“Layton rejected the Sri Lankan government's assertion that a ceasefire was impossible.

Sri Lanka rejects Canada’s call for immediate ceasefire
Feb 24, 2009, 04:11
By David Bell - TNS

OTTAWA – Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner Daya Perera, rejected New Democrat leader Jack Layton calls for immediate ceasefire in Sri Lanka. Mr. Layton met with Mr. Perera on the latest request in Ottawa.

“Layton rejected the Sri Lankan government's assertion that a ceasefire was impossible. He reiterated the New Democrats' position that sustainable peace in the region can only be guaranteed through a peace process, starting with an immediate ceasefire to all hostilities,” Canada’s third largest national Party, The NDP said on Monday.

“I call on the government of Sri Lanka to accept an immediate ceasefire,” said Layton. “Furthermore, I asked that aid agencies and international media
be given unfettered access to the conflict zone,” he further said. Layton also expressed his concern regarding the camps erected by the Government of Sri Lanka and relayed the fears of Canadian Tamil families about the safety of their relatives at these camps.

Canada has the largest Tamil Diaspora and the Tamils are accusing the Colombo government of Tamil Genocide in the Island nation. Daily protest by them irritates the Sri Lanka Mission in Ottawa and it’s doing the counter offensive to undermine the Canadian Tamils, said an political insider in Ottawa.

“The current activities in Canada warrant alertness of caution of the Canadian authorities. Some of the methods adopted by the protesters and deviating from their conventional fashion can be antagonist to Canadian laws that vividly describe the individual rights. One other crucial area is the involvement of Religious Facilities where night vigils are held. This is a dangerous pattern that has the potential for fast spreading to other countries,” said the High commission website.

The mission representative in Toronto went even further to accused the local Tamils as terrorists on the Canadian Airwaves. Both the ruling and opposition parliamentarians pay little attention on these allegations against their own citizens, said a Canadian Lawmaker to TNS.

Following is the release by the NDP,

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FEBRUARY 23, 2009


LAYTON CONVEYS CALL FOR IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE IN SRI LANKA



OTTAWA - New Democrat leader Jack Layton took the opportunity at a meeting with the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Canada, to convey New Democrats' call for an immediate ceasefire in Sri Lanka.

"I call on the government of Sri Lanka to accept an immediate ceasefire," said Layton as he expressed his condolences to all those on both sides of the conflict who had lost loved ones.

"Furthermore, I asked that aid agencies and international media be given unfettered access to the conflict zone."

Layton expressed his concern regarding the camps erected by the Government of Sri Lanka and relayed the fears of Canadian Tamil families about the safety of their relatives at these camps.

"I expressed my strong rejection of the practice of internment at these camps and asked that at the very least the government of Sri Lanka open the means of communications between Canadian Tamil families and their relatives at these camps," said Layton.

The meeting had been requested by the Sri Lankan representative. Layton rejected the Sri Lankan government's assertion that a ceasefire was impossible. He reiterated the New Democrats' position that sustainable peace in the region can only be guaranteed through a peace process, starting with an immediate ceasefire to all hostilities.

Layton expressed hope that meetings between high-level UN officials and Sri Lankan government may lead to a ceasefire agreement.

"New Democrats have once again articulated its strong position for an end to the conflict, this time directly to the government of Sri Lanka," stated Layton.

Layton spoke of the anguish in the eyes of those many Tamils with whom he had met here in Canada because they cannot communicate with their loved ones back home.