Sri Lankan envoy balances dialogue
Posted on January 21st, 2010
Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario Canada
January 21, 2010
The Editor
EMBASSYƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Ottawa
Sir:
Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s new envoy to Canada, Ms. Chitranganee Wagiswara is correct when she reminds Canada that the Tamil separatist war ended on May 18 last year and there is a new reality that Sri Lanka is facing right now ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” to find sustained stability, reconciliation, development and peace after the country was haemorrhaged for 27 long years with guns, bullets, landmines and bombs by the most ruthless terrorists in the world, the Tamil Tigers.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ They were the terrorists who perfected the suicide human-bomber body pack which has helped the Taliban to down our brave soldiers in Afghanistan.
While Canada was a participant in that nasty separatist war among the separatist Tamils and the Government forces allowing the Tamil Diaspora to fill the Tamil Tiger warchest at the rate of two million dollar a month for 13 Liberal party governing years to buy arms and prolong the war, it is really up to Canada now to help Sri Lanka along her path of peace, reconciliation and development and regain its lost friendship which we enjoyed so much for many, many years after Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s independence in 1948.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ CIDA delisting Sri Lanka as a bilateral partner after decades of a close working relationship is no help to regain and continue such a friendship.
Canada did show her disappointment with the end of this war as the press statement by Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon, refused to acknowledge the defeat of terrorism in Sri Lanka while most other western countries congratulated Sri Lanka. I am sure that was well noted by Sri Lanka as well as allƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri Lankans living in Canada.
The key statement in Ms. WagiswaraƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s interview was when asked about the Sinhalese and Tamil communities in Canada, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-They are all Sri Lankan. What is the point being polarized?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ We need to work together and not have problems, or let what happened in the past affect your working life, your personal life.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
I hope Canada was listening and do absolutely nothing to polarize these two communities as we did in the past, especially during Question Period during the House of Parliament proceedings.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ And most importantly, guard against efforts to rekindle a Tamil extremism in Canada which eventually would filterƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ over the borders of ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri Lanka to break the country asunder.
Asoka Weerasinghe
January 22nd, 2010 at 10:11 am
This is very timely. The President has already declared that there are no minorities in Sri Lanka. There are only two groups, viz. Those who love the country and those wo do not. All people must now make use of this statement to work together and build that country to its original glory. In this context, Canada has a great opportunity to help Sri Lanka to work on this basis and aviod further tension and conflicts, without distinguishing a “Majority” and “Minority” divided on the basis of one’s ethnicity. Now is the greatest opportunity to forget “Minority” rights, but talk of equall rights to all those who love the country. Canada, you can take the lead.