Canadian MPs pay tribute to Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 November 2007, 03:21 GMT]
Several Members of Parliament (MPs) in Canada expressed their solidarity with the Tamil community in Toronto, taking part in a memorial event Monday night to pay respects to the slain Political Head and Chief Negotiator of the Liberation Tigers, S.P. Thamilselvan. Thousands of Canadian Tamils from Greater Toronto Area (GTA) braving pouring rain gathered in Markham Fair grounds to pay their respects to S. P. Thamilselvan, the public face of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), killed in an air strike by Sri Lankan authorities last Friday.

Liberal MP Jim Karygiannis was on stage at the event alongside fellow Liberal MPs Derek Lee (Scarborough Rouge River), Maria Minna (East York Beaches), Yasmin Ratansi (Don Valley East), John Mckay (Scarborough Guildwood), John Cannis (Scarborough Centre), Mark Holland (Ajax-Pickering), and Lui Temelkovski (Oakridge Markham).

Isaladchi Paramu, the mother of the slain leader lit the flame of sacrifice. Thamilchelvan's two brothers and a sister paid floral tributes.

Jim Karygiannis, Liberal MP for Scarborough-Agincourt electorate speaking at the occasion said he met Mr. Thamilselvan when he visited the region after the 2004 Tsunami and had the approval of then-prime minister Paul Martin for the meeting.

He said "I am encouraging the Canadian government to get involved and speak to both sides in order to find a long-lasting peace in the region."

Of Canada 's decision to outlaw the Tamil Tigers, he said, "Unless we engage both sides, we're never going to have a lasting solution. Norway has been at it for a long time. It's time we joined them. It's time we told both sides, `Enough is enough. Put your heads together and find peace.' We owe it all to the Sri Lankans in Canada."

As a huge poster of his brother was still being hung behind the stage, Paramu Ravi, 44, brother of the slain political leader told the crowd that Canada had a responsibility to respect human rights in Sri Lanka and the aspirations of the Tamil minority.

Ravi said he had spoken to his brother, who was 40, last Wednesday. "He was happy. He said he was still going hard on the peace process. He asked us here to keep it in our minds, too."

"They killed him, they killed peace," he said. "We feel now that peace died with him."

Borys Wrzesnewsky (Liberal MP for Etobicoke Centre) also spoke at the memorial service.

Wrzesnewskyj said he is worried about "horrible consequences" and added that a tragedy can be averted only if both sides make a conscious effort to negotiate. "Otherwise the situation will deteriorate. We've seen in the past how political assassinations lead to greater wars."

Trade union president Carolyn , Marlyn Shirley representing Jack Layton, leader of New Democratic Party (NDP), Sittampalam Thurairajah, President of World Tamil Movement (WTM), Kalatharan, President Canadian Thamil Radio (CTR), Prof.Fr.Chandrakanthan, President Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC), Logan Kanapthy, Markham City councillor also spoke at the occasion.



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