News East-West
TORONTO: Senior Canadian politicians, including MPs, joined Tamils in remembering the victims of the July 1983 riots in Sri Lanka – also referred to as Black July – at an exhibition at the Scarborough Civic Centre here on Thursday.
Tracy MacCharles, Ontario minister for consumer services, Craig Scott, MP for Toronto-Danforth, and John McKay, MP for Scarborough-Guildwood, joined Canadian Tamil Congress leaders and others from the Canadian Tamil community in watching the exhibition called Remembering Silent Voices.
Tracy MacCharles, Ontario minister of consumer services, sharing the sorrow of the Tamil community about the 1983 Black July riots in Sri Lanka, in Toronto on Thursday, July 25.
The exhibition chronologically highlights what organizers calls `anti-Tamil pogroms’ since 1948. It brings back memories of the major riots against the Sri Lankan Tamils, beginning with the first major one in 1958 spread over many days.
The minister conveyed Premier Kathleen Wynne’s sympathies for the Tamil community.
Craig Scott, MP for Toronto-Danforth
A documentary on the anti-Tamil riots and the survivors was also shown on the occasion to highlight what the oraganizers said were “the government-sponsored anti-Tamil pogroms.’’
John McKay, MP for Scarborough-Guildwood in Toronto
Prof Joseph Chandrakanthan and Kumar Ratnam, the two survivors of the 1983 Black July, shared their terrible experiences with the audience.
Prof Chandrakanthan, a reverend from Jaffna, was the among the first few persons to reach Columbo to see the aftermath of the Black July riots which ravaged the Sri Lankan capital and the entire southern island. He spoke about his harrowing experiences.
Kumar Ratnam, who was born in Columbo, narrated his first-hand experience of the riots and the trauma in the aftermath. The event was organized by the Canadian Tamil Congress.
Explaining Black July.
Tracy MacCharles, Ontario minister of consumer services, and John McKay, MP for Scarborough-Guildwood, in the audience.
Tracy MacCharles with Canadian Tamil Congress president Raj Thavaratnasingam.
The audience, including some survivors, of Black July.
Canadian Tamil Congress president Raj Thavaratnasingam.
More audience
Many Canadian-born Tamils in the audience.
The two Toronto-area MPs in conversation with Tamil leaders.
Reflecting on the dark times…
RELATED NEWS: Canadian leaders join Tamils in remembering victims of Black July of 1983
Please have a collection of 4 pictures for various puproses:
President unveiled monument on 9 December 2009, http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20091209_06
Defence Secretary unveiled monument on 30 April 2010, http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20100430_09
Defence Secretary unveiled war memorial on 9 May 2010, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEes9C-TB00
These monuments are to punish the Tamils psychologically for ever.
Why do they have the following at the UN please, dear Prime Minister:
Twisted Gun, http://www.redbubble.com/people/jenniezoso/works/5296848-twisted-gun-non-violence
Successive Sri Lankan governments have been experts in damage control at the UN. Even after an atrocity like Black July, they were able to trip up the UN:
Leo Kuper in Prevention of Genocide( 1985 ) commented on the failure of the United Nations Sub Commission on Human Rights to condemn the genocide of July 1983 on the Tamil People : “….there were also political currents observable in the alignment of members, though I could not altogether fathom the geo political considerations involved. In the end a very mild resolution was passed calling for information from the Sri Lanka government and recommending that the commission examine the situation at the next meeting in the light of the information available. There was, however, only a bare majority for the resolution (10 for, 8 against and 4 abstaining). It is unfortunate that the United Nations did not take a firm stand at this stage…” That even this mild resolution adopted on 5 September 1983, calling upon Sri Lanka to provide information was opposed by 8 states with another 4 abstaining is not without significance ….”