Thaindian News

Ottawa, April 15 (IANS) A Sri Lankan Tamil protesting “genocide” against the community in the island nation was hospitalised even as his colleagues continued their hunger strike outside the Canadian parliament here.
Five Tamils went on a hunger strike opposite the House of Commons building April 7, seeking Ottawa’s intervention in the Sri Lankan conflict. While one woman protestor was hospitalised last Friday, paramedics took a Tamil man to hospital Tuesday as he complained of stomach sickness.

“Thirty-four-old James Jolues was taken to hospital by paramedics as he developed some complications. He is a diabetic and suffers from other medical problems,” Canadian Tamil Congress leader David Poopalapillai told IANS.

However, he said the hunger strike will continue till the Canadian government listens to their demands.

The Sri Lankan Tamils, who have for weeks been staging huge rallies in Toronto and Ottawa, want Canada to seek Sri Lanka’s ouster from the Commonwealth, withdrawal of its high commissioner from Colombo and pressure to end its military campaign against the Tamil Tigers.

The striking Tamils were visited by the mayor of the Canadian capital Monday.

“The strikers were visited by the mayor and by thousands of Tamils from across this country. They want our voice to be heard by Canadian leaders,” said Poopalapillai.

However, there is hardly any Canadian leader to meet as parliament is recessed because of the Easter holidays.

The Ottawa hunger-strike is part of the Tamils’ joint global campaign to seek intervention in Sri Lanka.

Almost a third of the one million Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora live in Canada.