http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/282506

Canadian MPs protest the Sri Lankan displacement camps Special

Posted Nov 21, 2009 by ■ Andrew Moran
Members of Canadian Parliament, Bob Rae, Jack Layton and Olivia Chow appeared at the Tamil protests in front of the Sri Lankan Consulate to show their support of the movement to immediately free Tamils from the internal displacement camps.
Members of Canadian Parliament, Bob Rae, Olivia Chow, Jack Layton, demonstrated with Torontonians and Tamils against the Sri Lankan Internal Displacement Camps.
On Saturday, thousands of Tamils, Torontonians and members of various union groups gathered in front of the Sri Lankan Consulate at Yonge Street and St. Clair Avenue to press western governments to urge Sri Lanka to release the roughly 300,000 Tamils who are currently being held inside the displacement camps in northern Sri Lanka.
The purpose of this specific protest is to support Amnesty International’s Campaign to “Unlock the Camps.” Amnesty International is quoted on one flyer handed out as stating, “Amnesty International has received repeated, credible reports from humanitarian workers about the lack of transparency and accountability in the screening process, which is conducted outside of any legal framework.”
The Circle of Hope also occurred in ten other nations such as the United States, France, Germany and Mauritius.
On Saturday, thousands of Canadians and Tamils alike protested the Sri Lankan internal displacement camps in front of the Sri Lankan Consulate.
On Saturday, thousands of Canadians and Tamils alike protested the Sri Lankan internal displacement camps in front of the Sri Lankan Consulate.
On Saturday, thousands of Canadians and Tamils alike protested the Sri Lankan internal displacement camps in front of the Sri Lankan Consulate.
Canadians Concerned about Sri Lanka involves the Toronto & York Region Labor Council, Canadian Auto Workers, Canadian Tamil Congress, UNITE HERE, United Steelworkers Toronto Area Council and many others. One part of their goal is for full international and media access to all camps in Sri Lanka. Another objective is to prosecute all the offenders of human rights and war crimes against the Tamil people in Sri Lanka.
On Saturday, thousands of Canadians and Tamils alike protested the Sri Lankan internal displacement camps in front of the Sri Lankan Consulate.
New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton called for Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to “open the doors of Canada” and welcome Tamils from Sri Lanka into the country so they can be with their friends, family and loved ones instead of being persecuted by the Sri Lankan government. Olivia Chow, a Canadian MP, also showed her support and concurred with Layton.
Members of Canadian Parliament, Bob Rae, Olivia Chow, Jack Layton demonstrated with Torontonians and Tamils against the Sri Lankan Internal Displacement Camps.
Members of Canadian Parliament, Bob Rae, Olivia Chow, Jack Layton, demonstrated with Torontonians and Tamils against the Sri Lankan Internal Displacement Camps.
Members of Canadian Parliament, Bob Rae, Olivia Chow, Jack Layton, demonstrated with Torontonians and Tamils against the Sri Lankan Internal Displacement Camps.
On Saturday, thousands of Canadians and Tamils alike protested the Sri Lankan internal displacement camps in front of the Sri Lankan Consulate.
Members of the Press were also in attendance and interviewed several people in the crowds as to why they are there and what they expect the outcome will be. Reporters from CBC, City News and others were able to interview Bob Rae, a Member of Parliament for the Toronto Center, who told the attendees in his speech, “I look forward to going to Sri Lanka and not just the airport in Colombo,” which refers to the time when he was denied entry by Sri Lankan officials at the Bandaranaike International Airport on the grounds that he was a threat to national security and a sympathizer to the Tamil Tigers.
Members of Canadian Parliament, Bob Rae, Olivia Chow, Jack Layton, demonstrated with Torontonians and Tamils against the Sri Lankan Internal Displacement Camps.
Members of Canadian Parliament, Bob Rae, Olivia Chow, Jack Layton, demonstrated with Torontonians and Tamils against the Sri Lankan Internal Displacement Camps.
Members of Canadian Parliament, Bob Rae, Olivia Chow, Jack Layton, demonstrated with Torontonians and Tamils against the Sri Lankan Internal Displacement Camps.
Chants of “So-So-So-Solidarity” could be heard a few blocks away as one union leader called for Canadians and Tamils to unite to help solve the pressing issues of releasing the Tamils. York Federation Student leader shouted the words of “No Justice! No Peace!”
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has called for the release of all Tamils by January 2010, however other reports have shown Rajapaksa recant those statements and instead say that only 50,000 Tamils will be left in the camps by the same date. Only time will tell when governments around the world will put pressure on Sri Lanka.