News Release: HRAC Calls for Travel Ban and Economic Sanctions

News Release: HRAC Calls for Travel Ban and Economic Sanctions

April 03, 2014

Human Rights and Advocacy Council (HRAC), Canadian Tamil Youth Alliance (CTYA)

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) adopted a resolution that mandates a comprehensive international inquiry into the war crimes in Sri-Lanka for the Sri-Lankan state failed to investigate these allegations sufficiently itself. The resolution was adopted by a vote of 23 states in favour, 12 opposed and 12 abstentions. President Mahinda Rajapakse, in a statement to AFP said that Sri Lanka rejected the UNHRC resolution.

The HRAC welcomes the UNHRC resolution as it highlights the failure of Sri-Lanka as a sovereign state to bring about any meaningful justice to the people affected during the last phase of the armed conflict. However, considering the on-going genocide of the Eelam Tamil Nation, this resolution falls short in protecting the remaining Tamil population in the island. The condition of Tamils in their traditional homeland continues to deteriorate. Tamils continue to face rape, disappearances, intimidation against freedom of speech and assembly, destruction of heritage sites, coercive population control and disenfranchisement of land as the different forms of genocide are under swift implementation. Without a stronger action by the International Community to achieve a permanent political solution to protect the Tamil nation, the conditions will only continue to worsen.

The HRAC calls upon the Canadian government and the International Community to immediately call for travel ban and economic sanctions against Sri Lanka noting President Rajapakse’s statement rejecting their cooperation to UNHRC resolution.

The HRAC will continue to voice against the genocide of Tamils by collecting evidences from the witnesses and survivors through the Thazhumbakam project. Thazhumbakam, A Tamil Genocide Memorial Museum aims to broaden public understanding of the history of the Tamil Genocide through comprehensive programs: art and artifact exhibitions, research and publication, collecting materials, distribution of educational materials and resources, and a variety of other public programming designed to enhance understanding of the Tamil Genocide.

The need for Thazumbakam to safeguard the history of Tamils and work towards collocating evidence pointing to genocide is imperative. The HRAC further calls upon the Tamil youth in Canada to continue to raise awareness about the genocide of Eelam Tamils and participate in Thazumbakam by hosting events and exhibitions to enhance public awareness of the Tamil Genocide.

The HRAC aims to build the capacity of Canadian Tamil youth by equipping them with the necessary knowledge and skills to advocate for the protection of human rights in Canada and abroad. This Council will strive to not only uphold international law and the Geneva conventions, but also educate our youth and the broader Canadian society about the ongoing plight of Tamil people.

Tamil Eelam Challenge Cup Volleyball – Results

Tamil Eelam Challenge Cup Volleyball – 2014 Results
Canadian Tamil Youth Alliance’s Athletics Council successfully held its first annual Tamileelam Challenge Cup Volleyball Tournament. This tournament took place Saturday March 29th at Cederbrae Collegiate Institute. The event was coordinated by CTYA with full support from its members, who acknowledged the importance of such an event from the very beginning and assisted in all the phases of the event.

CTYA would like to congratulate and recognize all the participating teams. All 10 teams played with great team spirit and sportsmanship and made the 1st Annual Tamileelam Challenge Cup Volleyball tournament an event to remember. This year’s finals showcased a great match between Scarborough and Markham from the Canadian Tamil Volleyball League. After an extremely tight game, Scarborough prevailed as the winners while the runners up were Markham.

Awards for best players were presented; each one being representative of Tamil Eelam’s National symbols: Vaahai being the national Tree; Siruththai being the national animal; Karthigai poo being the national flower and Chenbagam being the national bird.

The Most Valuable Player award was presented to Sinthujan Nanthakumar from Scarborough. The Vaahai award was presented to the best setter of the tournament, Hellenic Vincent De Paul from Markham. The Chenbagam award was presented to the best defence of the tournament, Kobu Kunaratnam from Scarborough. The Karthigai poo award was presented to the team with the best sportsmanship which was Eelam Squad. Finally the Siruthai was presented to Sinthujan Nanthankumar from Scarborough for being the best striker of the series.

programs. The aim of this council is to educate through athletics, promote outstanding sportsmanship and build team spirit.

Wishes from MPP Rod Jackson!

March, 2014

As Member of Provincial Parliament for Barrie, and as Critic Responsible for Community and Social Services and the Pan Am Games for the Official Opposition, I would like to extend my best wishes to all those attending Thaalam 2014: The Ultimate Gaana Competition hosted by the Arts and Culture Council of the Canadian Tamil Youth Alliance (CTYA) on March 22nd, 2014.

Over the years, the CTYA has been a leader in promoting the development of future leaders in the arts and culture area. The Thaalam 2014 dance competition is another example of the types of worthy events that the CTYA facilitates. Events such as these help to engage the Tamil youth community, promote leadership and good citizenship, and allow youth the opportunity to showcase their talents to the Canadian Tamil and wider community.

