Rathika had no intention to embarrass SL-NDP

25 January 2014 06:55 am Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 5 Bookmark

A A A

Canadian NDP Leader Tom Mulcair is defending MP Rathika Sitsabaiesan's trip to Sri Lanka over the holidays in a recent letter to the high commissioner, stating that Sitsabaiesan had "no intention to embarrass" the country's government.

The letter was sent in response to accusations by the Sri Lankan high commissioner that Sitsabaiesan was trying to do just that by claiming she faced political intimidation while on a personal trip to the country.

Mulcair said the controversy was only created when Sitsabaiesan was followed, and that she "was right to be concerned."

Sitsabaiesan, who is of Tamil heritage, travelled to the South Asian country on Dec. 28, 2013 to visit relatives and learn about human rights. In a statement released earlier this month, the MP said she was warned by Sri Lankan officials during her private visit that she could be arrested and deported.

"I recently arrived in Sri Lanka to visit my extended family and visit the places that were once home for me, during the earlier stages of my life and the civil war in Sri Lanka; but [I] was subject to political intimidation," the statement read.

The commission took issue with the words "political intimidation," which High Commissioner Chitranganee Wagiswara called "grossly incorrect" in her letter to Mulcair dated Jan. 8.

"I also believe you would not want the MPs of your Party to make arrogant and patronizing statements about foreign states which creates a bad reflection on your Party and your policies," she wrote.

Mulcair had his own strong words in his response, saying that the Sri Lankan government's "human rights record continues to cause significant concern around the world."

He went on to urge the Sri Lankan government to hold an independent, impartial international inquiry into allegations of human rights violations and war crimes.(CBC News)

Comments - 5

Gamarala Saturday, 25 January 2014 08:19 AM

Its so funny how the bad guys have become the good guys and the good guys who defeated one of the worlds worst terror outfits have become the bad guys now. Very funny. Where were all these so called human rights protectors for over 30 years when the tamil terrorists ran amok, murdering innocent civilians ? Hypocrisy at its finest. Even the family of the tamil MP did not leave Sri Lanka because of discrimination but to get away from the LTTE terror, that was the case of most of the tamils living in western countries. Either they left to escape the LTTE or the LTTE sent them as refugees so that they could have a source of income.

0 3

Suq Madique Saturday, 25 January 2014 09:30 AM

In the end it was she who got embarrassed.

0 1

Priyan Sunday, 26 January 2014 12:37 PM

Who cares about this woman anyway?
She was just a tourist!

0 1

KUMAR Monday, 27 January 2014 10:23 AM

how can you compare the terrorist organization like LTTE to follow human rights. The are not an elected government and they are terrorist. This is what they do to make the people not trust the government.

0 0

Sammy Cooper Monday, 27 January 2014 11:55 AM

Political intimidation is going on in Sri Lanka and was strongly evidenced by the blocking of the Channel 4 team from going to the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. The Tamil people in the Vanni cannot have a birthday party without the permission of the Army. That is the sad reality of Sri Lankan freedom!

0 0

Add comment
Comments will be edited (grammar, spelling and slang) and authorized at the discretion of Daily Mirror online. The website also has the right not to publish selected comments.