What drives Tamils migration? Mass murders, disappearances and extortion in Sri Lanka

An opinion from Krisna Saravanamuttu, the national spokesman for the National Council of Canadian Tamils.

Tamil migrants claim they were fleeing mass murders in Sri Lanka

OTTAWA — Tamil migrants who arrived in British Columbia last week say they were fleeing mass murders, disappearances and extortion in Sri Lanka.

The National Post obtained two letters claiming to be from groups of migrants detained at a jail near Vancouver.

About 490 would-be refugees arrived near Victoria on Friday morning aboard a ship that left the Gulf of Thailand in May. The approximately 400 men, 60 women and 30 children are set to begin detention hearings in Vancouver later this week.

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said Canadian authorities suspect members of the Tamil Tigers — a rebel separatist group branded a terrorist organization by the Canadian government — were aboard the ship.

But in the two letters, the migrants claim to be escaping persecution in the wake of government-led military operations in northern Sri Lanka, which ended in May 2009.


http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Tamil+migrants+claim+they+were+fleeing+mas...


Letter 1:

These are the views we wish to express to the Canadian Government, Canadian people, media and Canadian Tamil Congress regarding our plight.

1. Initially, we would like to express our gratitude to the Canadian Government and the people of Canada. When we made our plea from the Pacific Ocean "we are civilians, please save us", you did not hesitate to come and take us ashore and provide us with food, water, and fruits. This has assured us with the safety of our lives.

2. The Sri Lankan Government says that the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka has come to an end. However, neither the Prevention of Terrorism Act [which allows for arbitrary arrest of civilians] nor the Emergency Regulations Act have been abolished. Innocent Tamil people detained in prisons have not been released. Displaced civilians have not been resettled in their own homes. Instead, there is widespread occurrences of disappearances, mass murders and extortion. The Sri Lankan Government is only conducting false propaganda internationally for its personal gains.

3. We would like to ask the Canadian people and the Canadian Government to have faith in us to believe that we are innocent civilians who have been affected by the conflict. We are not terrorists. We would also like to let you know that we will abide and live by the laws of this country.

Letter 2:

We, the people who have arrived in the ship "Sun Sea" would like to express the following to the Canadian people and the Canadian Government:

We have undergone severe hardships with very little or no access to basic necessities such as food, water, sleeping space, medicine and sanitary facilities. We have traveled for almost four months with much suffering and pain. We have come here, to this wonderful country Canada, to protect ourselves and our family members from the murders, disappearances and violence that still exist in our native country.

As a country which has embraced immigrants and migrants, we hope and believe that you will accept us, the refugees and we vow to wholeheartedly abide by the law and order of this country.

- Tamil people from the Sun Sea ship

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/Tamil+migrants+they+fleeing+mass+murders/340...

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[francofcp1999]

CANADA IS TURNING BROWN......

[TurtleBoulevard]

send them back. They clearly have money to pay for everything.

[TurtleBoulevard]

@Ak140106 LOL native indians are NOT tamils, you dumb shit. Get a life stop commenting on this, it's clearly over and done with so stfu and move the fk on.

[Ak140106]

@TurtleBoulevard ohh and by the way, if you want to send pple back to where they belong, maybe you should go read a a little bit of history. This country belongs to the native indians and hence if anything they have the right who to kick out. you ignorant piece of shit :)

[Ak140106]

@TurtleBoulevard because your ignorant :) simple as that. Maybe we should send you back to where you belong

[R4J4N]

@battibattiful

Yeah, we will look after our own matter you sinhala Chaunist

[terran97]

Mr. Saravanamuttu, you are great. 

[TurtleBoulevard]

@Ak140106 LOL why do you bother to comment on a video that's 1 year old?

[Ak140106]

@TurtleBoulevard why dont u go back to where u belong?

[omega4chimp]

Keep canada White european country,the reason why we live in such a good country is because we third world people live in Asia and africa,dont be stupid people be smart.