Toronto, ON >> Headlines >> World >> Thousands of Tamil expats form human chain in Toronto over violence in Sri Lanka
Thousands of Tamil expats form human chain in Toronto over violence in Sri Lanka
Leanne Davis, THE CANADIAN PRESS 2009-01-30 16:42:00
TORONTO - Thousands of members of Toronto's Tamil community formed a human chain through a large swath of downtown Friday to protest a Sri Lankan government offensive aimed at crushing the separatist Tamil Tigers in their homeland.
The protesters gathered along several kilometres of slushy sidewalks in the downtown core, chanting slogans such as "We want peace" and "Help us, Canada."
Toronto police said it was difficult to gauge just how many people are involved in the peaceful protest because they lined several streets, but put the number in the thousands. Many more continued to arrive throughout the day.
Protesters said that in recent days, more than 800 Tamil civilians have been killed in the offensive in Sri Lanka, while government officials say the number is closer to 300.
"We're out here to tell Canada to take a stance with us," said University of Toronto student Shya Theba.
"The last I heard from any of my family members was one month ago when they called for two minutes. They were telling us they didn't have any money to buy food, and if we send money there's no way it will reach them.
"They're pretty much stranded."
Eleven-year-old Kajena Ravindra was at the protest with her entire family.
"I have to see the prime minister and I have to talk to him about this," she said, her mother looking on in tears.
"The government needs to take action. There are bombs falling on little children. They want food but they cannot afford it."
Toronto is home to approximately 250,000 Tamils, one of the largest populations outside Sri Lanka, and a number of protests have been staged in recent days.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam - declared a terrorist organization by the U.S. in 1997 and by Canada in 2006 - have been fighting for a separate homeland for ethnic Tamils in northern Sri Lanka since 1983.
The rebels were ousted from all major towns after heavy battles in recent months and are now cornered in a 300-square-kilometre area of jungle and villages in the northeast.
Human rights groups accuse the rebels of holding the civilians hostage and the military of launching heavy attacks in civilian-filled areas, including a government-declared safe zone.
However exact details are not possible to verify because the government has barred most journalists and aid workers from the war zone.
The protesters gathered along several kilometres of slushy sidewalks in the downtown core, chanting slogans such as "We want peace" and "Help us, Canada."
Toronto police said it was difficult to gauge just how many people are involved in the peaceful protest because they lined several streets, but put the number in the thousands. Many more continued to arrive throughout the day.
Protesters said that in recent days, more than 800 Tamil civilians have been killed in the offensive in Sri Lanka, while government officials say the number is closer to 300.
"We're out here to tell Canada to take a stance with us," said University of Toronto student Shya Theba.
"The last I heard from any of my family members was one month ago when they called for two minutes. They were telling us they didn't have any money to buy food, and if we send money there's no way it will reach them.
"They're pretty much stranded."
Eleven-year-old Kajena Ravindra was at the protest with her entire family.
"I have to see the prime minister and I have to talk to him about this," she said, her mother looking on in tears.
"The government needs to take action. There are bombs falling on little children. They want food but they cannot afford it."
Toronto is home to approximately 250,000 Tamils, one of the largest populations outside Sri Lanka, and a number of protests have been staged in recent days.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam - declared a terrorist organization by the U.S. in 1997 and by Canada in 2006 - have been fighting for a separate homeland for ethnic Tamils in northern Sri Lanka since 1983.
The rebels were ousted from all major towns after heavy battles in recent months and are now cornered in a 300-square-kilometre area of jungle and villages in the northeast.
Human rights groups accuse the rebels of holding the civilians hostage and the military of launching heavy attacks in civilian-filled areas, including a government-declared safe zone.
However exact details are not possible to verify because the government has barred most journalists and aid workers from the war zone.
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