Remarks From The Canadian Tamil Congress At The Press Conference On Parliament Hill Regarding The Screening Of Channel Four Documentary: War Crimes Unpunished

April 24th, 2012

Good morning.

I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the Canadian Tamil Congress to thank Members of Parliament, Judy Sgro, Patrick Brown, and Craig Scott. From all sides of the house, you have joined hands to sponsor this important screening to shed light to fellow parliamentarians and Canadians alike on the realities of the atrocities that took place and continue to take place in Sri Lanka. Thank you for your continued commitment to promoting peace and justice. In Sri Lanka, the civil war has ceased yet, the war on its citizens continue.

The war on Tamils - continue.

The war on freedom of speech, freedom of press, and freedom from torture – all continue!

Harassment, abduction & murder represent real government action. It’s been almost three years since the government declared peace, yet peace still remains a forgotten dream in the island. The military budget is on the rise!

Deployment of soldiers to Tamil areas is increasing!

Colonization of the Tamil homeland is being driven harder!

The search for independence of the judiciary still continues!

Year by year, month by month, day-by-day, the reality is a darker - scarier Sri Lanka.

In the last six months, there have been ninety-six cases of torture.

This is among the ongoing extrajudicial killings, sexual violence, and enforced disappearances.

Then there are those who are secretly detained, tortured, and killed in custody.

These are not facts laid out by the community.

These are facts laid out by credible international human rights organizations. This is the true narrative of the Sri Lankan state.

A narrative that has been well captured by the United Kingdom’s – Channel Four television station. “War Crimes Unpunished” is the sequel to Channel 4’s first documentary – “Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields”, which was screened on Parliament Hill last June This documentary has left much of the world with haunting questions.

It casts real doubt on whether victims will ever see real justice. It provides real evidence showcasing the role high-ranking officials like the Defense Secretary and the President played in the horror that brought havoc to Sri Lanka. These are stories of people - - whose voices may have gone unheard…

Stories of those who have been shelled to death in no fire zones…

Stories of those who have been sexually assaulted and systematically executed… These stories are a glimpse of what happened and what we can continue to expect. The documentary premiered in Geneva during the UN Human Rights Council session this past March.

It played a critical role in assisting with the passage of the first ever resolution against Sri Lankan state action.

For the Canadian Tamil Congress, the documentary is a form of evidence that we are presenting to seek justice. The expectation that the Sri Lankan state will sway towards peace, equality, and justice is beyond optimism – yet we remain optimistic.

At the heart of our optimism, lies Canada.

At the heart of it lies our strong yet deeply diplomatic voice in the international community. A voice that is known to stand up for peace, order and good government.

A voice that strongly believes in federalism and one which cherishes the rights and freedoms of its citizens.

And at the heart of it all, lie all of you who have joined us in our search for truth and justice - who we are hopeful that in the days, months, and years ahead will continue to stand up for the very things we cherish at home in Canada – because as citizens of this great nation – it is an important collective responsibility. Our government has already taken important steps.

Among them are, Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper, and the Foreign Affairs Minister Hon. John Baird’s position on the Commonwealth Talks and the deployment of Parliamentarians to assess the ground reality in Sri Lanka.

This is in addition to the work done by the department of foreign affairs at the UN Human Rights Council.

Also, our thanks to all Members of Parliament and elected officials whose support has been critical. We thank you all for your commitment and efforts. We remain optimistic that this is merely the beginning and that what we have achieved together are only a few steps among the many we’ll need to take together. Thank you again for your support and thank you for hosting us today.

Published on: 04/27/12 15:31