Don Valley West MP, Rob Oliphant Welcomes Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff's Statement on the Crisis in Sri Lanka

Date:                February 27, 2009

For Release:    Immediate

Rob Oliphant, Member of Parliament for Don Valley West, strongly endorses Liberal Leader, Michael Ignatieff’s statement on the crisis situation in Sri Lanka. “It is time this Government takes action on this tragic situation. Our Party is taking a lead on this issue and is demanding a real response from this Prime Minister,” said Rob Oliphant.  “The Tamil community is reaching out to us, begging for help. Canada has a strong reputation for responding to international human rights abuses and we cannot be silent this time. How can the Conservative Government sit back and ignore their fellow Canadian’s plea for immediate intervention? Something must be done now,” he continued.

Mr. Ignatieff’s statement reads:
I am deeply concerned about the continuing violence in Sri Lanka. Countless lives are being lost on a daily basis and more than 250,000 civilians are trapped on the frontline.  An immediate ceasefire is needed now more than ever.

I urge both the government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to work together to find every possible way to save lives and to further avert a humanitarian disaster.

I also call on the international community to come together to work towards political reconciliation in Sri Lanka and to provide humanitarian assistance where it is needed. We have a responsibility to protect innocent civilians whose lives are at risk as a result of this military conflict. 

In this regard, I urge United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to send a special envoy to Sri Lanka to find ways to ensure no further loss of life and to begin immediate discussions on the political future of the country involving all sectors of Sri Lankan society. 

There is no excuse for terrorism and attacks on civilians, and the world has to show its concern for the protection of the civilian population.

Our thoughts are with the people of Sri Lanka at this time as well as the Canadians of Sri Lankan descent whose lives are affected by this terrible situation.

“I continue to hear about the ongoing atrocities and their effects on local Tamil families; they don’t know whether their family members are dead, alive or being tortured.  They feel helpless, and require immediate guidance and support form this Government,” Oliphant said. “The Tamil community, and all Canadians, demand and deserve a response; the question is will Mr. Harper provide us with one?”
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Contact:
Mazhar Shafiq, Communications Assistant
416-467-7275