ITAK laments continuing LTTE ban by Canada

Tamil MP Sivagnanam Shritharan has called on Canada's Conservative MPs to reconsider the nation's ban on the LTTE and to supply forensic assistance for the Chemmani mass grave inquiry. The Tamil Guardian reported that the plea was made during a meeting at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, where Shritharan represented Jaffna and interacted with Conservative MPs Shuvaloy Majumdar and Costas Menegakis, alongside a representative of the Office of the Leader of the Opposition.

The delegation, led by Shritharan and including MPs Majumdar and Menegakis, had met with Canadian officials on October 27th. He urged Canada to reevaluate its 2006 listing of the LTTE, which he argued had hindered negotiations towards a settlement. He informed the MPs that over the past 17 years post-conflict, there had been no military resurgence nor political progress for the Tamil community, and that the ban had weakened global pressure on the Sri Lankan government.

According to the delegation, the Canadian MPs pledged to bring this issue before their party leadership. Shritharan also urged Canada to provide forensic equipment and expertise for the Chemmani mass grave investigation, where 583 sets of human skeletal remains have been recovered. This meeting followed a prior discussion with Global Affairs Canada on October 23rd, where Shritharan briefed officials, including Assistant Deputy Minister for the Indo-Pacific Weldon Epp, on subjects such as enforced disappearances, land seizures, and the absence of justice for Tamils.

He advocated for an independent forensic investigation at Chemmani, involving international experts, and the return of 171 acres of land in Keppapilavu and 2,117 acres in Valikamam North, which remain under the control of the Sri Lankan military.