Tamil Genocide Memorial in Canada: Brampton Mayor alleged foreign interference by Sri Lankan Govt

 The proposed Tamil Genocide Memorial in the Canadian city of Brampton. Pix: Tamilgencoidememorial.org

Canada’s Mayor of Brampton Patrick Brown alleged foreign interference by Sri Lankan government by attempting to obstruct the proposed Tamil Genocide Memorial in the Canadian city. 

“We will not be intimidated by the foreign interference in local affairs by the genocidal Sri Lankan government,” Mayor Brown wrote on his official page on the platform X, previously known as Twitter today. 

Earlier, Canada-based Tamil Guardian reported that Sri Lanka's Consul General based in Toronto Thushara Rodrigo wrote to the Mayor urging him to halt the proposed construction of a memorial monument for victims of Tamil genocide.

In his letter, Rodrigo claimed that the Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC) as “one of the leading Tamil Organizations in Canada, commenced their humanitarian activities in Sri Lanka with the participation of the Canadian High Commission in Colombo”.

“Also, the CTC has made important engagements with Buddhist monks under the framework of the Himalaya Declaration to support the reconciliation efforts,” the letter reads.

However, Mayor Brown reiterated that there will be no real reconciliation until the government hands over the war criminals responsible for the Tamil genocide to the International Criminal Court in The Hague. “Sadly the government continues to harbor these war criminals in luxury instead of holding them accountable for their crimes against humanity,” Mayor Brown said.

In Sri Lanka, the government can try to stop the Tamil community from remembering their loved ones and heroes, but they cannot do that in Canada, Mayor Brown stressed while indicating that “it is an act of foreign interference that they attempt to obstruct memorial and remembrance events in Canada,”

“I hope the government of Canada will take a hard line against the ongoing foreign interference of the Sri Lankan government,” the Mayor said. 

In February, the Brampton city council approved the final design for the Genocide Memorial even after three years passed since it was promised. 

According to Canadian media reports, the 4.8-metre-tall stainless steel monument will be built in Chinguacousy Park in the Bramalea area. 

Mayor Brown promised to build a war monument after the memorial erected within the premises of the University of Jaffna was torn down in January 2021 by authorities.

 

The removal of the war memorial was condemned by both locally and in diaspora Tamil communities including those Sri Lankan-origin Canadians residing in Brampton. (Northeastern Monitor/ August 14/2024)