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War crimes: Canada’s Conservative Party leader vows to ‘lead the world’ in seeking prosecutions against Sri Lankans
Canada’s Conservative Party leader, too, joins the bandwagon bashing Sri Lanka on war crimes allegations.
Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Pierre Poilievre, has declared that he would “lead the world in seeking prosecutions in international courts” against Sri Lankan officials accused of war crimes if elected as Canada’s next Prime Minister, the Tamil Guardian reported on Monday (27).
Speaking at the ‘Harvest of Hope’ event in Toronto recently, marking Thai Pongal and Tamil Heritage Month, Poilievre said: “It will be Conservative Prime Minister Pierre Poilievre who will lead the world in seeking prosecutions in international courts of the Rajapaksas and other criminals who have persecuted the Tamil people.”
His comments follow Justin Trudeau’s decision to resign as the country’s Prime Minister after a decade in office.
Poilievre also highlighted that in 2013, former Prime Minister Stephen Harper boycotted the Commonwealth summit that was taking place in Colombo “to isolate and punish the oppressive regime in Sri Lanka for the genocide it was carrying out against the Tamil people.”
In his speech, Poilievre also recognised the contributions made by Tamils across Canada.
“The harvest is a celebration of the fruits of our labour and that symbolises everything that is great about the Tamil people who are known for relentless hard work in industry, entrepreneurship [and] building things,” Poilievre said.
This is not the first time the party leader has pledged to push for justice and accountability for Tamils.
Last year, Poilievre told Tamil news outlets that he would expand on sanctions and pursue accountability in the international fora, specifically at the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice.”
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.
Latest News
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
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