Canada's NDP

Skip to main content

May 18th, 2018

NDP Statement on Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day:

Jagmeet Singh, Leader of Canada’s NDP, issued the following statement to mark Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day:

“Today we mark the ninth anniversary of end of the war in Sri Lanka, where tens of thousands of innocent lives were tragically lost in unspeakable acts of violence and genocide.

The trauma of the conflict and loss of life is an intergenerational struggle that the Tamil community in Canada and around the world continue to deal with.

Thousands of innocent women, children, and men were extrajudicially murdered and disappeared during 30 years of war in Sri Lanka.

Despite this historical trauma, the Tamil community’s resiliency has ensured that their people and culture not only live on, but thrive here in Canada.

I also reaffirm my call to the Government of Sri Lanka to seek accountability for those responsible for the genocide, and pursue justice for the survivors and their families. Truth telling and accountability must be priotized, the absence of either is indicative of an ongoing human rights violations that stifles a sustainable peace.

On this day of remembrance, I send my deepest sympathies and solidarity to the Tamil community in Canada and around the world. I stand with you in your peaceful pursuit of truth and justice – and, I empathize with your desire to create a better, more just world.

We must continue to seek justice for the families and survivors, and build a world where we confront human rights violations, challenge persecution, and do everything we can to ensure that it never happens again.”