Author: TELO Admin

Sri Lankan High Commission in Canada has raised objections to the erection of a monument to commemorate what the Tamil community living there called genocide of Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka during the war’, Daily Mirror learns.

The groundbreaking for the construction of this memorial in the municipal area called ‘Brampton’ in the greater Toronto area took place recently.

Despite Sri Lanka’s objection, Daily Mirror learns that Brampton mayor Patrick Brown has granted permission to build a monument to commemorate the lives lost in the Sri Lankan civil war. It is an area with a large concentration of Sri Lankan Tamils.

A top official of the Sri Lankan mission in Ottawa told Daily Mirror that a request for a similar monument had been made to another municipal council, but the mayor had turned it down.

“The LTTE remains a banned organization in Canada. Therefore, extremist activists don’t use the word ‘LTTE’ in any of their activities. They indulge in these activities under different garbs,” the official said.

US Ambassador Julie Chung says much more needs to be done in Sri Lanka to strenghten good governance and anti-corruption initiatives to achieve economic recovery.

“The job isn’t over yet. More needs to be done to improve good governance and anti-corruption efforts, and these improvements will help to create new opportunities for both Sri Lankan and American businesses, help the country recover from this crisis, and boost economic growth,” she said speaking at the AmCham Ball in Colombo.

She went on to say that the United States, and AmCham, believed that a vibrant and prosperous economy was built by including and drawing on the diverse skills of all members of society, adding that they have done their part to help empower the aspiring businesswomen of Sri Lanka. Guaranteeing equal opportunities to women in the workforce is not only a social justice issue, but also an economic one. Research has shown that when more women participate in the labour force, economies grow faster and are more resilient to shocks.

This is because women bring new perspectives and skills to the table that lead to innovation and new opportunities.

I have travelled all throughout Sri Lanka, meeting such inspiring women who work hard to overcome the challenges to maintain and improve their livelihoods. Whether its young women, starting a tech company at Yarl IT Hub (in Jaffna), or mothers working rice paddies in the Northcentral Province, to feed their families, and fellow Sri Lankans.

Despite the current challenges and brain drain concerns, many are determined to stay here and help build up their country. They have not given up. It’s in this spirit of resilience and optimism that I am so grateful to AmCham for its efforts to ensure economic opportunities exist for all Sri Lankans.

Elliot Colburn, MP for Carshalton and Wallington and the Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils (APPGT) has urged the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to investigate the arrest of TNPF MP Selvarajah Kajendren.

As Chair of the APPG for Tamils, I am deeply concerned about the reports of Tamil MP, Mr Kajendran, being subjected to brute force and arrest by Sri Lankan Police. I urge the FCDO to investigate and raise with Sri Lankan officials.

— Elliot Colburn MP (@ElliotColburn) May 23, 2023

Kajendren was arrested earlier today alongisde eight other TNPF members whilst they were protesting against the illegally constructed Buddhist vihara in Thaiyiddy, Jaffna which has been built on occupied land.

Colburn stated that he was “deeply concerned” by the arrest and urged the FCDO to “investigate and raise with Sri Lankan officials”.

The Tissa Rajamaha Vihara in Thaiyiddy was built last month under the protection of Sri Lanka’a military and police. Locals have expressed their concerns about the new vihara which forms part of the state’s ongoing Sinhalisation of the Tamil homeland.

The International Monetary Fund notes that the present crisis in Sri Lanka is a combination of an economic and humanitarian crisis, citing that the present crisis is somewhat different from the previous crises the island nation had faced.

Resident representative of the IMF in Sri Lanka Sarwat Jahan speaking EXCLUSIVELY to News 1st on its Newsline program said “Sri Lanka has never faced debt sustainability issues before. This is the first time that Sri Lanka has announced a moratorium on its debt service. The situation is actually quite grave, and it is going to take quite a bit of effort on all to bring Sri Lanka back to its growth potential.”

In early 2023, the International Monetary Fund approved a $3 billion bailout for Sri Lanka, paving the way for the country to restructure its debt and for the economy to improve in 2024.

The South Asian country is grappling with its worst financial crisis in decades, and the IMF’s decision will allow an immediate disbursement of a $333 million loan over four years.

“The main part is to recognize how deep the crisis is, and then to for all Sri Lankan to contribute to the recovery, which means taking ownership of the deep reforms that are needed,” said Sarwat Jahan adding that these reform including tax reforms, SOE reforms, and structural reforms that will help build institutions so that Sri Lanka will not face such a situation again.

Sri Lanka Navy conducted a search and rescue (SAR) operation to assist the ongoing operations of the capsized Chinese fishing vessel Lu Peng Yuan Yu 028, where 14 bodies were recovered.

In a statement, the Sri Lanka Navy said SLNS Vijayabahu, the SL Navy’s offshore patrol vessel with a team of Navy divers was directed to engage in the mission on the directives of Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera.

“As the Navy arrived on the scene, the regional stakeholders had already commenced extensive aeronautical and surface search in the area of the overturned Chinese fishing vessel. Having reached the location, the Navy divers searched for air pockets within the upturned vessel, hoping to find any survivors. After strenuous diving amidst the challenges of zero visibility and enormous water turbulence, the Navy divers recovered 02 bodies from the captain’s cabin and accommodation area and they were handed over to the Tug De Tian at the scene,” it said.

“The Navy divers also recovered 12 more bodies of the crew from various compartments of the vessel. Due to decomposition and potential health hazards posed by operating in contaminated waters with limited protective gear, it was determined that retrieving those bodies would be exceedingly dangerous. Next, the decision was made to map the locations of the bodies, while prioritizing the safety of the SLN divers,” the statement added.