Ira de Silva London, Ontario, Canada Hon. Justin Trudeau Leader of the Liberal Party House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario. ƒ”š‚ Dear Sir: ƒ”š‚ Itƒ”š‚ was with disgust that I read your statement of May 19th on the anniversary of the death of the leaders of the most ruthless terrorist organization in the world, ƒ”š‚ the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) which […]

Ira de Silva London, Canada Once again India is behaving as if Sri Lanka is not a sovereign state and trying to bully the country solely for India’s own benefit.ƒ”š‚  The latest Indian claim isƒ”š‚ that it just wants to ensureƒ”š‚ aƒ”š‚ better deal for Tamils in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan Tamils are not citizens of India. They […]

Ira de Silva London, Canada The Editor The Island Colombo, Sri Lanka ƒ”š‚  Dear Sir: ƒ”š‚  The telephone call made by the External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid to Minister G.L. Peiris has been reported in news media under differentƒ”š‚ captions. The Island heading refers to India’s opposition to the army acquiring private land while the Indian […]

ƒ”š‚ Ira de Silva London, Canada The Editor Montreal Gazette, Montreal, Quebec ƒ”š‚  Dear Sir: ƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚  Canada has stated that it may not send a “full delegation” to the summit in Colombo whichƒ”š‚ I assume is diplomatic jargon to indicate that Mr. Harper and Mr. Baird may not attend. Good. It is Canada’s democratic right to go […]

Ira de Silva London, Canada The Editor Ottawa Citizen Ottawa, Ontario ƒ”š‚  Dear Sir: ƒ”š‚  You state that “the diplomatic equivalent of a slap in the faceƒ”š‚ – is for the leader of one country to refuse to attend a high profile gathering hosted by another. Well, Canada has just slapped Sri Lanka”. Based on the […]

Ira de Silva London, Ontario Hon. John Baird Minister of Foreign Affairs House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario Dear Sir: ƒ”š‚  A news report dated May 1, 2013 indicates that Canada will not be sending a “full delegation” toƒ”š‚ the Commonwealth meeting in Sri Lanka this year. I am assuming that this is diplomatic jargon to say […]

Ira de Silva London, Ontario Canada The Editor Globe & Mail Toronto, Ontario. Dear Sir: ƒ”š‚  ƒ”š‚  ƒ”š‚  ƒ”š‚  ƒ”š‚  ƒ”š‚  ƒ”š‚  ƒ”š‚  ƒ”š‚  ƒ”š‚  ƒ”š‚  ƒ”š‚  ƒ”š‚  ƒ”š‚  Re: Sri Lankan Abuses Spur Ottawa – April 27,2013 The news report states that Mr. Harper’s representatives emerged from the meeting of the Ministerial Action Group […]

Ira de Silva London, Canadaƒ”š‚ ƒ”š‚  Mr. Harper, the Canadian Prime Minister, has been saying that he would prefer Sri Lanka to not hold the Commonwealth summit since before the last meeting in Australia in 2011.ƒ”š‚ It is not just a “hint”, it has been his stated policy that he would notƒ”š‚ go to Colombo unless the GOSL […]

Ira de Silva London, Canada Reading the various news reports in the Sri Lankan and Indian media recently, could and would the GOSL confirm that it is still responsible for governance or has it been delegated to the U.S. and India? Has Sri Lanka become a “colony” again? After the infamous Indo-Lanka Agreement of 1987 […]

Ira de Silva London, Ontario The Honourable Hugh Segal Member of the Senate of Canada , Ottawa, Ontario Dear Sir: I am writing to you regarding your views expressed prior to your visit to Sri Lanka when you claimed that you were going with an open mind and your snide remarks at a meeting in […]

Ira de Silva London, Ontario, Canadaƒ”š‚  The Editor The Island Colombo, Sri Lanka ƒ”š‚  Dear Sir: ƒ”š‚  It was no surprise that India voted against Sri Lanka once again. What is galling to Sri Lankans is the fact that Sri Lankan and Indian officials continue to claim that India is a “friend” which it is […]

Ira de Silva London, Ontario, Canada The Editor The Island Colombo, Sri Lanka Dear Sir: I refer to the interview given by Senator Segal prior to his visit to Sri Lanka as Canada’s special envoy to the Commonwealth. It is heartening to note that Canada will not boycott the forthcoming Commonwealth meeting in Sri Lanka. […]

Ira de Silva London, Ontario, Canada The Editor The Hindu Delhi, India ƒ”š‚  Dear Sir: ƒ”š‚  India is being asked to impress on Sri Lanka at the UN in Genevaƒ”š‚  “the need to agree to a high level, credible and independent enquiry on the allegations of war crimes committed during the last phase of the […]

Ira de Silva London, Ontario, Canada The Editor The Hindu Delhi, India ƒ”š‚  Dear Sir: ƒ”š‚  I have just read the report of the assault on a Buddhist monk in Triuchi. The Indian government, the Government of Tamil Nadu and the Indian mediaƒ”š‚ must be so proud that they are able to continue to show the […]

Ira de Silva London, Ontario, Canada The Editor The Hindu New Delhi, India Dear Sir: Your front page story regarding the death of Prabhakaran’s son and the allegation that he was shot by the Sri Lankan army typifies India’s attitude to Sri Lanka, namely that of an interfering bully who will use any excuse to […]

