September 1, 2000

Dear Sir,

We refer to the news report published in the National Post edition of August 25, 2000, where it was stated that Canada Post had undertaken the printing of a vanity stamp of the Late Mr. Kumar Ponnambalam, whilst the order for Mr. Velupillai Prabhakaran’s stamp was put on hold when the identity of the party became known. The contents of this report were confirmed by Mr. Tim McGurrin of your office in the telephone conversation I had with him on August 30, 2000.

We are pleased to note that you were able to stop the printing of the stamp carrying the picture of Mr. Prabhakaran, who is the leader of the most ruthless terrorist group known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which group has been proscribed by the Governments of the USA, India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. However, we are deeply disappointed that you decided to print a vanity stamp of the Late Mr. Kumar Ponnambalam, who was a leading spokesperson for the LTTE, who defended the ethnic cleansing and terrorism resorted to by the Tamil Tiger Terrorists to dismember the island nation of Sri Lanka and establish a mono-ethnic separate state called ‘Eelam’ for the exclusive use of the Tamil minority community.

These stamps will no doubt be used to raise funds for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The supporters of the LTTE and their sympathisers amongst the Canadian Tamils would now be able use them on their mail to Sri Lanka, which would generate anger towards Canada and vilification of the Canadian Postal Service in the recipient country. It could even lead to disruption of mail deliveries by confiscation of such mail by the postal authorities at the receiving end.

In my telephone conversation with Mr. McGurrin, I pointed out that the ‘Picture Postage Program’ which allowed persons from all parts of the world to order vanity stamps was fraught with danger. You are less likely to identify pictures of persons of a lower rank in the LTTE or others regarded as martyrs by terrorist movements, thereby bringing the Corporation into conflict and disrepute in the international arena, and causing much embarrassment for this great country of ours. There is also the risk of convicted rapists or pedophiles from using this vanity stamps program to gloat their skewed egos, by sending mail bearing these stamps to their victims who have already suffered immense mental pain and agony.

The Corporation needs to seriously re-think this program, and perhaps restrict it to Canadian citizens where background checks are easier to carry out. If the project is to be extended overseas, why not restrict it to sports heroes, high achievers in the fields of arts and science, and other persons of high calibre pursuing legitimate goals in public life.

Yours Sincerely,

Mahinda Gunasekera

Hony. President

(Original signed letter being forwarded by regular mail)