Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, remembered the “victims of the horrific events” of Black July, which took the lives of thousands of Tamils 38 years ago.
“In July 1983, longstanding tensions and unrest culminated in anti-Tamil pogroms in Colombo and across Sri Lanka, plunging the country into a 26-year-long armed conflict. The conflict killed tens of thousands of people, forced many into exile, and left lasting wounds in communities across the country,” Trudeau said in a statement.
“In the months following Black July, and thanks in large part to the advocacy of Tamil Canadians, the Government of Canada introduced a Special Measures program, which helped more than 1,800 Tamils resettle in Canada and safely rebuild their lives here,” he added.
Although the armed conflict ended in 2009, Trudeau highlighted the need for a “meaningful accountability process that has the trust and confidence of all victims.”
See the full text of his statement here.
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