Toronto: A large number of Canadian Tamils demonstrated outside the Chinese Consulate here, protesting China`s financial, economic, and diplomatic support of the Sri Lankan government.
"China must stop its support to Sri Lankan regime, which is running modern-day internment camps within its borders," David Poopalapillai, National Spokesperson for the Canadian Tamil Congress said on Wednesday and added, "China is the
largest supplier of arms to the Sri Lankan military and increased its help when other countries refused to sell military supplies for use in the civil war".
Poopalapillai said, “At the very least, China should use its diplomatic relations with Sri Lanka to pressure the government into releasing the 280,000 camp detainees in accordance with international law."
Quoting a Human Rights Watch report, he said, "Sri Lanka is violating international law with its internment of the civilians. Amnesty International has called the camps overcrowded and unsanitary and said about 50,000 of the detainees are children".
"Last year, China was also Sri Lanka`s largest foreign donor, providing more than USD 1-billion into the country`s treasury.”
“Due to China`s diplomatic support in the international arena, Sri Lanka was also able to disregard western nations` calls to adhere to human rights norms," he said.
Many Tamils who attended the demonstration have their relatives or friends in the Sri Lanka military-supervised internment camps in Vavuniyaa where more than 300,000 Tamil civilians are living.
Bureau Report
