Colombo, July 26 (IANS) Sri Lanka once again rejected allegation of Tamil minority ‘genocide’ charge by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and claimed the accusation was ‘arising from local domestic vote bank politics’, said the Foreign Ministry in a statement.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday rejected the allegation made by the Canadian Prime Minister in a statement issued on July 23 to mark 1983 alleged “anti-Tamil violence” in Sri Lanka.
“Sri Lanka vehemently reiterates its rejection of the allegation of genocide in their country in the statement issued on July 23, 2024, by the Canadian Prime Minister. Sri Lanka’s position on this matter has been previously reiterated to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,” Foreign Minister Ali Sabry stressed.
“This allegation arising from local domestic vote bank politics in Canada is not conducive to unity and communal harmony in both Sri Lanka and Canada,” the Sri Lanka government complained.
Marking 41 years on the violence against Tamils on July 23, 1983, which is known as ‘Black July’, PM Trudeau said “forty-one years ago today, violent attacks targeting Tamil civilians and businesses started in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Thousands of innocent lives were lost, and many more Tamils were injured, subjected to sexual violence, and forced to flee the country”.
“The anti-Tamil pogrom, known as “Black July”, escalated tensions in what became a decade-long armed conflict. It remains one of the darkest chapters in Sri Lanka’s history,” Canadian PM has said.
“In the aftermath of Black July, Canada established a Special Measures program to help 1,800 Tamils relocate to safety in Canada and build new lives for themselves,” Trudeau added.
Referring to May 18, 2009, the day Sri Lanka’s security forces militarily defeated Tamil Tiger rebels, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) after killing its leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, Canadian PM last May said that in 2022, the Parliament of Canada unanimously adopted a Motion to mark May 18 as the Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day — a recognition of Canada’s commitment to stand in solidarity with Tamil-Canadians and Tamil communities around the world in remembering and honouring the victims and survivors of these senseless acts of violence.
“As a steadfast defender of human rights, the Government of Canada will continue to demand accountability for human rights violations and abuses against vulnerable communities in Sri Lanka,” PM Trudeau reiterated.
In May, the Sri Lankan government immediately rejected PM Trudeau’s allegation and hit out at him claiming that the Prime Minister was engaging in electoral votebank politics.
Sri Lanka’s government alleged that the Canadian PM was making an “outrageous allegation” of “genocide” during the Island’s bloody armed conflict against the LTTE.
In May, Sri Lanka joined India, which had already confronted Canada referring to Khalistani separatist elements, and said that the Canadian government was sending a message that its vote bank was more powerful than its rule of law.
India’s strong criticism came following PM Trudeau’s allegation in September claiming the “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the murder of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.
India immediately rejected the allegation claiming it was “absurd” and “motivated”.
India went on to allege that the main issue was Canada giving space to pro-Khalistani elements operating from Canadian soil with impunity. The issue developed into a diplomatic fallout between the two countries.
–IANS
sfl/khz
