Mark Holland Ottawa Update
February 5, 2009
Mark speaks on the humanitarian crisis affecting Tamils in Sri Lanka
Liberal MPs like Mark Holland have demanded that the Harper government face up to their responsibilities on the humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka. While the government agreed to provide some money to aid organizations active in the region Canada can and must do more.
Edited transcript of video:
Over the last couple of weeks, a number of humanitarian crises around the world have captured our attention. These crises are deeply disconcerting, not only for Canadians who have family in those parts of the world in conflict, but for all Canadians who have a deep sense of responsibility to do something when we know that people are suffering. That has been our tradition. That is what we expect of our government and what we demand as citizens of a diverse country such as ours. Unfortunately, Canada has not been living up to that standard.
First, there was the situation in Gaza. I held a town hall meeting in my riding on January 30. We had several hundred people come out and express their concern about what is happening there and the desperate need for humanitarian aid, for which Canada needs to be playing a larger role in delivering.
Right now, addressing the long standing conflict in Sri Lanka has a renewed sense of urgency. On February 4, while a huge group of people rallied on Parliament Hill, Liberal MPs forced an emergency debate in the House of Commons to address this crisis and to discuss what Canada can do, because quite literally tens of thousands of lives are at risk right now. Many people have died. Many more are injured in a scary situation which has developed in Sri Lanka.
Originally, the Harper government refused to do anything not even calling for a cease fire. Even though much of the globe was demanding an end to hostilities, Canada remained silent.
Only after persistent questioning and prodding were Liberals able to get the government to agree to call for a ceasefire and join the rest of the international community in this cause. But there are still so many things that arent being done. I thought that I would enumerate some of the Liberal partys demands that aim to protect innocent civilians in Sri Lanka.
Number one we should join the UN (its absurd that we are standing on the sidelines here) in calling for the creation of special no fire zones which are protected safe areas for civilians. Right now civilians are caught in the line of fire they have no where to escape. We have to have no fire zones where civilians can to escape to as a bare minimum. Canada should join other nations in calling for the creation of these zones.
Secondly, Canada needs to call upon the Sri Lankan government to recognize the civil and human rights of the Tamil community there. This again should seem basic. The human rights of the Tamil population must be acknowledged, for every government has a responsibility to protect the innocent people in their population.
We need to call for a special UN envoy to be sent into Sri Lanka to monitor the situation and give the international community an impartial view of what is happening on the ground there, and specifically, with respect to civilians in dire circumstances.
We need to increase Canadian aid relief. At a time when Tamils are facing a massive humanitarian crisis, we need to make sure that they have medicine, food and shelter. We need to do our part to help innocent civilians survive and not see huge death tolls and untold suffering in the absence of these vital supplies.
Lastly, Canada needs to return to the traditional role it plays as a peace-builder and confidence-builder, as an independent neutral third party that brings different parties together for a common purpose of peace.
Holland to scrutinize government on nation's security interests in Liberal shadow cabinet
Ajax-Pickering MP Mark Holland was named Critic for Public Safety & National Security, a key post in the Liberal Shadow Cabinet.
It is incredibly important that we hold the Harper Conservatives to account, said Holland. I am pleased to be able to contribute in my responsibility for national security issues.