Ira de Silva London, Ontario Editor The Island Colombo, Sri Lanka ƒ”š‚  Dear Sir: ƒ”š‚  Canada has overtaken other pro-LTTE groups against Sri Lanka as the current Canadian Government is being “guided/dictated to” by the LTTE front organizations in Canada on it’s policyƒ”š‚ on Sri Lanka.ƒ”š‚ It is now the Canadian Government that is pushing the LTTE […]

Ira de Silva London, Canada Hon. Jason Kenney Minister of Citizenship, Immigration & Multiculturalism Ottawa, Ontario Dear Sir: Further to my correspondence regarding your meeting on January 26th with only the Tamils in Markham, Ontario, my last letter to you was onƒ”š‚ Feb.4, 2013ƒ”š‚  for which I have not received a reply to date. I have […]

Ira de Silva London, Canada Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2013 01:41:59 -0500 Hon. Jason Kenney Minister of Immigration Ottawa, Ontario Dear Sir: I got your e-mail regarding your visit to Colombo but was unable to respond to it immediately. I now have received information that you held a meeting in Toronto with Tamils ONLY regarding […]

Ira de Silva London, Canada The Editor The Island Colombo, Sri Lanka Dear Sir: Reference the front page article that Canada summoned the High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in Ottawa, it should be obvious to the officials in Sri Lanka that this is all a build up towards Canada’s intended actions at the UN sessions […]

Ira de Silva London, Ontario, Canada Mr. Patrick Brown M.P. House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario. ƒ”š‚  Dear Sir: ƒ”š‚  Reference your recent statement on Sri Lanka, it appears it is one more of your biased, uninformed statements, perhaps at the behest of your party, to help retain the Tamil Tiger voting block in the Greater […]

Ira de Silva London, Ontario, Canada Many articles have been written regarding the report from the U.N. claiming failure in Sri Lanka during the last stages of the war against the Tamil terrorists in May 2009. This implies that the U.N. considers itself “successful” in the almost thirty years that the Tamil terrorists waged war […]

Ira de Silva London, Ontario Hon. John Baird, P.C., M.P. Minister of Foreign Affairs House of Commons, Ottawa. ƒ”š‚ Dear Sir: ƒ”š‚ Referenceƒ”š‚  your reply on October 23,2012 to my emails of September 18 and 27, and December 6,2011, ƒ”š‚ I was going to send you an immediate response, but decided to ƒ”š‚ wait a few days to read […]

Ira de Silva London, Canada Attention: Mr. G. Pramod Kumar – Firstpost.Com ƒ”š‚  Regarding your article in Firstpost, I agree that the cartoon in Lakbima is in poor taste, should not have been published, and that the author and the newspaper should tender an apology to Mr. Manmohan Singh. However, as for the rest of […]

Ira de Silva London, Canada Dr. Manmohan Singh Prime Minister of India South Block, Raisina Hill New Delhi, India-110 011 Dear Sir: I amƒ”š‚ writing to youƒ”š‚ regarding your government’s inaction, impotence and silence regarding the racist, venomous and inhuman behaviour ofƒ”š‚  Ms. Jayalalithaa,ƒ”š‚ the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, as illustrated byƒ”š‚ her attitude and treatment of pilgrims, […]

Ira de Silva London, Canad With reference to the increased level of attacks against Sri Lankans in Tamil Nadu, it could be said that having succeeded in defeating the threat of the LTTE in Sri Lanka the country is now facing Jayalalithaa’s terrorism. Because Sri Lankns have a short memory regarding the manyƒ”š‚ anti Sri Lanka […]

Ira de Silva London, Canada H.E.ƒ”š‚ Bruce Levy Canadian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka 33A, 5th Lane Colombo 3, Sri Lanka. Dear Sir: I have just read your statement to Sandasen Marasinghe published in The Island of August 18,2012. I regret the delay in responding but am doing so now as I feel compelled to askƒ”š‚ how […]

Ira de Silva London, Canada The Editor Christian Science Monitor Dear Sir: Reference Alaina Varvaloucas’ article dated August 14, 2012, the very heading of the article provides an insight into the erroneous assumptions made by the writer and the articleƒ”š‚  indicates that it is but one more article written in the same vein as many […]

Ira de Silva London, Canadaƒ”š‚  The Editor ƒ”š‚  Dear Sir: ƒ”š‚  Having read the news report of the TESO as reported byƒ”š‚  S Venkat Narayan and the resolutions from that gathering, I am writing to express a view on some of those resolutions. It is ironic that the TESO asksƒ”š‚  India not to remain “silent” […]

Ira de Silva London, Canada The Editor The Island Colombo, Sri Lanka Dear Sir: Reference the statement by retired Maj. General A.K.Mehta disputing the GOSL’s position regarding the post-war military presence in the Northern Province based on unnamed sources, the simple question that should be asked of Mehta is why it is any of his […]

Ira De Silva London, Canada The Editor The Island Colombo, Sri Lanka Dear Sir: It is encouraging to note that the Foreign Minister has made note of the rank interference by the British H.C. and summoned him to express his “displeasure”. Sri Lankans can only hope that Mr. Peiris was able to explain in diplomatic […]