Not in our name
Selva Kumar, Jamal Mohamed and Lenin Benedict
Roy Ratnavel’s recent National Post article (“Why Canada’s Tamils are
upset,” March 20) may lead readers to the mistaken belief that all
Tamils in Canada share the same opinion on the situation in Sri Lanka.
In fact not all Tamils in Canada are from Sri Lanka (many come from
India, Malaysia, Singapore and other nations). And even among those
Canadian Tamils who do come from Sri Lanka, not all support the LTTE or
its Canadian affiliates. In fact, most of us don’t support the group.
There are over a million Tamils in the country’s south living
peacefully among Sinhalese and Muslims. Many Tamils in Canada come from
these areas and aspire to see this same sort of pluralism in the
formerly LTTE-controlled regions in the North and East.
Certainly, Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka have suffered as the Army
presses its offensive against the Tigers in the last remaining silver of
the LTTE held territory. But this suffering has been worsened by the
LTTE itself, which holds many of the civilians hostage.
This fact has been reported by both the United Nations and the Red
Cross, which also note that civilians attempting to flee have been shot
and killed by the Tigers.
Moderate Tamils have attempted to make their voices heard in Canada -
including at a recent rally on Parliament Hill organised by the Hindu
Priests Association.
However, hundreds of Tamil men and women were sent from Toronto by a
pro-LTTE group to infiltrate the rally with Tiger flags. This sort of
practice has become the norm. The Canadian media and public should
understand that Tigers supporters are co-opting these events against the
organizers’ own wishes.
Millions of Tamils in India are protesting against the sufferings of
Tamils in Sri Lanka, but LTTE flags are never seen in those rallies.
There is no reason why they should be used in Canada. Supporters of the
Tamil Tigers - a group that has been considered a terrorist organisation
in this country since 2006 - even use such events for fundraising.
LTTE-supporting gro-ups in Canada claim to be fighting against
discrimination toward Tamils in Sri Lanka. Yet they freely discriminate
against all other Tamils in Canada, especially Indian Tamils and
Muslims.
The LTTE drove out 100,000 Tamil Muslims from the North, and
continues to discriminate against those that have fled to Canada.
Temples and organisations started by Indian Tamils decades ago in Canada
have been taken over by pro-LTTE groups. Canadian businesses owned by
Tamils who are not supportive of the LTTE are targeted for harassment.
And Sri Lankan Tamils who want to bring peace in Sri Lanka through
negotiations with the Government are labelled “traitors” by the LTTE
groups operating in Canada.
The phenomenon even undermines Canadian democracy: Pro-LTTE groups
have opposed and threatened Indian and Sri Lankan Tamil election
candidates who do not subscribe to their views. Some even use illegal
fundraising tactics to wage their campaigns.
The Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC) - on whose board Roy Ratnavel sits
- claims to represent the “unified voice of Canadian Tamils.” But a
review of the group’s press releases, board members and media
interactions over the years shows that it has been invariably critical
of the Government and sympathetic to the LTTE. There is nothing Canadian
or Tamil about the group. Its pronouncements make one wonder if it is no
more than a message board for the LTTE.
Canadians need to realise that not all Tamils are supporters of the
Tigers. Noisy as they are, groups like the Canadian Tiger Congress, in
fact, represent only a small Tamil-Canadian minority the minority that
sympathizes with the LTTE.
Canada should let Sri Lanka deal with the LTTE terrorists, and work
with the UN to help the Tamil civilians held hostage by the LTTE. More
importantly, Canada should focus on helping Canadian Tamils held hostage
to LTTE groups right here in our country. For starters, politicians of
all stripes should stop engaging pro-LTTE groups and do what is right
for Canada.
- National Post
(The writers are members of Canadian Tamils for Peace and Democracy
(CATPAD).)
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