Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath yesterday (14) told Canadian High Commissioner in Colombo Eric Walsh that there was no basis of allegations of genocide perpetrated by Sri Lanka.

Minister reiterated that the government strongly rejected, what he called, unfounded genocide allegations and protested the construction of a genocide monument in Canada.

The following is the text of the Foreign Ministry statement issued yesterday: “The Government of Sri Lanka maintains that the allegation of genocide during the final phase of the conflict in Sri Lanka is unsubstantiated by any credible authority, either nationally or internationally, and is based on misleading information. Sri Lanka firmly rejects this false narrative and believes it has been propagated primarily for electoral gains within Canada.

It is worth highlighting that in April 2021, the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Development of Canada officially confirmed that the Government of Canada has not made any finding of genocide in Sri Lanka. Additionally, Canada designated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as a terrorist organisation in 2006 and reaffirmed this designation in June 2024.

The Government of Sri Lanka has repeatedly expressed its strong objections to the construction of a so-called Tamil Genocide Monument at Chinguacousy Park in Brampton, Canada. It has consistently urged the Federal Government of Canada to intervene and prevent this regrettable initiative by the Brampton City Council.

Sri Lanka views this development as offensive to the broader Sri Lankan and Canadian communities. It strongly believes that the propagation of such unfounded allegations and the construction of monuments based on fabrications not only mislead the public but also hinder Sri Lanka’s genuine efforts toward reconciliation, national unity, and lasting peace among all communities.

In this regard, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath met with the Canadian High Commissioner today to reiterate the Government of Sri Lanka’s strong objections regarding the unfounded genocide allegations and the approval of constructing such a monument, which complicates and undermines the government’s efforts toward reconciliation and national unity.’