Canadian Students and Youth Groups Condemn CHOGM in Colombo

Canadian Students and Youth Groups
Condemn CHOGM in Colombo

Thursday, November 14, 2013
For Immediate Release

Canadian Students and Youth Groups strongly condemn the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) to take place in Colombo, Sri-Lanka. CHOGM has been a venue for world leaders to discuss global and Commonwealth issues including good governance, human rights, international peace and security and equality. Sri Lanka’s track records show complete dissent to the principles and values Commonwealth vows to uphold.

The Sri-Lankan Government is accused of the most execrable war crimes and crimes against humanity of our recent history. As part of a systematic genocide, in 2009 the Sri-Lankan government wiped out the lives of over 140,000 Tamil civilians according to the Archbishop of Mannar, Rev. Rayappu Joseph. Tamils in the North-East continue to face rape, disappearance, coercive population control, and disenfranchisement. Regardless of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights calling for the need of an international investigation in to the atrocities committed in 2009, there has been no action on the part of the Sri-Lankan Government towards accountability or justice. Countless calls for an independent investigation into the allegations of war crimes have been met with rejection and denial.

Last week, a documentary, “No Fire Zone” was released by Britain’s Channel 4 News, which further showed evidence of war crimes committed by the Sri-Lankan Government and personnel. Despite having the video footage verified by external sources, Sri-Lanka has rejected this evidence as being fabricated.  Furthermore, the Channel 4 reporters that arrived for Commonwealth have been systematically denied access to visiting the affected Tamil areas in the North and East.

The decision taken by Commonwealth Heads of Governments to participate in this year’s CHOGM gathering whilst having knowledge of the human rights violations and crimes committed by the Sri-Lankan Government is abhorrent. Prime Minister Stephen Harper from Canada, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh from India, and Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam from Mauritius have made the bold decision to boycott Colombo and their decision should be an example for other world leaders. Yet, we are deeply disappointed in the standards practiced by the British, Australian and other heads of governments in choosing to attend. The decision to host CHOGM in Sri-Lanka has sparked outrage from many NGOs and human rights activists who believe Sri-Lanka is not worthy of being a host.

It is a disgrace that not only the Commonwealth chose to hold its meeting in a blood-stained island, it has chosen not to place Sri-Lanka’s allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity as an item of discussion at the meeting. Sweeping the allegations against Sri-Lanka under the rug and holding the CHOGM gathering in Colombo is equivalent to supporting injustice.

The undersigned Canadian Students and Youth Groups call upon the remaining Commonwealth leaders to boycott CHOGM in Colombo and work towards establishing an independent investigation into the allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of genocide committed by the Sri-Lankan State.

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