February 12 2009: London, Ontario

Third day an old challenge anew. Every step of the Halt Genocide Tour brings different challenges we have had to adapt to and work around to get our message out. University of Western Ontario represented an especially challenging scenario as we made contact with a local TSA and were shocked to find out that the administration only authorized the group to set up an information table with the condition they could not use the word 'Genocide' or hand out fliers with the term. The administration felt that the term 'Genocide' was too 'political'. I wanted to immediately storm into their offices and discuss with them the basic, unarguable, and non-political facts concerning the ground situation in Sri Lanka. We have only relied on internationally accepted standards and definitions and cited many neutral third party sources in all our discussions. In the past, often it is those who wanted to hide the 'Genocidal' trend of events in Sri Lanka who tried to politicize discussions on the humanitarian situation. To my initial disappointment, the local TSA asked us not too confront the administration for fear of their planned event being shutdown. We honored their request, but we weren't to be disappointed for long. University of Western Ontario’s TSA staged a rally on their campus with members and non-Tamil friends, and without prompting these students began chanting 'Stop The - Genocide!', 'We Want - Justice!', 'Break The - Silence!'. Much of the campus was shocked to a standstill and watched speechlessly as the lively but peaceful demonstration passed by. Speaking with several TSA members, they admitted the club would probably be fined or censured by the administration but felt it was worth it. I was moved by the fact that this TSA, so far removed from Toronto, and without much external support was taking on this challenge so staunchly.

Many within and without our community have faced this challenge; we are often gagged from speaking simple and honest truths because of misrepresentations and misconceptions. It just strengthens my resolve, as I return home to Toronto tonight, to continue revealing the hard truths of Sri Lanka and Working to HALT THE GENOCIDE OF TAMILS!

Wishing God's Blessings and Guidance
Pio