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July 23rd, 2019

NDP Statement on the 36th anniversary of Black July

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

In the days and nights between July 24 and 29, 1983, genocidal acts erupted in Sri Lanka. Countless mobs carried out brutal pogroms across the country, killing between 400 and 3,000 Tamils, and leaving 150,000 people without homes. These events started a 26-year civil war that sent hundreds of thousands of Tamils into exile.

Today, New Democrats remember all those who suffered immeasurable losses during Black July, a cruel experience which, 36 years later, remains a time of mourning for the Tamil diaspora.

As we recognize the suffering of all those who are still dealing with the trauma and displacement that arise with genocidal acts and civil war, let’s also remember to never be complacent about the power of hatred to divide us. The dark days of the Sri Lankan Civil War are a stark reminder of our collective responsibility to help achieve reconciliation, justice, and peace, and heal the wounds of all those who suffer, wherever we may live.