NDP Statement on Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day:

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

"Today we mark the eleventh anniversary of the Mullivaikkal massacre, where tens of thousands of innocent lives were tragically lost in unspeakable acts of violence. The trauma of the conflict and loss of life is an intergenerational struggle that the Tamil community in Canada and around the world continues to deal with.

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

The destruction of the Jaffna Public Library, one of the largest libraries in the world at the time when it was burnt down by the state-sponsored mobs under the direction of two government ministers was an act of cultural genocide. It resulted in the loss of over 95,000 ancient Tamil literature, magazines and newspapers which contained information on the history and significance of the ancient language of Tamil.

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.

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.

Together we will seek justice for the families and survivors. We will confront human rights violations, challenge persecution, and do everything we can to ensure that these atrocities never happen again."