News
Dr. Hewage’s claims regarding Canadian court ruling on ‘Tamil genocide’ denied
Appropos front-page news item ‘Bid to include genocide allegation against Sri Lanka in Canada’s school curriculum thwarted’ in the March 31, 2025, edition of The Island, Viresh Fernando, CA, CPA, Barrister and Solicitor, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, has sent us the following statement:
In 2021, the Provincial Legislature of Ontario passed a Bill, titled Tamil Genocide Education Week Act. The legislation, popularly known as “Bill 104,” simply assumes that the Tamil people of Sri Lanka were subject to genocide. No evidence was provided or discussed during legislative debate.
The Government of Canada has repeatedly stated that it has no evidence of alleged “Tamil Genocide”
A very small group of relatively uneducated Sinhala Canadians reportedly paid as much as $350,000 (dollars three lakhs fifty thousand) to two white, Canadian, incompetent, and ignorant lawyers to challenge the validity of the legislation. These two incompetent and ignorant lawyers used both the wrong method of legislation nullification and the wrong legal premise.
After a two-day hearing, as most Canadian legal experts expected, a judge of the Superior Court of Justice rejected the challenge of the Sinhala Canadians on constitutional grounds. The substantive evidentiary issue was never dealt with. I personally agree with the judge’s constitutional and legal basis for rejecting the Sinhala Canadian challenge, though I vehemently disagree with the false premise of Bill 104. This is a stark example that bad cases lead to bad law.
The small group of Sinhala Canadians Applicants who did not know any better, asked their two incompetent and ignorant lawyers to launch an appeal to the Court of Appeal for Ontario. After an approximately five-hour hearing, the Court of Appeal clearly open to overturning the legislation, posed a final question. The two incompetent lawyers, who represented the Sinhala Canadians, did not understand the critical meaning of the Court of Appeal justice’s question and therefore did not respond. That was a monumental legal error.
The three-member panel of very senior justices were clearly puzzled by the lack of response from the lawyers for the Sinhala Canadians. The Court of Appeal was not given the legal grounds or the factual basis to overturn the lower court verdict. Therefore, the Court of Appeal for Ontario did the only thing they could do which was to dismiss the appeal. A lone Sinhala Canadian sought leave (permission) from the Supreme Court of Canada to appeal. The Supreme Court of Canada declined to grant leave.
Contrary to the news article in The Island newspaper, the Supreme Court of Canada did not make a finding that there was no “Tamil genocide”. This is an absolutely wrong assertion by this particular newspaper.”
The Island: The story was entirely based on Dr. Neville Hewage’s response to the queries posed to him. We sought Dr. Hewage’s response as he moved the Canadian court in this regard.
During an operation conducted in the dark hours of 11 Mar 26, the Sri Lanka Navy seized an Indian fishing boat and apprehended 02 Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, in the sea area North of Mannar.
The North Central Naval Command spotted a group of Indian fishing boats engaging in illegal fishing, trespassing into Sri Lankan waters. In response, naval craft of the North Central Naval Command were deployed to drive away those Indian fishing boats from island waters off Mannar.
The seized boat (01) and Indian fishermen (02) were handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Kilinochchi for onward legal proceedings.
The bodies of 84 Iranian sailors killed in a torpedo attack by a US submarine last week in the Indian Ocean are due to be flown home on Friday, Sri Lanka’s defence ministry has said.
The seamen were among 130 thought to be aboard the Iranian warship, the Iris Dena, when it was sunk on 4 March about 40km (25 miles) from Sri Lanka’s southern coastline.
A police escort transferred bodies to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport on Friday morning for the repatriation to Iran, after they were stored in two freezers at Galle National Hospital.
Sri Lanka said 32 sailors rescued by its navy after the torpedo attack “will remain in Sri Lanka”, according to news agency AFP.
A magistrate in the Sri Lankan city of Galle ordered that the 84 bodies should be released to the Iranian embassy.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said shortly after the sinking that the Iranian warship had died a “quiet death”.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the US had “perpetrated an atrocity at sea, 2,000 miles away from Iran’s shores”, adding that “the US will come to bitterly regret precedent it has set”.
Video released by the US Department of Defense after the incident showed a ship being struck, causing the stern to rise up before exploding.
The Iris Dena had been returning from a military exercise hosted by India when it was attacked.
Its sinking in international waters came during the current US-Israeli war with Iran and marked a dramatic widening of the conflict.
Iran has since launched retaliatory strikes across the Middle East – targeting Gulf countries allied with the US.
Latest News
Safeguarding linguistic heritage is not only a cultural responsibility, but also a shared commitment to preserving the diversity of our world – PM
Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated as the Chief Guest in the special event organized to commemorate International Mother Languages Day 2026 on 13 March 2026 at the New Arts Theatre of the University of Colombo. The event was held under the theme ’Languages Unite: Diverse Voices, Shared Humanity’.
The event was jointly organized by the High Commission of Bangladesh and the Ministry of Education of Sri Lanka with the support of the United Nations, the Sri Lanka Scout Association, and the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association.
Certificates and awards were presented to school winners of the painting, essay, and short video creation competitions organized in conjunction with the celebration of International Mother Language Day 2026.
Addressing the occasion, the Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated:
“International Mother Language Day stands as a powerful reminder of the profound connection between language, identity, and dignity.
This global observance owes its origins to the visionary initiative of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s advocacy transformed a national commemoration into a global movement one that celebrates the rich mosaic of humanity’s linguistic heritage.
Sri Lanka’s language diversity reflects the richness of our pluralistic heritage. This diversity should not be seen as a challenge to be managed, but as a strength to be valued and cherished.
When we protect language rights, we nurture social harmony. When we promote multilingual education, we empower future generations. And when we listen to one another in our own languages, we affirm each other’s humanity. At a time when divisions can easily take root, respect for linguistic diversity can instead serve as a bridge of empathy and cooperation.
In an increasingly digital age, we must also reflect on the importance of preserving linguistic diversity in cyberspace. Thousands of languages around the world remain vulnerable. Without conscious efforts in education, technology, and policy, many risk fading into silence. Safeguarding linguistic heritage is therefore not only a cultural responsibility, but also a shared commitment to preserving the diversity of our world”.
The Prime Minister remarked that the partnership between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh continues to grow in friendship and cooperation with the shared commitment to multilateralism, cultural understanding, and people-to-people engagement strengthens the bonds between the two nations.
The event was attended by the Bangladesh High Commissioner, Andalib Elias, Deputy Speaker Dr. Rizvie Salih, Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri, FAO Country Representative for Sri Lanka and Maldives Vimlendra Sharan, Chief Commissioner of the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association Dr. Kushantha Herath, diplomatic crops, members of the Sri Lanka Scout Association, and the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association and students.
[Prime Minister’s media division]
Navy seizes an Indian fishing boat poaching in Mannar seas
Bodies of 84 Iranian sailors killed in US torpedo strike to be repatriated
Four crew members killed after US refuelling plane crashes in Iraq
Safeguarding linguistic heritage is not only a cultural responsibility, but also a shared commitment to preserving the diversity of our world – PM
This is not an ordinary scholarship programme. It defines the future vision of our country – PM
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