Canadian parliamentarian visits Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 January 2005, 19:04 GMT]
Mr.Jim Karygiannis, Canadian parliamentarian, arrived in Jaffna with a team to witness the destruction caused by Tsunami of December 26 and console the victims. They visited the coastal areas of Valvettithurai, Athikovilady villages and welfare centres sheltering tsunami victims. He met with Mr.C.Ilamparithi, Jaffna district LTTE political head and visited the office of the Jaffna District Task Force, which is co-ordinating all relief and rehabilitation works in the district in Nelliyady.

The Canadian MP met the representatives of the Jaffna District Humanitarians Agencies Consortium and the Consortium of Non-Governmental organizations in Jaffna.

Jaffna civil leaders made a request to the visiting Canadian parliamentarian to ensure that Canadian Prime Minister's visit to Sri Lanka should include Tsunami affected Tamil traditional homeland, sources said

The team is due to meet the Vice Chancellor of the Jaffna University and academicians on Thursday. The team would also visit the Jaffna district secretariat.

A get-together with the relatives of Tamils living in Canada has been organized for Thursday with the visiting Canadian parliamentarian.

Thereafter the team would travel to LTTE controlled Vadamaradchchi east and Mullaithivu district and is expected to meet with the LTTE political leadership in Killinochchi, sources said.

Jim Karygiannis is the Liberal MP for Scarborough-Agincourt, one of the most ethnically diverse federal constituencies in Canada. He was re-appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport in 2004.