Statement For Tamil By Canadian Peace Alliance

Stop the Attacks on the Tamil People The Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) has unilaterally abandoned the internationally mediated ceasefire agreement and has engaged in aerial bombings and artillery shelling of civilians in an intense war on the Tamil minority in the country. This war, which has killed as many as 70,000 Tamil civilians has become more brutal. In 2008 alone, thousands of civilians were killed. According to former UN Human Rights Commissioner, Louise Arbour, “The most fundamental rights of people to be secure in their persons and homes are being violated almost daily.... There is an urgent need for the international community to monitor the unfolding human rights situation, as these are not merely cease-fire violations, but grave breaches of international human rights and humanitarian law”. She went on to say that the “weakness of the rule of law and prevalence of impunity is alarming.” This devastating war has internally displaced over 500,000 Tamils and the Government of Sri Lanka has expelled all local and international NGO's from the war affected areas in the North. They have also placed an economic embargo on all food, medicine, fuel and other essential items reaching the civilians in the affected areas, creating a humanitarian disaster. The Government of Sri Lanka has banned all reporters from the affected areas and has led a campaign of persecution against journalists. Reporters Without Borders has expressed outrage at the Sri Lankan government after they censored the BBC World Service reporters in the country and after the murder of prominent editor of the Sunday Times, Lasantha Wickrematunga. Wickrematunga, in his last editorial, published after his death said he knew that he was being targeted by the government. “When finally I am killed, it will be the government that kills me”, he wrote. The lack of access to international monitors is making it impossible to know exactly how many innocent civilians are being killed. The Canadian Peace Alliance calls on the government of Canada to: » Condemn the Government of Sri Lanka and call for an end to all attacks on Tamils » Call on the Government of Sri Lanka to immediately allow international aid organizations and NGO's to bring emergency assistance to the civilians affected and to support the internally displaced Tamils » Call on the Government of Sri Lanka to support the right to a free press and allow journalists into the affected areas. » We also call upon the United Nations to condemn the Sri Lankan government's human rights violations and apply pressure on the Sri Lankan government to stop its genocidal war on the Tamil people. To endorse this statement please contact the Canadian Peace Alliance [email protected] * 416-588-5555 * www.acp-cpa.ca