The Rwandan community in Canada will be joining Tamil Canadians to call for an immediate ceasefire in Sri Lanka and an end to the violence that has resulted in an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the North and East of Sri Lanka. Over the past two months, over one thousand civilians have been killed, thousands more injured and 300,000 are left without access to humanitarian aid as the Sri Lankan government continues an aggressive military campaign against the Tamil people in Sri Lanka.
In 1994, over the course of one hundred days, an estimated 800,000 to 1,000,000 Tutsi minorities, and moderate Hutus were killed in a systematically orchestrated genocide perpetuated by the Hutu Power majority as the world watched in silence. “The Rwandan community strongly condemns the killing of innocent civilians in any part of this globe, while the international community shows the same old indifference, whether it is in Darfur or in Sri Lanka,” says John Rukumbura, Director of the Rwandese Canadian Association of Greater Toronto. “We cannot stand idly by and witness the tragedy that is occurring against innocent Tamils in Sri Lanka.”
The Genocide Prevention Project, a New York based group has listed the armed conflict in Sri Lanka as one of the top eight “red alert” countries currently experiencing genocidal conflicts.
“There are many parallels between the Rwandan and Sri Lankan conflicts, from the legacy of colonialism to the systematic violence perpetuated by the majoritarian government against a vulnerable minority population,” said David Poopalapillai, National Spokesperson for the Canadian Tamil Congress. “Tamil Canadians are pleased that the Rwandan Canadian community is speaking out against the mass atrocities occurring in the North and East of Sri Lanka.”
Rwandan Canadians and Tamil Canadians will gather at Nathan Phillips Square and march in solidarity to Dundas Square where they will call upon the Canadian government to urgently act to prevent the conflict in Sri Lanka from escalating further and urging the United Nations to intervene and provide much needed humanitarian aid to displaced peoples in the conflict zone. The solidarity event
will feature testimonials from members of the Tamil Canadian community, remarks from distinguished guests, and performances by Little Empire, Unknown Mizery, Son of Abdul, Meditating Minds, Peter Bonez and many more talented artists from Rwandan, Tamil and other communities.
For further Information:
Canadian Tamil Congress (416) 240-0078
In 1994, over the course of one hundred days, an estimated 800,000 to 1,000,000 Tutsi minorities, and moderate Hutus were killed in a systematically orchestrated genocide perpetuated by the Hutu Power majority as the world watched in silence. “The Rwandan community strongly condemns the killing of innocent civilians in any part of this globe, while the international community shows the same old indifference, whether it is in Darfur or in Sri Lanka,” says John Rukumbura, Director of the Rwandese Canadian Association of Greater Toronto. “We cannot stand idly by and witness the tragedy that is occurring against innocent Tamils in Sri Lanka.”
The Genocide Prevention Project, a New York based group has listed the armed conflict in Sri Lanka as one of the top eight “red alert” countries currently experiencing genocidal conflicts.
“There are many parallels between the Rwandan and Sri Lankan conflicts, from the legacy of colonialism to the systematic violence perpetuated by the majoritarian government against a vulnerable minority population,” said David Poopalapillai, National Spokesperson for the Canadian Tamil Congress. “Tamil Canadians are pleased that the Rwandan Canadian community is speaking out against the mass atrocities occurring in the North and East of Sri Lanka.”
Rwandan Canadians and Tamil Canadians will gather at Nathan Phillips Square and march in solidarity to Dundas Square where they will call upon the Canadian government to urgently act to prevent the conflict in Sri Lanka from escalating further and urging the United Nations to intervene and provide much needed humanitarian aid to displaced peoples in the conflict zone. The solidarity event
will feature testimonials from members of the Tamil Canadian community, remarks from distinguished guests, and performances by Little Empire, Unknown Mizery, Son of Abdul, Meditating Minds, Peter Bonez and many more talented artists from Rwandan, Tamil and other communities.
Date: Friday, February 27th, 2009
Time: 5:30 pm (march from Nathan Phillips Square starts at 5:00 pm)
Venue: Dundas Square, Toronto
Yonge St. and Dundas St.
Time: 5:30 pm (march from Nathan Phillips Square starts at 5:00 pm)
Venue: Dundas Square, Toronto
Yonge St. and Dundas St.
For further Information:
Canadian Tamil Congress (416) 240-0078