Manicka Vasagar
Hon Jason Kenny M.P.
Minister of Citizenship, Immigration & Multiculturalism
House of Commons,
Ottawa, Ontario.
minister@cic.gc.ca
Dear Minister,
Racist attack on Tamil Women, Culture and Traditions by a Sinhalese Canadian.
First, I would like to express my sincere thanks to you and your party, and appreciate your presence and support to the Tamil community in Toronto recently, in their endeavours to be part and parcel of Canadian life, contribute to the social and economic development and be lawful citizens of Canada. Canada has always been well known for its values and principles of democracy, freedom, equality and multiculturalism. Canada and many countries around the world are enjoying the enormous contribution from the vibrancy of Tamils in many spheres of life.
But I am perturbed to read the racist, despicable and degrading letter by Asoka Weerasinghe to you and published as news worthy item by Sri Lankan newspaper lankaweb.com. This is not only attack on Tamil women, but to all women, and to all cultures and traditions of the world, including the singhalese.
These are the attitudes of majority Singhalese and successive singhala governments that have caused the division within both communities in Sri Lanka beyond repair. The oppression, discrimination, subjugation and state terrorism inflicted on the tamil people over the last 60 years have caused a major brain drain, that Sri Lanka is now down with the dogs.
Asoka’s views, comments and understanding of the plight of the Sri Lankan economy, its development and contribution to world social standing even after 60 years of independence, when compared to some third world countries, is disgraceful as his comments.
As a non Sri Lankan Tamil, and have never been to Sri Lanka, I would like to emphasis to the majority of singhalese and to the international community that they should understand by now, that the Tamil resistance will continue and would never rest until a peaceful, democratic, political solution to Tamil Eelam is achieved, so that the Tamils can live in peace and dignity, and prosper as a Nation.
Please also understand that the LTTE was not formed as a social club, give peace a chance was the motto then, but it never came. They were forced into by successive governments and chauvinistic singhalese people like Asoka, to defend and protect our land, our women, our culture, our heritage so that they could live in peace and dignity, when all other peaceful methods failed.
I didn’t understand myself until I was explained with a series on questions..
When a 16 or 17 year old boy, on suspicion, is tied to a tree, and his mother and sisters were raped by the army in front of him, what would he become? If a lady held at gun point, and her husband, father, and brothers all lined up and shot dead instantaneously in front of her, would she become sister Teressa? What about those in the village who witnessed these episodes, When high achievers are denied entry to pursue studies, what would they do?
After 60 years of struggle, and more that 200,000 killed, the international community now has the responsibility and obligation to the Tamil people of Eelam, for a permanent political solution.
As you are aware, The President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapakse, his brothers and the armed forces have been breaking International Humanitarian Laws and Human Rights Laws and committing mega crimes of genocide, and crimes against humanity. The UN Expert Panel has call for evidence on alleged violations in Sri Lanka, and is in progress.
The Sri Lankan military bombed and massacred as many as 40,000 Tamils, all cornered into a lagoon with all doors closed to the international media, and killed women, children, elderly, disabled and surrendered freedom fighters.
The GoSL now realizes that the stiffest war of all, an unwinnable war, is a war with a united Tamil Diaspora, a political and economic war, and with international pressure, the Tamils will not rest until a permanent political solution for an independent Tamil Eelam is realized, agreed by the Tamils and endorsed and signed by the International Community.
They are tinkering the conscience of the IC to correct its past mistakes, with their responsibility and obligation to the Tamil people, because they were part of the last 60 years of Tamil sufferings, they were part of our history, they watched the war, before, during and the aftermath of the war, and still pondering, and now realized that they have been hoodwinked and fooled by the GoSL.
We believe respected politicians around the world would raise and continue to voice against state terrorism and protect minorities and human rights.
Thank you again for your support of the Tamils of Eelam.
Yours sincerely
Manicka Vasagar
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