MP Parm Gill Calls Upon The Sri Lankan Government To Uphold Key Commonwealth Principles

December 9, 2013

BRAMPTON, ON: Tamil community representatives met with Brampton-Springdale MP Parm Gill and Calgary East MP Deepak Obhrai, and to discuss the Government’s principled stand on human rights, rule of law, freedom of religion, and the Prime Minister’s decision to not attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lankan government has failed to uphold the Commonwealth’s core values, which are cherished by Canadians. As such, Prime Minister Harper did not attend the 2013 CHOGM in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Canada is deeply concerned about the situation in Sri Lanka. The absence of accountability for the serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian standards during and after the civil war is unacceptable.

When Sri Lanka was selected to host the 2013 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Canada was hopeful that the Sri Lankan government would seize the opportunity to improve human rights conditions and take steps towards reconciliation and accountability. Unfortunately, this has not been the case. Mr. Obrhai, who attended the CHOGM, shared some troubling stories of what he saw during his visit to Sri Lanka.

“Canada will continue to monitor events in Sri Lanka and urge the government to fully implement the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission, promote respect for human rights and the rule of law, and undertake an independent investigation into alleged violations of the human rights of thousands of civilians at the end of the conflict.” said Mr. Gill.

Mr.Gill thanked all participants for their insight into the situation. “Our Government will always stand up for human rights, rule of law, and freedom of religion. Justice will be served in Sri Lanka. We continue to work with the Tamil community through meetings like this to get answers and hold those responsible for the atrocities in Sri Lanka accountable.”