Tamil Canadians Remember the Victims of Black July

"I look at my family, my life now, and am especially grateful to Canada for welcoming us here." says Raj Thavaratnasingham, a Tamil Canadian Black July survivor, "We were looking for peace and safety, to build our lives back again, and Canada opened its arms."

Following the disheartening events of Black July, thousands of fortunate Tamils fleeing Sri Lanka were welcomed by compassionate Canadians and the Government of Canada, providing them with safe refuge in their time of need. Over the years, in part to thank Canada, Tamil Canadians have established successful businesses, donated their time and money to several worthy causes and contributed in many other valuable ways.

As an example, in 2009, the Canadian Tamil Congress and the Canadian Tamil Community, through their giving, became the the largest community blood donation group across Canada.

"While 27 years have passed since the pogroms of Back July, Tamil Canadians remain seriously concerned about the situation in Sri Lanka.", says David Poopalapillai, National Spokesperson for the Canadian Tamil Congress. "From the Sri Lankan government restricting an independent UN-established panel looking into war crimes during the 2009 conflict, through to Tamils being held in camps and continued restrictions on media and activists in the country, the current situation and outlook is troubling".

Recently, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon’s decision to probe into alleged war crimes was met with unruly protests in Sri Lanka organized and led by a Sri Lankan Cabinet minister; these unsafe working conditions prompted Moon to recall UN’s envoy to Sri Lanka. Furthermore, the Sri Lankan government plans to setup permanent garrisons in northern Sri Lanka, where the Tamil majority reside, while nearly 60,000 IDPs have been in camps for over a year.

The Canadian Tamil Congress encourages Canadians to attend this weekend's commemoration of the 27th anniversary of Black July to learn more about the history of their fellow Canadians. Events include a documentary by three young Toronto directors on the wounds left behind on six Tamil Canadians, a play from the Asylum Theatre group illustrating the parallels between the haunting survivor experiences of Black July to recent events in Sri Lanka, and archived photographs and articles on Black July.

EVENT: "From the Ashen Streets", in remembrance of Black July
TIME: 6 pm, Friday, July 23, 2010
PLACE: Scarborough Civic Centre

For media inquiries, please contact David Poopalapillai, National Spokesperson for the Canadian Tamil Congress, at 905.781.7034 or david@canadiantamilcongress.ca.

***Black July survivor stories can be reviewed at www.blackjuly83.com, and Tamil Canadian survivors available or interviews or profiles, on request.***