CLASSIFIED | POLITICS | TERRORISM | OPINION | VIEWS

Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa

Asoka Weerasinghe Former Chairperson ‘Project Peace for a United Sri Lanka” Gloucester, Ontario Canada

July 5, 2007

The Editor
DAILY NEWS
Colombo
Sri Lanka

Sir:

In your editorial of June 19, ‘A role for Lankans abroad’, you say “Sri Lankans living and working abroad could contribute in a number of ways towards enhancing their Motherland’s well being. One of these is to put the record straight on the factual situation in Sri Lanka”.

Your point is well taken, and so has the clarion call by President Mahinda Rajapaksa who said in Geneva that “Expatriates’ assistance is vital to curb false LTTE propaganda.”

I wouldn’t hesitate to announce that Sri Lanka has been well looked after in Canada since July 1983, by a few of us who have taken the lead like SLUNA in Toronto headed by Mahinda supported well by Ira, Daya, Asoka and Prathap; and Jaliya (CSLAT); Bandu and Sarath in Vancouver; Eric in Montreal who is now residing in the States; Ananda in Calgary; Cyril in Windsor; and Malkanthi, Ravi and yours truly in Ottawa. We could proudly sing in unison, “O! Lanka, we stand on guard for thee in Canada.”

But, we are now in a tizzy. One of the issues that we have defended Sri Lanka is that it is not a refugee producing country by way of persecution. But then we have been pointed out often, “then how come there are so many defections from the Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa?” This fact has always stymied us. But, Lo! behold, now I gather that one who flew the comfort of the cuckoos nest and claimed refugee status showing reasons of being persecuted in Sri Lanka if he returns, has been rehired as an employee at the High Commission while another has been harassed subjecting the person to pay up funds that had been incurred on the person during the period of the contract. There is some inconsistency here which is confusing to say the least.

This question is a serious one for the President. Do we or don’t we produce refugees in Sri Lanka due to persecution by the government? If we don’t then it is obvious that Sri Lanka is prepared to forgive the defectors, who have been lying through their teeth saying that they would be persecuted if they return to Sri Lanka by re-appointing to the staff of the High Commission in Ottawa of a defector. Does it mean that all other defectors from the High Commission are now eligible for an amnesty and could be re-hired by the Foreign Ministry to serve the country? If so, will the 250,000 Tamil refugees receive an amnesty too?
This is serious business as what is good for one defector should be good for the rest of the defectors, and it is that simple.

Whatever, the answer is, as expatriates our defense of Sri Lanka on this issue has been negated with this re-appointment of a refugee claimant.
I, in particular, was summoned by the Refugee Determination Court to defend my stance that Sri Lanka is not a refugee producing country. With this appointment, Sri Lanka has poked holes in my defense of her.

Perhaps the President should be able to clarify Sri Lanka’s position without putting us in an awkward spot when trying to defend her as a country that is not persecuting people, and that almost all refugee claimants are a bunch of humbugs and economic refugees. Help!

Asoka Weerasinghe
Former Chairperson
‘Project Peace for a United Sri Lanka”
Gloucester, Ontario
Canada

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