OTTAWA –
Tamil diaspora teams reward Ottawa’s sanctions towards Sri Lankan officers and urge Canada to convey that nation earlier than worldwide tribunals.
“The Tamil diaspora has known as for a brand new Nuremberg tribunal to attempt the governance of Sri Lanka,” mentioned Vel Velautahpillai, a board member of the Federation of International Tamil Organizations, on Parliament Hill on Monday.
Ottawa earlier this month imposed sanctions on 4 senior officers over alleged human rights abuses throughout Sri Lanka’s bloody, 26-year civil struggle with Tamil separatists.
The property and journey ban included Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his older brother Mahinda Rajapaksa, each of whom are former presidents.
The pair oversaw the victory of Sri Lanka’s majority Sinhala inhabitants over Tamil teams, which got here after widespread bloodshed and massacres.
Gotabaya quickly fled his nation final summer time after mass protests over the price of dwelling, whereas Mahinda resigned as prime minister final spring.
In response to the sanctions, the Sri Lankan authorities known as out the Canadian envoy over the transfer, accusing Ottawa of giving in to Tamil diaspora insurance policies.
Sri Lanka’s International Minister Ali Sabry known as the transfer arbitrary and damaging to each relations with Canada and his nation’s reconciliation course of.
However Tamil teams say Ottawa has set an instance for different nations, and they’re calling on Liberals to begin a course of to convey senior officers to the Worldwide Prison Court docket for alleged crimes towards humanity.
In addition they need Canada to take Sri Lanka to the Worldwide Court docket of Justice, which handles disputes between nations. Velautahpillai mentioned his group made the request to Secretary of State Melanie Joly practically three weeks in the past.
The US has beforehand sanctioned senior Sri Lankan officers, however Canada is the one nation itemizing the Rajapaksa brothers, based on Human Rights Watch.
The Velautahpillai Affiliation, made up largely of grassroots teams in Canada and the US, urges the G7 to comply with go well with.
He mentioned the group isn’t conscious of any Canadian property belonging to the Rajapaksa brothers or the 2 army officers whom Canada additionally imposed sanctions on final month.
They’re Sunil Ratnayake, who was sentenced to loss of life by a court docket for his position in a 2020 bloodbath of Tamils however was later pardoned, and naval commander Chandana Prasad Hettiarachchi, who was accused of kidnapping civilians who later killed grew to become.
Washington sanctioned each officers in 2021 however has not taken related motion towards the Rajapaksa brothers. The Trump administration additionally sanctioned Sri Lanka Military chief Shavendra Silva in 2020, however Canada didn’t comply with go well with.
The Federation of International Tamil Organizations argues that Sri Lanka dedicated genocide and should be held accountable.
Final Could, MPs handed a movement to create a day to acknowledge the genocide of the Tamil individuals in Sri Lanka. Cupboard ministers backed the movement, however the Liberal authorities has averted formally accusing the nation of genocide.
This report from The Canadian Press was first revealed on January 30, 2023.