Thursday, 15 August 2024

Sri Lanka's love and hate affair with Canada!

Government of Sri Lanka welcomes Canada’s decision to retain LTTE as a terrorist entity

The Government of Sri Lanka welcomes the decision of the Government of Canada to retain the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) along with the World Tamil Movement (WTM) as terrorist entities.

According to the recent review, Canada maintains that the remnants of the LTTE have an international fundraising and procurement network that still exists. The review of the WTM notes that the group continues to play a facilitating role in the LTTE’s terrorist activities by fundraising on their behalf. This decision taken following a rigorous review process, reaffirms the continued threat posed by these organizations.

The Government of Canada first listed the LTTE as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code on 6 April 2006 and it is a statutory requirement to undertake a review every five years. The latest review process concluded in June 2024.

The continued listing of the LTTE by the Government of Canada is presently the third consecutive ban on the LTTE in recent times, with the extensions on proscription of the LTTE having also taken place in India and the European Union, in addition to the judgement of dismissal by the Proscribed Organisations and Appeal Commission (POAC) in the United Kingdom on the application made for the de-proscription of the LTTE in the UK, this year.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Colombo 15 August 2024


Sri Lanka locks horns with Canada once again over genocide allegations

Daily Mirror 15 August 2024

Colombo, August 15 (Daily Mirror)- Sri Lanka, once again, protested with the Canadian authorities over the plan to construct a ‘Tamil genocide monument’ in the area called Brampton in Canada, Daily Mirror learns.

Sri Lankan Consul General of Sri Lanka in Toronto Thushara Rodrigo has written to Brampton mayor Patrick Brown registering Sri Lanka’s protest.

Sri Lanka has locked horns with Canada on multiple occasions over purported genocide allegations.

The Lankan government , in May, hit out at Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for engaging in what is called ‘electoral vote bank politics by making an "outrageous allegation" of "genocide" during the island nation's brutal armed conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) that ended in 2009. Trudeau, in a statement, noted that Canada's Parliament unanimously voted to recognise May 18 as 'Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day'.

"We will always advocate for justice and accountability for the crimes committed during the conflict, as well as for the hardships faced by all in Sri Lanka. In 2023, we imposed sanctions against four former Sri Lankan government officials in response to their violations of human rights in the country during the armed conflict," Trudeau said in a statement.

However, his statement runs counter to the Federal policy of Canada, which says allegations against Sri Lanka during the war time do not amount to genocide.

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