Canadian PM Hopes To Meet MR At Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
Posted on October 13th, 2011

Ira de Silva London, Ontario Canada

The Editor
Daily Mirror
Colombo, Sri Lanka
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
Dear Sir:
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
It is not a hope that the Canadian Prime Minister will meet President Rajapakse at the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth, Australia, it is a fact. However, it must also be noted, that the supporters of the LTTE in Australia did try to stop President Rajapakse from being admitted to Australia for this meeting. Whether there will be a discussion on allegations ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ of human rights abuses and reconciliation is for them to decide. It is hoped that if the Canadian Prime Minster does bring up these issues that the President will convince him that issues relating to the people of Sri LankaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ are a matter for the elected representatives of Sri Lanka and not for the benefit of Canadian citizens who fundedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  LTTE terrorism from Canada and are now promising votes in elections in Canada if Canadian politiciansƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ support the LTTE in their campaign against Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Domestic Canadian politics should not be at the expense of Sri Lanka.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
Mr. Levy is correct that the Prime Minister did not use the word “boycott”.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  He did not say as Mr. Levy states “that he will find it difficult to attend the summit if there is no progress in terms of political reconciliation and some of the issues surrounding the closing months of the war”. What he said was “I have expressed concernsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  about the holding of the next Commonwealth summit, the one after the one coming up, in Sri Lanka. I intend to make clear to my fellow leaders at the Commonwealth that if we do not see progress in Sri Lanka in terms of humans rights and some of the issues you raised (refers to the reporters question/statement that there have been many calls for an investigation into war crimes) I will not as Prime Minister be attending that summit. And I hope that others will take a similar position but I hope that this will pressure the Sri Lankan Government to take appropriate actions“.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Mr. Levy can call it whatever he pleases but when he says that he will not attend under certain conditions and willƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ try to persuade othersƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ at the upcoming summit to follow his lead and not attend, he is advocating a boycott, which according to the Oxford dictionary means “punish, coerce, by systematic refusal of social or commercial relations”.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Mr. Harper goes on to state “our position’s very clear that we are supportive of an independent investigation“. It is important to place this statement in perspective. It was made at a meeting with ethnic media on September 9,2011 in response to a Tamil journalists question. It is also important for your readers to know that this so-called journalist is a well known LTTE supporter in TorontoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ who was nominated as a candidate by the Conservatives at the federal election this year. At the timeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Mr. HarperƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ made this statement, the election campaign for the Province of Ontario was taking place and the Conservatives had another well known LTTE supporter as a candidate. The Minister of Immigration as well as other Conservatives were actively campaigning to have him elected.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ These statements were to woo the LTTE supporters to vote for the Conservatives, no more no less.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Commenting on this statement the leader of the Canadian Tamil Congress is quoted as saying “we are deeply touched by his (Harper’s) words”! Professor Cheran said the fact that a former Conservative candidate asked the question was a little unsettling -ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ “I suspect that this is all kind of a set-up thing to gain more support within the Tamil community,” he said. Mr. Paranchothy, the former Conservative candidate who asked the question of Mr. HarperƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ is quoted as saying he thought it would be a good opportunity to ask the prime minister about the situation in Sri Lanka and Canada’s stance.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ “I think the government has been the same in the past, but they haven’t been vocal about it. There hasn’t been an opportunity to get that position clarified.” The associate director of communications for the prime minister’s office, said in an email that “the question could have been asked by any media outlet in the country and the answer would have been the same.” Let your readers decide what Mr. Harper intended to convey. Unfortunately Sri Lanka is targeted to get the votes of LTTE supporters in Toronto, all Canadian citizens otherwise they would not have a vote, and Sri Lanka and it’s people are the victims.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
This election is now over. The LTTE supporter who was a candidate lost. It was the opinion of those Sri Lankan Canadians who had supported the Conservatives in the past that it was better not to vote than to vote for the Conservatives who were pressuring Sri Lanka with variousƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ unjust, unsubstantiated demands and being supportive of war crimes investigations.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
It is heartening to note that Mr. Levy states that the Canadian Prime Minister will not boycott the 2013 CHOGM due to be held in Sri Lanka in 2013. Could he ask the Prime Minister’s office to issue this clarification? According to Canadian media there had been a policy shift by the Harper Government to pressure Sri Lanka – refer Globe & Mail, September 29,2011, Embassy Magazine “Harper could boycott Commonwealth Summit in Sri Lanka”, September 14,2011.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If the media in CanadaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ are wrong regarding Mr. Harper’s intentions then it is essential that the Prime Minister’s office issue a statement to correct this impression. The statement should also include Mr. Levy’s “It might be useful to have an investigation with international elements but that is for Sri Lanka to decide“. Based on media reports in Canada the impression is that Canada has the right to decide.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
By copy of this letter to Mr. Levy I request that he should also send his statement to the Foreign Minister, Mr. John Baird who according to the Globe & Mail has made the campaign (boycott and pressure) “a priority taking up the cudgel in a UN speech (at the UN sessions in New York late September) in talks with foreign counterparts and meetings with Sri Lankan officials “(Prof. G.L. Peiris).ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Your readers will recall that Sri Lankan media reported that Sri Lanka was taken aback at the Canadian attitude in New York. If, as Mr. Levy states, investigation is for Sri Lanka to decide, let us hear it from Mr. Harper and Mr. John Baird because what is reported in the Canadian media seems to suggest that Canada is interfering in Sri Lanka, making meetings with President Rajapakse dependent on Sri Lanka meeting Canadian demands for investigations, human rights abuses and post war reconciliation as insisted on by LTTE supporters in Canada.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
Yours truly,
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 
Ira de Silva
London, Ontario

