NDP Statement on the 35th anniversary of Black July

Jagmeet Singh, Leader of Canada’s NDP, issued the following statement:

“35 years ago, genocide erupted in Sri Lanka, as mobs carried out pogroms across the country, killing between 400 and 3,000 Tamils, brutalizing countless more, and leaving 150,000 people without homes. These events kicked off a 26-year civil war that sent hundreds of thousands of Tamils into exile.

For Tamils in Canada and around the world, Black July remains a time of mourning and reflection.

On behalf of Canada’s New Democrats, I want to extend my deepest sympathies today to all those who suffered losses in the pogroms in July of 1983 and the civil war that followed. And I especially want to recognize the suffering of Tamils around the world, who are still dealing with the trauma and displacement that come with genocide.

Black July should serve as a reminder for all of us: here in Canada, where we should never be complacent about the power hatred has to divide us – and as members of the international community, where we have a responsibility to use our influence to help achieve reconciliation, justice, and peace.”