SL again raises concerns with Canada on Tamil Genocide Week Act, others

• Sri Lanka has taken the position that the multi-faceted bilateral relations should not be decided by a group acting in political  interests

 By Kelum Bandara  

Sri Lanka, once again raised concerns with Canada on a host of matters including the enactment of the Tamil Genocide Education Week Act in Ontario, Daily Mirror learns.   
According to a source, Foreign Minister Ali Sabry is reported to have expressed Sri Lanka’s concerns in this regard when he had a meeting with Canadian High Commissioner Eric Walsh yesterday. After the meeting, the Minister tweeted that issues of bilateral concerns were discussed.  

The meeting took place in the context of a court in Canada upholding the Tamil Genocide Week Act. It is learnt that the minister briefed the envoy about it and expressed concerns on it.   
The Tamil Genocide Education Week Act, establishes seven days each year, May 11 to 18, during which Ontarians “are encouraged to educate themselves about, and to maintain their awareness of, the Tamil genocide and other genocides that have occurred in world history.   Canada has also imposed sanctions on four top Sri Lankan officials including former presidents Mahinda and Gotabaya Rajapaksa, over what it called “gross and systematic violations of human rights” during the war time between 1983 and 2009.  

Sri Lanka has taken the position that the multi-faceted bilateral relations should not be decided by a group acting in political interests. Canada is home to a large number of expatriate Sri Lankan Tamils who have secured even parliamentary representation.