Solidarity with the Tamils now to stop this "brazen openly racist war."

Yesterday I visited the Tamil sit-in in front of the US embassy.  After a couple of months of protesting in Ottawa and Toronto in the largest demonstrations in memory with little response from the government,  the Tamil community has decided to block University Avenue demanding that the Canadian and US government pressure Sri Lanka to stop killing civilians and allow humanitarian aid into to assist Tamils trapped in the war zone.  More than 6,500 ethnic Tamils are already dead according to the UN.

The situation is urgent.  Yesterday the Canadian Tamil Congress wrote to the Prime Minister: 'Tamil Canadians are fearful that in the next 24 to 48 hours a civilian bloodbath will ensue if the government of Sri Lanka does not reciprocate the LTTE's (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) offer to a ceasefire.'  UN estimates are that 6,500 ethnic Tamils, mostly civilians,  have already been killed in the conflict.  It is heartbreaking to talk to the demonstrators, almost all of whom have relatives in the war zone.

Indian writer Arundhati Roy has said  "What is happening right now in Sri Lanka, and what is being so effectively hidden from public scrutiny, is a brazen, openly racist war." in an article published in Alternet. As Roy points out, the only reason the Sri Lankan government can get away with this massacre is that it is using the lingo of the war on terror making every Tamil into a terrorist until they can prove otherwise.

I am working with others to produce a statement from academics and other prominent Canadians demanding action from the Canadian government to demand an immediate ceasefire from the Sri Lankan government and to allow humanitarian aid into the war zone. 

Many people are confused because of horror stories about the Tamil Tigers.   But whatever we may think of the Tamil Tigers, it is the human rights catastrophe that must be of primary concern and in that regard it is the Sri Lankan government that has the responsibility to end the bloodshed.  There will be a solidarity march organized by the Canadian Peace Alliance and some unions on May 9.  It's about time, progessive people outside the Tamil community speak out in solidarity.  

In the long term too, we need to support the right to self-determination of the Tamil people.  It was colonial Britain that created the false country of Ceylon putting together two peoples,  Over the years the majority has insisted the Tamil learn the Singhalese language if they wanted to succeed, refused to recognize two referendums for independence and generally oppressed the Tamil minority.  Sound familiar?

Please do whatever you can.  Write to the media who are being bombarded by people complaining about minor traffic jams downtown.  Inform yourself on the situation and speak to your friends.  Visit the protests in your city.  Call the Prime Minister's office and Michael Ignatieff's office and tell them you want action against the Sri Lankan government.  It's past time to support the valient struggle of the Tamil Community to stop the slaughter of their people.