Activists to tour Ontario to Halt Genocide in Sri Lanka

Activists with the Canadian Humanitarian Appeal for Relief of Tamils (CanadianHart) are taking to the road to ten cities across Ontario on the Halt Genocide Tour. This Campaign, supported by Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) and Canadian Peace Alliance (CPA), is aimed at creating awareness amongst the members of the public, politicians, media, and non-governmental organizations on the genocidal war in Sri Lanka.

CanadianHART’s Halt Genocide Tour will start on February 9, 2009 and carry on to the end of the month. The first leg of the tour will take the activists to Guelph (February 10), Waterloo (February 11), London (February 12), and Windsor (February 13). The second leg of the tour will start on February 23, 2009.

Commenting on why the tour is being undertaken, Mr. Nishanthan Vijayarajah an activist participating in the tour and the Coordinator for the Community Outreach Committee of the CanadianHART, said “during the past one month, Canadians from all walks of life have protested the Government of Sri Lanka’s genocide of Tamils, by taking to the streets, forming human chains, holding vigils and prayers, writing urgent appeals, and by meeting with their elected representatives amongst many other things. However, the Govt. of Sri Lanka’s brutal war on innocent civilians continues unabated. We feel by creating awareness to Canadians across Canada, we can create a peace movement to immediately end the genocide”.

“We all have a role to play. This is not a Canadian Tamil issue. It is a humanitarian issue and every person who cares about fellow human beings need to act now to stop this genocide,” he further said.

Since the beginning of this year, more than 1022 Tamil civilians have been killed and more than 3242 civilians have been critically injured.

The tour team comprised of five youths from the Greater Toronto Area will have teach-ins, conduct meetings with local politicians, and inform members of the general public through leafleting and public forums. In addition to the CFS, Tamil students Associations at various universities have also extended their support to the CanadianHART’s initiative.

Sri Lanka unilaterally abrogated an internationally mediated ceasefire in January of 2008 and launched a massive onslaught on Tamils in the North and East of Sri Lanka. In addition, more than 250,000 Tamil civilians are trapped in an area half the size of Toronto with no access to food, medicine, fuel, or other essentials. Armed forces of the Government of Sri Lanka have effectively laid siege and have cut off all routes of entry and exit to these areas. GoSL has also banned all local and International NGO workers and media from accessing or working in these affected areas.

Canadian Tamil population, estimated at around 300,000 people, is deeply concerned of the plight of their families in the affected areas and has urged immediate Canadian and International intervention to stop this genocide.

“CanadianHART will continue to work towards alerting our government and International community. We cannot afford to stay silent as every single day tens of lives are being lost”, concluded Mr. Vijayarajah.

CanadianHART’s goal is to highlight the humanitarian and human rights crisis in Sri Lanka to the World, specifically to all levels of Canadian society, engage them actively through various campaigns, and to influence policy changes with regards to Sri Lanka to bring about Peace with Justice for Tamils in Sri Lanka. For more information, contact CanadianHART at 416 838 9637.