Tamils protest 'genocide' in Toronto:

Tamils protest 'genocide'
VIDEO: Tamils protest genocide
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/579834
Jan 30, 2009 02:14 PM
Comments on this story (41)
Lesley Ciarula Taylor
Immigration Reporter

Thousands of Tamils from across Greater Toronto formed a human chain stretching along Front Street and up University Avenue this afternoon to protest against what they call the genocide of the Tamil people in their homeland, Sri Lanka.

About 45,000 people took part in the protest throughout the day, according to Staff Sgt. Deb Abbott of 52 Division, with about 30,000 on Front St. alone.

Many held up copies of photographs of children maimed and killed in the violence. Others wore armbands or carried banners denouncing the deaths of civilians in this latest bloody phase of a civil war that has gone on for a generation.

The Red Cross in Sri Lanka said today there are 250,000 civilians trapped in an area of jungle and villages in the north, which is dominated by the Tamils, who are a minority in the rest of the country.

The government insists there are fewer than 120,000 civilians in the war zone and has denied reports of 300 civilians killed in fighting.

University of Toronto graduate student Supanki Kalanadan, who helped organize the massive rally, said the only hope now is for a ceasefire.

"People have no access to food or shelter," she said. "Everyone here has someone back there who is affected."

Similar demonstrations were planned for Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary.

In Toronto, Tamil Catholics planned a 12-hour night vigil starting tonight at 8 at the Church of St. Joseph and Our Lady of Health, 172 Leslie St.

Toronto is home to the largest concentration of Tamils outside of Sri Lanka.

Tamil student associations from universities and high schools in Greater Toronto helped mobilize people because, said Kalanadan, "we were lucky to have been educated here and to grow up with Canadian freedoms. We respect the Charter of Rights and we want the rights of Tamil people respected, too."

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said top U.N. officials were "seriously alarmed" about the fate of civilians in the north.

More than 70,000 people have been killed in the civil war, which grew out of complaints by Tamils who have suffered decades of marginalization at the heads of successive governments controlled by the Sinhalese majority.
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Bravo for those participated in the protest. BUT, the genocide is happening with the help of India, Pakistan, China, US, UK, etc. How? They are the one in the battle field helping Sri Lankan forces. With out the help from those countries, forget about Sri Lanka forces winning the war with LTTE. Period. Killing innocent people is seems to be OK for those advocate Democracy. Dirty Politics. Well, we will wait and see if Mr. President Barack Obama can change things.

Submitted by Gowri at 6:08 PM Friday, January 30 2009

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Protesting in Toronto does nothing

Yet again, the abuses and disgraces of sundry foreign enemies are bravely protested in Toronto, a city which has caused none of these atrocities, can prevent none of them, and is, though sympathetic to them, the WRONG CITY to fight them from. The way to save your people is from within the country where they are being allegedly persecuted.

Submitted by TrueNorthStrongAndFree at 5:38 PM Friday, January 30 2009

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Genocide in Srilanka

The Srilankan government was the culprit who withdraw the european peace accord and took the path of vilonce to solve the ethnic tamil minorities demand for an autonomy within srilankan state. Now is the perfect time to recoganize the tamil independance and freedom by rest of the world.

Submitted by Gan Nadar at 5:06 PM Friday, January 30 2009

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Thank You

Thank you for making this story here and making many good hearted Canadians become aware of what is happenign in Sri Lanka. This is not who is right and who is wrong but the innocent people and chiledren killed daily and it has to be stopped and this is not right.

Submitted by RajK at 5:05 PM Friday, January 30 2009

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Who cares? Don't spend any of taxpayers' money on it.

The problems that they may or may not be having over there isn't our issue in Canada. One thing is for sure; let's not waste any taxpayers money by getting the government involved in somebody else's problems. We have enough of our own.

Submitted by Marching On at 4:52 PM Friday, January 30 2009

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Its time that Canadian Govt Intervened.

Well, The Toronto Tamils have been holding vigils and protest marches for years now to draw attention to the silent genocide occurring in island nation of Sri Lanka. As a person who suffered through out the civil war, its time that the international community intervened. India is the super power in the region which is also aiding this war in a way and should be condemned by the G 7 Nations.

Submitted by tbalasub at 4:51 PM Friday, January 30 2009

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Where is the outcry for justice here?

These people have suffered not for 3 weeks but for YEARS and there is no outcry for them???

Submitted by BozoTheClown at 4:51 PM Friday, January 30 2009

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largest concentration of Tamils outside of Sri Lanka.

The comment "Toronto is home to the largest concentration of Tamils outside of Sri Lanka." is factually inaccurate. The largest concentration of Tamils outside of Sri Lanka will be in India as India has a separate province/state in which the majority of people are Tamils.

Submitted by Einstein2008 at 4:49 PM Friday, January 30 2009

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Thousands of Tamils protest against genocide

The solidarity shown by the Tamils gathered in Toronto conveys a message loud and clear. They all detest and denounce the genocidal intent of the Sri Lankan Govt and its military. With a country that deals its own citizens with brute force, it's ludicrous to think that the Tamils could live with peace and dignity under the current regime, for that matter the Sinhalese. The country's two major ethnicities namely the Tamils and the Sinhalese shall part and prosper in their own merits. After all, they were two separate nations prior to colonial rule anyway. Good Luck..!

Submitted by Shaft Sinker at 4:49 PM Friday, January 30 2009

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I do not think Ottawa should spend any money to help Sri Lanka at this time. With our current troubled financial situation, Ottawa needs to help all the families that have suffered a lost of employment in the last few months,why go help another country when our own country needs just as much help.

Submitted by Random_Toronto_Resident at 4:46 PM Friday, January 30 2009

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Urge LTTE to release civilians and stop being used them as human sheild

I think the tamil diaspora living here should protest against LTTE to urge them to release civilians they use as a human shield. They use innocent civilians for their protection and sad to see that innocent people are paying the price for LTTE atrocities.

Submitted by Maxa at 4:42 PM Friday, January 30 2009

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Now THIS is a genocide.