5 Responses to “Canadian PM Hopes To Meet MR At Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting”

  1. aravinda Says:

    There are ten thousand Sri Lankan Tamils in Australia, and perhaps 5,000 votes. How did they manage to stop banning LTTE, the most vicious and murderous terrorist outfit in history of the World. What are we missing here? What are the undercurrents? Will we ever know, how did these few managed to control foreign policy of successive Australian Governments?

  2. Voice123 Says:

    @aravinda, here’s my two cents worth. I think the answer to your question lies in history. Both countries were former British colonies enjoying good relations – after independence this changed and 1956 onwards. During this same era, Australia strengthened the racist but hugely popular “White Australia Policy”, strongly pro America, pro-multinational business, pro-economic growth etc. Sri Lanka was perceived by some older generation Aussies as going in the opposite direction, pursuing vigorous anti-western, inward looking, stultifying anti-private sector policies all of which which contributed to an outflow of tens of thousands of Sri Lankans (Ceylonese) of European and part-European heritage to resettle in Australia often under pressure to deny any Sri Lankan side of their heritage as well as be critical of the GOSL in order to be admitted into Australia and later to bolster their acceptance in the mainstream Australian society. It became ingrained in some Australians mind that Sri Lanka is a country with little in common. 1983 riots were sensationalised in Australia and a few “concerned” Aussies and ex-Sri Lankans spoke out openly against, not just the GOSL but also against the Sinhalese people in general. I suppose LTTE member Adele Balasingham is Australian and is an example of this type of person. Fortunately there arent too many like her. Post 1983 Tamils lobbied hard to be admitted as refugees and their numbers increased slowly but steadily and the LTTE and separatist lobby has built on any existing mistrust and prejudice to further their bloody Eelam cause. Then TULF leader Amirthalingam visited Australia in 1984 and lobbied the Australian government to adopt a racist attitude and give Tamils preference over other Sri Lankans in immigration because in his opinion they were “persecuted” in Sri Lanka. (How did a minister in Sri Lanka’s parliament travel abroad and vilify Sri Lanka and its majority community unchallenged? Few people in Sri Lanka were even aware Amirthalingam was up to mischief such as this). Post independence, many western politicians, not only in Britain but also other countries like Australia and New Zealand are skeptical about the ability of non-Western nations to govern themselves effectively and fairly. The LTTE lobby fuels all manner of prejudices to further their cause also. The world has changed and moved on but the LTTE and separatist lobby in Australia will stoop to any low level, even readily align themselves with western racists, to further their dubious cause. I believe that only solution to this problem is peace, rapid development, tourism, increased sport, increased visits and working holidays by foreign citizens to Sri Lanka to see first hand what it is like, and increased levels of well being, health and education for all Sri Lanka so that Sri Lanka becomes less isolated and an indispensable part of the modern world.

  3. douglas Says:

    H.E. The President of Sri Lanka. Go prepared to give this Prime Minister an ear- full. Canada tried their pranks at the UNHRC and miserably failed to impress the Tamil voters at the last Provincial Elections.

    If possible include Ms Ira de Silva and Mr. Asoka Weerasinghe in your delegation and it would be very interesting to see how this Prime Minister faces the truth and nothing but the truth. Also, please invite “Channel 4” to record the proceedings so that we ordinary guys can have lot of fun. After all we deserve some entertainment after three decades of suffering.

  4. OaO Asithri Says:

    Evidently, Haper is on record saying:

    “if we do not see progress in Sri Lanka in terms of humans rights…”

    ““our position’s very clear that we are supportive of an independent investigation“

    Mahinda Rajapakse should also be saying:

    “We need to see progress on the current Govt. of Canada disassociating itself from LTTE supporters in Canada AND holding an inquiry into: How the Tamil Canadian LTTE supporters raised thousands of millions of dollars in Canada to help the LTTE unleash horrifying terrorism in Sri Lanka (as stated by none other than the Canadian premier law enforcement authority, the RCMP), with the revelation of names of those guilty parties from the Canadian Tamil diaspora AND evidence of prosecution of same AS WELL AS the culpability of the Govt. of Canada for allowing such criminal act to take place within Canadian soil and who are the guilty politicians in Canada, some who are still alleged to be in the parliament in Canada, who turned a blind-eye at best and provided moral support at worst, for such to happen.”

    AND he should also add:

    “our position’s also very clear; if the Govt. of Canada is unwilling or unable to do this, then we are supportive of an independent investigation“

    OaO Asithri

  5. AnuD Says:

    Mahinda Rajapakse should go prepared.

    We don’t have a history of discrimination. We have given so much and on the verge of extermination. They come and talk crap human rights as they don’t have any such history or present.

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