Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released a message on the anniversary of the 1983 riots in Sri Lanka. “Let us pause to remember the victims of the anti-Tamil pogroms and all the lives that were lost throughout the entirety of the Sri Lankan Civil War. We offer our deepest condolences to those who lost family and friends,” the Prime Minister said in a statement. “The war and the devastation it wrought reminds us to heal the wounds of those who have suffered, and to promote unity over division and inclusion over prejudice.”
Trudeau’s Foreign Affairs Minister is expected to arrive in Colombo next week on three day visit.
Full Statement:
“On this 33rd anniversary, we join Canadians of Tamil descent and members of the Tamil community around the world in commemoration of the events of Black July in 1983.
“Let us pause to remember the victims of the anti-Tamil pogroms and all the lives that were lost throughout the entirety of the Sri Lankan Civil War. We offer our deepest condolences to those who lost family and friends. “The war and the devastation it wrought reminds us to heal the wounds of those who have suffered, and to promote unity over division and inclusion over prejudice.
“Canada will continue to encourage the Sri Lankan government to fulfill its commitment to the United Nations Human Rights Council to bring about real peace, reconciliation, accountability and justice for the people in Sri Lanka.”
