who treat the island nation as a friend, is an insult to the concept of international diplomacy. Downgrade diplomatic relations with Canada with no further delay.