Written by: Thebana Gnanakrishnan, Human Rights Advocacy Council Director
On July 23, 2011, Member of Provincial Parliament for Toronto Centre, Glen Murray planted a Canadian maple tree alongside a memorial stone at the Evergreen tree plantation site in Toronto to mark the twenty eighth year since the July 1983 massacre of Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka. Through this plantation, Murray showed his solidarity with the Tamil community in its grievances of lost lives.
Youth members of the Human Rights Advocacy Council of the Canadian Tamil Youth Alliance (CTYA) also participated in the plantation and remembrance. Through this initiative, the Human Rights Advocacy Council of CTYA aims to continue its goal of educating our youth and the broader Canadian society about the ongoing plight of Tamil people.
The violent 1983 Black July riots claimed thousands of innocent lives including children. The events of the riots included executions, burning of Tamil properties, displacement of thousands of Tamils, and various atrocities with the intent to the Tamil people in Sri-Lanka. It marked the beginning of the civil war that raged Sri Lanka for nearly 26 years.
The trees will promote an environmentally friendly atmosphere in Canada while serving as a monumental reminder in the years to come of the tragedies that have taken place in Sri Lanka.
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