Rae assails Canada's indifference to unfolding tragedy in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 April 2008, 20:29 GMT]
Pointing out the "continuing fighting and terrible loss of life in Sri Lanka," Mr Rae, former Ontario Premier and an advisor to an earlier round of peace talks, said in a media release issued in Canada's Liberal party website that “[t]he world can't just sit back and let this death and destruction happen. This is a humanitarian disaster and must be met with a concerted response,” and that “Canada should put conflict prevention at the top of its foreign policy agenda. We can't be indifferent to this tragedy.”

Full text of the media release follows:

OTTAWA - The continuing fighting and terrible loss of life in Sri Lanka should arouse Canadian foreign policy from its slumber, says Liberal Foreign Affairs Critic Bob Rae.

“The world can't just sit back and let this death and destruction happen,” said Mr. Rae. “This is a humanitarian disaster and must be met with a concerted response.”

This past week at least a hundred people have died as a result of fighting between government troops and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Mr. Rae said Canada should be working with a group of like-minded countries to press for a complete ceasefire and a return to full-scale negotiations on the constitutional future of the country.

As Chairman of the Forum of Federations, Mr. Rae acted as an advisor to an earlier round of peace talks. His recommendations included that the LTTE had to abandon terrorism and that the government of Sri Lanka had to accept the need for a political response to the crisis rather than a simple military one.

“Canada should put conflict prevention at the top of its foreign policy agenda. We can't be indifferent to this tragedy,” said Mr. Rae.

External Links:

CA:

Rae Calls for Canadian Leadership on Sri Lanka