Ira de Silva London, Ontario

Hon. John Baird, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Foreign Affairs
House of Commons, Ottawa.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Dear Sir:

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ReferenceƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  your reply on October 23,2012 to my emails of September 18 and 27, and December 6,2011, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I was going to send you an immediate response, but decided to ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ wait a few days to read what Canada’s statement on Sri Lanka would be at the U.N. in Geneva at the Universal Periodic Review on November 2,2012 and respond to both. Since it has taken you a year to reply, as well as the fact that the sameƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ letter is being sent to many who have written to you, a few days delayƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ was notƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ important. It is possible that ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ whoever wrote this “standard letter” may need another year to reply.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Your statement at the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva which press reports state was -ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ “Welcoming the steps taken by the government to implement the Human Rights Council Resolution of March 22, 2012, Canada urged the government to expedite implementation of reconciliation measures in the North including the reduction of military presence in the North and setting a specific date for Northern Provincial Council elections. Canada also called on repealing certain clauses of the Prevention of Terrorism Act to ensure detainees’ safety and rights”.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Canada has linked reconciliation in the North to the reduction of military presence. How do you justify this statement? Does Canada not have the right to station it’s military anywhere in Canada to protect the country? Which countries does Canada refer to for advice on where to station it’s military in Canada? Why is it different for Sri Lanka? It clearly indicates your bias, prejudice and double standards.

When Canada was “threatened” by the FLQ crisisƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in 1970 it invokedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the War Measures Act and ordered troops onto the streets. This was inƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  response to the killing of ONE Cabinet Minister and the kidnapping of the British Trade Counsellor. Sri Lanka endured almost thirty years of terrorism which killed a foreign head of State (Indian), a President of Sri Lanka, several cabinet ministers ( not just one), ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ members of parliament and thousands of civilians.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  After thirty years of terrorism and bloodshed in Sri Lanka, Canada believes the military presence should be reduced, yet the people who live in these areas want the military to stay because they believe it provides them with security from the left over elements of the LTTE and the criminal elements. It is only the LTTE supporters in Sri Lanka and overseas who make this call and no doubt your statement is based on the LTTE fronts in Canada asking you to do this with the promise of votes. That was made clear at the last federal election as well as the Ontario provincial election. Once again it appears that Canada is supporting the LTTE agenda ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ against the people of Sri Lanka. Is it CanadaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s agenda ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ that Sri Lanka should once again endure another thirty years of terrorism with Canada’s enthusiastic support? Is this what Canadian democracy is about – declare military law when one person gets killed in Canada but support and encourage the killing of thousands of people in Sri Lanka?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Canada’s double standardƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ as well as that of the other westernƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  countries is evident to the rest of the world – kill thousandsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in other countries without any compunction in the name of fighting terrorism while supporting selected terrorists for domestic political gain. It is clear that as long as those getting killed are not from western countries, any and every method of killing is justified and glorified by the west including Canada, yet you would have us believe that ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ these are Canadian values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. The extent of your hypocrisy seems to have no bounds.

Regarding setting a specific date for Northern Provincial Council elections, does Canada seek opinions from other countries for setting the dates for Provincial Government elections? Is the Canadian ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Government and the Province of Ontario waiting for opinions from other countries to set a date for the next Provincial Government election in Ontario? ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Clearly that is not the case soƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ why do you believe you have the right to call for dates to be set in Provincial Council elections in Sri Lanka? Is it just your own personal belligerent attitude towards foreign relations with other ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ non western countries or is this the new general foreign policy for Canada to interfere in the internal affairs of other sovereign countries? Is this CanadaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s version of democracy and freedom that it believes it can make demands on other countries regarding when and how to have elections? I look forward to you advising the U.K. and European countries what dates they should set for their provincial/state elections.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ As for asking for changes in the Prevention of Terrorism Act of Sri Lanka, once again the question is why Canada believes that it can call for changes inƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  legislation in other countries.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ As stated earlier, Canada invoked the War Measures Act in 1970 when one person was killed. To ask for Sri Lanka to make changes when the threat of terrorism and division of the countryƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  still remain and are supported by Canadian citizens, it could be interpreted that Canada still supports terrorist violence in Sri Lanka contrary toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  your stated claims of Canadian values of democracy, freedom and human rights. It is pertinent to point out that the elected government of Sri Lanka is the only body that has the obligation and right to defend the country and itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s people, not Canada. Sri Lanka will not forget thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Canada was responsible for thousands of deaths in Sri Lanka by the LTTE because it facilitated the LTTE supporters in Canada to fund terrorism in Sri Lanka. Further, Canada provided political support to these LTTE fronts just so it could get Tamil votes in Canada. Having supported the LTTE throughout the terrorist war in Sri Lanka and doing nothing to help Sri Lanka defeat terrorism, although claiming to be a champion of the war on terrorism in the world, it appears that your government is once again supportive of terrorist/separatist goalsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and are continuing to provide LTTE activists with your political support in exchange for a fewƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  votes inƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Canada.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In conclusion, your attitude and statements at international forums as well as your responses to Canadian citizens who ask for justification of your policies indicate that you are biased, do not support freedom but selective terrorist/separatist agenda based on domestic political gain.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ As for human rights, it would be more to the point if you concentrated on the violation of the rights of the indigenous population of Canada rather than call for human rights in Sri Lanka where the population enjoy more rights that the native people of Canada.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Yours truly,

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Ira de Silva

London, Ontario