Minister Jason Kenney’s intervention undermines Museum changes
Posted on July 2nd, 2013
Asoka weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . Canada
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 2 July 2013
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
The Editor
The Ottawa Citizen
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Dear Editor:
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
I am afraid that Peter Simpson missed Minister Jason Kenney’s motive completely in his opinion piece, “Kenney’s interference undermines museum changes.”
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
While I agree with Minister Kenney for being critical of the Museum of Civilization for returning the prominent Japanese-CanadianƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ artifact, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the wooden gill-netter Nishga Girl, which had been donated to the Museum, for the very reason that in the early 1970s, when the Japanese-OttawansƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ requested the Museum of Man (former National Museum of Civilization) through the Design and Display Division where I worked,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to celebrate their 100th anniversary of immigration to Canada, we were scrambling to find any artifact to help them.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Returning Nishga GirlƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ by the ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Museum is now minus one Japanese-Canadian artifact to help them in the futureƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to celebrateƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ their historicalƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ migration to Canada over 140 years ago.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ After all we are a multi-cultural Canada, aren’t we, and the Japanese community count in a big way.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
But Minister Kenney’s intervention was really a case of damage control for the Conservatives.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If they lost the Japanese votes with this insensitive move of the Nishga Girl, the Conservative’s are hoping that with Minister Kenney’s intervention that they could claw back some of the Japananese-Canadian votes at the next federal election.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
It was Minister Kenney who went to Sri Lanka early this yearƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and met with its Government officials on January 7 and preached to them about human rights when on the same very day the First Nation’s people were demonstrating with their chief on a hunger strike for the violations of their human rights by the Conservative Government a stone’s throw away from his parliament’s office.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ This was embarrassing.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
The Sri Lankan’s snickered at him under their breath, more orƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ less telling ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ him, “why don’t you go back home and sort out your ownƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ human rights problems with your First Nations peoplesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ before you come here to preach to us about human rights.”
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Minister Kenny returns home and has a close door meeting with the Tamil-Canadian media peopleƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in Toronto, to report back how he batted for them in Colombo.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Well, there is almost 100 thousand Tamil votes for the taking in the Greater Toronto AreaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and the Conservatives want every one of them.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I smell a rat here.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Asoka Weerasinghe
July 3rd, 2013 at 9:12 am
Almost all nations with a large number of Tamils have lined up to condemn Sri Lanka. It is clear that the Tamil lobbyists are good at their work. But what is the saving grace is that the powers in the region that side Sri Lanka do not have Tamil pressure and are Security Council members. These Tamil dominated nations can scream and holler about human rights violation only on the Tamils but to date they have got nowhere for they no longer hold any kind of moral high ground when they ignore the human rights violations done by LITE and those who supported LITE during the war and continue to support the idea of Eelam. Those people who supported LITE should be brought to justice for crimes against mankind.
July 4th, 2013 at 2:24 am
We must applaud the Tamils for exposing these Western politicians, who pretend to be honest and fair are in fact ready to say or do anything just to get re-elected and show no concern for the human rights of anyone.