Canadian Tamil Congress calls for decisive Canadian action without any further delay.

The Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC) calls for the immediate imposition of Magnitsky Act sanctions on members of the present Sri Lankan government and its military as perpetrators of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights.

CTC has already provided a fulsome briefing to Global Affairs Canada and the Chair of the Human Rights Caucus of the Liberal Party of Canada on applying Magnitsky Act sanctions on some members of the current Sri Lankan regime.

On February 14, 2020 the United States Government designated the current Sri Lanka Army Commander, Shavendra Silva, under Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, making him ineligible for entry into the US due to his alleged involvement in gross human rights violations. In his tweet, the Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo stated “The U.S. will not waiver in its pursuit of accountability for those who commit war crimes and violate human rights”.

This designation was based on credible information about his involvement, through command responsibility, of gross violations of human rights, namely extrajudicial killings, by the 58th Division of the Sri Lanka Army during the final phase of Sri Lanka’s Civil War in 2009.

On February 17, 2020, CTC wrote to the Canadian Foreign Minister, Honourable Francois Philippe Champagne, urging for similar action with a follow-up letter on November 10, 2020. Canada is yet to impose civil sanctions against perpetrators of gross violation of human rights. This inaction on Canada’s part has emboldened Sri Lanka to consider diplomatic status in Canada for individual(s) alleged to have been implicated in war crimes.

The Canadian Tamil Congress strongly urges Canada to proceed with Magnitsky Act sanctions against members of the present Sri Lankan government and its military where there is credible evidence of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights without further delay.

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