The head of the Canadian NDP Party has said MP Rathika Sitsabaiesan was “right to be concerned” after she reported facing political intimidation on a private visit to her place of birth, in the the North-East of Sri Lanka.
Responding to accusations by Canada’s Sri Lankan High Commissioner that Sitsabaiesan had tried to embarrass Sri Lanka, NDP leader Tom Mulcair defended the Tamil Canadian MP, adding that Sri Lanka's
"human rights record continues to cause significant concern around the world".
Sitsabaiesan’s visit at the end of last year saw concern for her safety after media reports emerged of the MP being placed under a house arrest. She had recently met with Tamil politicians and visited an orphanage in the North-East. After statements of concern were released by Canadian politicians who confirmed no arrest warrant was issued, Sitsabaiesan safely returned from the island, where she spoke of facing political intimidation and interrogations during her visit.
See our earlier post:
‘I was subject to political intimidation’ - Rathika Sitsabaiesan (02 January 2014)
I was followed and interrogated, says Canadian MP (16 January 2014)
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
