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Montreal Tamils: ’We need your help’

Montreal Tamils: ’We need your help’

Montreal Tamils: ’We need your help’

Published on May 20, 2009
Published on February 6, 2010
Flavie Halais  RSS Feed

Three Côte-des-Neiges residents have their say

Montreal Tamils welcomed with shock the news of the military defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the death of its leader, Vellupillai Prabhakaran. Although this might mean the end of a 26-year-old civil war in Sri Lanka, members of the Tamil community will continue to protest night and day in front of the United States consulate on René-Lévesque Boul. until the safety of their people is ensured. The Monitor spoke with three Côte-des-Neiges Tamil residents about their struggle.

Topics :
United Nations , Montreal , Canada , Sri Lanka
Raja Thava, machine operator

We need the international community to support our freedom struggle. The Canadian government and the United Nations especially should help us save the Tamils trapped in the war zone. People there have no food, no medication, some are dying of starvation.

Some people understand our struggle, some people don't like it, some don't mind. But most people understand our problem.

The blockade of the Gardiner Expressway was illegal, that's not good. Most of our people don't agree with it, we want peaceful demonstrations. It has a negative effect on us.

Raj Nadarajah, sales assistant

Canada hasn't offered any help, although there are almost 300,000 Tamils in Canada. This has been going on for 30 years and it's getting worse every day. We are asking the Canadian government to allow the media to go there and see if we are right or wrong, to see what is going on. Sri Lanka is a tiny place but it's our homeland, our motherland. The freedom fighters who are fighting for us are not terrorists. I don't know why the Canadian government is using the word terrorist.

There are a lot of rumours in our community about what happened last weekend. Our message is that our leader is safe, we are confident that he's fighting for our freedom, but the government says he's dead.

Sivamalar Kandiah, social worker and president of the Tamil women's association of Quebec.

My immediate family has been affected. My father died last month because he didn't have access to medication, food and basic facilities. My mother is still alive but I don't know where she is. I'm trying to communicate with her but I haven't been able to find her. Each minute I hope the telephone will ring and somebody will tell me where she is.

The Sri Lankan government has said that there is a safety zone and they are not bombing that area, but they're lying. The American and Canadian governments should know what is going on. They, along with NGOs, members of the international community, activists and journalists, should go there themselves to see.

Since last December we've been holding a lot of peaceful and legal demonstrations. The Canadian government hasn't done anything, whereas the situation is getting worse and worse everyday, that's why they blocked the Gardiner Expressway. But otherwise we don't want to disturb our fellow Canadian citizens. We are Canadian, we respect the laws and regulations, but the Canadian government and the citizens should understand why we did this. Please understand, please wake up, we need your help.

Comments

  • Username
    Sailan Moore
    - February 17, 2010 at 14:18:08

    Tamil Canadians who supported the terrorists lost their right to say anything on Sri Lanka as they committed treason against that country... as for the Tamils in the IDP camps, well the Moslems kicked out by the LTTE from Northern Sri Lanka, have been living in refugee / IDP camps for the last 20 years.. The Tamil Canadians helped in this ethnic cleansing by supporting the terrorists who are guilty of this crime against humanity.. So these Tamil Canadians have no right to say anything either against Sri Lanka or the refugees

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  • Username
    neil bailey
    - February 17, 2010 at 14:18:05

    In your linked photos they show an illegal terrorist flag. a flag of death just ask Sonia Gandi or the famileys of the tens of thousands of the men, women and children murdered by the LTTE. The people there protesting about a democratically elected government are the very same people who funded the LTTE to buy the guns,bullets and bombs Which in my eyes makes them every bit as guilty as the person who pulled the trigger.so what next Taliban - Al Qaeda supporters protesting about the war on terrorism going on right now in Pakistan. Shame on you Canada a once proud and honest country now known thoughout the world as a supporter of terrorism remember if you lie with the dogs you will catch fleas.

    Submit a Comment

  • Username
    Sailan Moore
    - February 10, 2010 at 12:55:37

    Tamil Canadians who supported the terrorists lost their right to say anything on Sri Lanka as they committed treason against that country... as for the Tamils in the IDP camps, well the Moslems kicked out by the LTTE from Northern Sri Lanka, have been living in refugee / IDP camps for the last 20 years.. The Tamil Canadians helped in this ethnic cleansing by supporting the terrorists who are guilty of this crime against humanity.. So these Tamil Canadians have no right to say anything either against Sri Lanka or the refugees

    Submit a Comment

  • Username
    neil bailey
    - February 10, 2010 at 12:55:34

    In your linked photos they show an illegal terrorist flag. a flag of death just ask Sonia Gandi or the famileys of the tens of thousands of the men, women and children murdered by the LTTE. The people there protesting about a democratically elected government are the very same people who funded the LTTE to buy the guns,bullets and bombs Which in my eyes makes them every bit as guilty as the person who pulled the trigger.so what next Taliban - Al Qaeda supporters protesting about the war on terrorism going on right now in Pakistan. Shame on you Canada a once proud and honest country now known thoughout the world as a supporter of terrorism remember if you lie with the dogs you will catch fleas.

    Submit a Comment

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