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'Everybody knows there was no genocide in our country' - Sri Lanka’s foreign minister lashes out at Canada’s Prime Minister

09 October 2023

 

In an interview with Asian News International (ANI), Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister lashed out at Canada’s Prime Minister and claimed that “some terrorists have found safe haven in Canada”.

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Secretary, Ali Sabry, was responding to a question concerning the recent spat between India and Canada, in which Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed that India may be behind the assassination of a prominent Canadian Sikh leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India has responded by refuting the claims and expelling 41 Canadian diplomats.

The allegation of India’s involvement in the killing is based in part on the surveillance of Indian diplomats in Canada, including intelligence provided by a major ally, a Canadian official previously told The Associated Press.

Sabry defended India’s vigorous denials of involvement claiming that Trudeau has come out “with some outrageous allegations” and denied that Sri Lanka had committed a genocide against the Tamils.

"The Canadian PM has this way of just coming out with some outrageous allegations without any supporting proof," said Sabry. "The same thing they did for Sri Lanka, a terrible, total lie about saying that Sri Lanka had a genocide. Everybody knows there was no genocide in our country."

Last year Canadian parliament recognised that the crimes committed against Tamils at the end of the armed conflict amounted to genocide and renewed their call for accountability. They have been joined by a number of US officials who have also recognised the atrocities as a genocide and emphasised the need to heed the voices of victim communities.

According to the International Truth and Justice Project, the number killed during the final months of the armed conflict could be as high as 169,796.

 

Related Articles: 
22 May 2023 : Canadian Parliamentarians recognise Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day
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