Canadian academics come out in support of Tamils
May 6th, 2009 - 9:51 am ICT by IANSToronto, May 6 (IANS) Canadian academics have launched a campaign to seek their government’s intervention in Sri Lanka to end the conflict between government forces and the Tamil Tigers.
In a letter to Canadian prime minister, a group of academics - called Canadian Academics for Tamil Rights - has urged the government to put pressure on Colombo to end the bloody conflict.
Signed by 125 leading academics, former foreign minister Bill Graham and Opposition leaders Jack Layton and Elizabeth May, the letter said that more than 6,400 civilians have been killed in the conflict since January.
In a statement here Tuesday, the group said that”close to 50,000 Tamil civilians, many already displaced multiple times, are still under siege in a tiny coastal strip in the north of Sri Lanka.”
Calling upon the Canadian government to pressure both parties to implement an immediate ceasefire, the letter said Ottawa should ‘urge the international community and the UN to take responsibility for the protection of Tamil civilians.”
Since Canada is home to “the largest Tamil diaspora outside of Sri Lanka”, f Aiken of Queen’s University said Ottawa should play active role in ending the conflict.
“The fact that so many Canadian Tamils are continuing to lose family members and friends in the ongoing crisis is what prompted us as concerned Canadian academics to stand in solidarity with them,’’said Prof Aiken of Queen’s University.
Ryerson University (Toronto) Prof Alan Sears said Canada has a “responsibility to act in the face of the humanitarian and human rights catastrophe confronting the Tamil population of Sri Lanka.
“The level of mobilizations among Tamils in Toronto has been truly impressive, and they are asking for our solidarity so they do not feel they are facing this crisis alone.”
Canadian academics are the first group to come out openly in support of the protesting Sri Lankan Tamils in Toronto.
No government leader has met the Tamils who have been protesting in Toronto and Ottawa for almost two months now.
Canada, which banned the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as a terrorist organisation in 2006, is home to more than 300,000 Sri Lankan Tamils.
- Selective assessment of Tamil refugee status must be avoided: Experts - Aug 13, 2010
- International conflict prevention group calls for probe into Sri Lanka's 'war-crimes' - May 18, 2010
- Canadian Navy boards Tamil refugee ship, some expected to be LTTE members - Aug 13, 2010
- Jayalalithaa hailed for raising plight of Sri Lankan Tamils - Jun 09, 2011
- Over 100 Tamil migrants heading to Canada arrested - Oct 30, 2010
- End emergency, reconcile with Tamils, Canada tells Sri Lanka - Mar 12, 2010
- Canadian Tamil Congress sues global terror expert - Jul 13, 2011
- Curtail visits by Sri Lankan dignitaries: Jayalalithaa - Mar 07, 2012
- Protests force Canadian politicians to acknowledge Tamil cause - May 12, 2009
- Don't attend Sri Lanka military conference: rights body - May 24, 2011
- Sri Lanka asks Canada to share intelligence on Tamil migrants - Aug 17, 2010
- 'Canadian troops in Afghanistan will end up training Taliban insurgents' - Jan 15, 2011
- Tamil Tigers' entry into Canada feared - Aug 12, 2010
- Canadian Tamils support former Sri Lankan army chief - Oct 09, 2010
- Canada calls for Sri Lanka truce as Tamils hold candlelight vigils - Feb 05, 2009
Tags: alan sears, bloody conflict, canadian academics, canadian prime minister, canadian tamils, coastal strip, government leader, human rights catastrophe, jack layton, leading academics, minister bill, opposition leaders, population of sri lanka, prof alan, ryerson university toronto, sri lankan tamils, tamil civilians, tamil population, tamil rights, tamil tigers