On behalf of the Ontario PC Caucus, I would like to congratulate the CTYA for hosting this event, and to congratulate all of the highly talented and spirited teams which will be participating.

Sincerely,

Rod Jackson, MPP
Barrie

Congratulatory Greetings from City Councillor Dr. Raymond Cho!

Congratulatory Greetings from Dr. Raymond Cho

On behalf of the City of Toronto especially Scarborough Rouge River, Ward 42, I am very much delighted and honoured to extend my warmest congratulations to the Canadian Tamil Youth Alliance CTYA, (a non-profit organization located in Toronto), on the occasion of hosting Thaalam 2014 – The Ultimate Gaana Competition.

It is a privilege to witness CTYA encouraging our young dance artists from across various cities come together where they will be able to showcase their passion for dance. Through this art, Tamil youth are able to express themselves of their creativity, while upholding their cultural values and preserving their heritage.

Toronto has been blessed by such a diverse mosaic of skilled, talented artists and performers all who add great richness to our city. I commend CTYA on making a positive mark in Toronto. I have been a supporter of this organization and I am confident that I will continue to be a supporter for many more years to come. Congratulations once again and I look forward to your continued success.

I take this opportunity to thank the organizers, sponsors, parents, staff and volunteers for their hard work and dedication in making tonight’s event a memorable one and I sincerely hope that everyone in attendance will have a wonderful time. God Bless You All with Good Health!

Yours truly,

Dr. Raymond Cho Toronto City Councillor

Thaalam wishes from City Councillor Josh Matlow!

March 17th, 2014

Dear Canadian Tamil Youth Alliance,

As an active advocate of our city’s arts and culture community, I am pleased to support your upcoming event Thaalam 2014: The Ultimate Gaana Competition. In its third year Thaalam continues to inspire and empower youth to express themselves and their culture creatively.

The Canadian Tamil Youth Alliance (CTYA) plays an important role in our society, and I deeply appreciate the hard work your members have done and continue to do. As Torontonians, we are privileged to live in a city where cultures and traditions from around the world are embraced. Having organizations like the CTYA that drive this pride in our diversity is paramount, and Thaalam is a testament to the positive impact you have on our youth.

Please accept my best wishes for a successful, enjoyable, and unforgettable day!

Sincerely,

Josh Matlow
Toronto City Councillor
Ward 22 – St. Paul’s
www.joshmatlow.ca

Thaalam Wishes from Ontario NDP President, Neethan Shan!

It is my pleasure to extend my best wishes to all members of Canadian Tamil Youth Alliance (CTYA) for an incredibly successful Thaalam Ultimate Gaana Dance Competition Show. As someone who has directly witnessed the amazing levels of commitment, passion and hard work of the CTYA’s directors, I am confident that the event will be simply phenomenal. I am delighted to know that the focus this year is on Gaana music. My high school years were heavily intertwined with Gaana music, which I continue to enjoy even today. So I am very excited, as many of you are, to witness our own exceptionally talented dancers perform at the prestigious John Bassett Theatre in Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to the directors and volunteers of CTYA for their remarkable work in the field of arts, sports, culture, education and human rights. You have been great role models for our younger generation through your volunteerism and community service. In conclusion, I am pleased to offer my strong support to CTYA’s journey to build a youth recreation and innovation centre as well as the genocide memorial museum, as these are two much-needed initiatives for the Tamil Canadian community.

I wish all the performers best of luck in the competition.

In Solidarity,

Neethan Shan

President – Ontario NDP

Greetings from Councillor Logan Kanapathi!

GREETINGS FROM MARKHAM COUNCILLOR

On behalf of Members of Council and the Town of Markham, I am very pleased to extend our best wishes and greetings to Canadian Tamil Youth Alliance (CTYA) and its Arts & Culture Council on the occasion of the Thaalam 2014: The Ultimate Gaana Competition .

Our great country is known for its Diversity. It is through the empowerment mission of organizations such as the Canadian Tamil Youth Alliance that we can build a stronger, better and more inclusive Canada. I applaud your efforts in promoting the goodwill among the Canadian Tamil Youth and in contributing to the betterment of Canada by educating Canadian Tamil youth to become strong and outstanding leaders in our society.

Dance and Music are integral part of creative, expressive and vibrant communities. Events like Thaalam 2014 serve to engage youth in meaningful entertainment. I’m confident through events like Thaalam 2014, our Tamil heritage will successfully pass on to the next generation.

As Councillor, I am proud of your efforts to empower our youth. I wish you continued success in all your future endeavours as your organization continues to grow and contribute to the community.

Sincerely,

Logan Kanapathi

Councillor – City of Markham