Media Conference on May 14, 2009 at the Radisson Admiral Hotel Toronto

We are deeply concerned about the current developments both in Canada our adopted homeland, and Sri Lanka which is our motherland, and have decided to call this news conference on the theme ‘ Save Canada From Terrorism – Stop Meddling In Sri Lanka’ to deal with both areas which are receiving a high degree of public attention.

We wish to particularly confine ourselves with the ugly head of Tamil Tiger terrorism which is openly confronting the cardinal rule of respect for the laws of this land by manipulating the pro-Tamil Tiger diaspora to overstep the limits prescribed by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, by blatantly trampling on the rights of their fellow citizens in their attempt to gain total attention for their political goals in another sovereign country which has friendly ties to Canada. We are appalled by the violent and unlawful means adopted by this diaspora which supports a banned terrorist group, in demanding that their agenda be adopted by the legislators of this country forthwith, notwithstanding Canada’s own issues and agenda concerning the weakened economic future of a very large segment of her population.

As Canadians of Sri Lankan origin belonging to all of Sri Lanka’s diverse communities, we find ourselves becoming the target of a hate campaign orchestrated by the pro-Tamil Tiger diaspora, which unfortunately has trickled down even to children of school going age, as they are being constantly fed by pro-Tiger propaganda through a large mix of media controlled by the Tamil Tiger terrorists. Even their cultural events are full of hero worship of Tiger cadres who have blown themselves up or committed brutal acts of violence for their cause of a mono-ethnic separate state called “Eelam” to be carved out of Sri Lanka, who are regarded as martyrs.

According to Jane’s Intelligence, the Tamil Tigers raise as much as $200 – 300 million annually of which around 30 percent is contributed from Canada for procurement of weapons, which appears to have gone on unabated despite the ban on fundraising for terrorism under Canada’s Anti-Terrorism Laws. Canadian intelligence services have reported that Canada has admitted over 8,000 former Tamil Tiger combatants. Canada is also home to a significantly large diaspora that is virtually controlled by numerous fronts that operate under the direct supervision of the Tamil Tiger hierarchy. All of this clearly shows that this could lead to home grown terrorism that would seek to continue the violent and destructive ways to destabilise Sri Lanka even after the Tigers’ military capability is neutralized in that country

Sri Lanka is about to end the horrible nightmare of Tamil Tiger terrorism which has ravaged the country for over three decades, having militarily responded to the so called final war of liberation launched by the tiger terrorists in December 2005 and regained the usurped territory of nearly 15,000 square kilometers and confining the Tamil Tiger terrorists into a narrow strip of 3 square kilometres. The Tamil Tigers forced the civilian population in the Vanni districts of Mannar, Vavunia, Killinochchi and Mullativu to uproot themselves and withdraw with the retreating Tiger forces from around mid-2007, whom they are using as a human shield.

The vociferous and violent pro-Tamil Tiger diaspora did not raise any cry when the Tamil civilians living in the eastern province were displaced as the army evicted the Tigers from that region. They did not object to the Tamil Tigers forcing the civilians of the Vanni to move out of their villages, but when the supposedly invincible Tigers were facing elimination, this manipulated diaspora commenced a dizzying campaign calling on Canada and the international community to intervene in Sri Lanka and force the government to enter into a ceasefire and resume talks to reach a negotiated peace accord. Sri Lanka has made six separate attempts to reach a negotiated settlement through international mediation and direct talks during the past 25 years, but a deal was never possible as the Tigers did not move one iota from their end goal of a separate state. Division of the country is non-negotiable.

It is apparent to any observer, that the intent of the pro-Tamil Tiger diaspora’s demands of Canada and the rest of the international community is nothing but a ruse to seek another lifeline for the cornered leaders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to melt into the jungles or find asylum in a foreign country, from where they could continue their project of breaking up Sri Lanka with diaspora funding. Sri Lanka certainly would not agree to any such deal. Sri Lanka has succeeded in rescuing nearly 195,000 displaced Tamil civilians earlier held back at gun point by the Tigers, and arranged for their temporary care in welfare camps pending resettlement in their villages. The government of Sri Lanka demands that the Tamil Tigers surrender to the authorities and release the remaining 10-15 thousand civilians whom they are yet holding hostage without endangering their lives any further. As Canadians of Sri Lankan origin, we call on Canada not to accede to the demands of the pro-Tamil Tiger diaspora to intervene at the present stage, and to advise her allies and other Canadian funded non-government organizations to desist from meddling in such a manner in Sri Lanka, and to instead demand that the LTTE surrender and release all civilians forcibly held by them.

The government and people of Sri Lanka are naturally quite angry with the interventions and meddling of outsiders in a matter of vital national concern, where the right to life of her 20 million citizens that have continuously faced bus, train, and shopping centre bombings, suicide bombings, pistol and sniper attacks, assassination of national leaders, killing of innocent civilians, ethnic cleansing, attacks on public buildings and places of worship of all faiths, needs to take precedence above all others in the nation’s life. Canada could and should assist Sri Lanka to end Tamil Tiger terrorism and help rebuild the lives of the affected civilians instead of meddling in a most sensitive internal issue by attempting to give a new lease of life to this brutal terrorist movement.

Yours very truly,

Mahinda Gunasekera

Honorary President