(September 23, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardain) The Candian High Commission in Colombo has rejected temporary resident visa to Canada for Dr Wickramabahu Karunarathne, President, Left Front and General Secretary, New Sama Samaja party claiming that he is a member of the LTTE.
Dr. Karunarathne has responded back to the High Commission.
Earlier the High Commission in a letter to Dr. Karunarathne informed him the visa had been rejected.
”It has been report that you have publicly participated in LTTE activities by personally and knowingly attending and speaking at pro-LTTE events such as Pongu Thamil in Madrid and London. In addition, you have publicly announced your support for B.Nadesan (LTTE police chief). As a prominent member of a political party that has historically and consistently shown support for the LTTE we can conclude that your actions constitute membership in the LTTE”, the letter from the Canadian High Commission said.
“As a result of your membership in this organisation you are inadmissible to Canada pursuant to section 34 of the Act and therefore I am refusing your application”, the letter signed by the First Secretary Immigration, C. Mckinney said..
Dr. Karunarathne in his letter said :
“Thank you for your letter dated 16 Sep 2008, which I found quite amusing.
Firstly, let me correct some absolute untruths included in your letter. I have never been to Spain; and I could not attend Pongu Thamil meeting in London as I got the British visa after the event.
Secondly, our party is a socialist party that believes in mass actions while the LTTE is a Tamil nationalist bourgeois party that uses the method of terror in the course of the struggle. If you have an iota of knowledge in political science you will see that I could not be a leader of the New Sama Samaja party and also be a member of the LTTE. Of course we have defended the right of self determination of the Tamil people and the autonomy for the Tamil home land since 1974. In spite of that, the LTTE has used terror against our party members. Disregarding that, in common demonstrations that demands human rights for Tamils we have participated with LTTE supporters. How ever in all such meetings we have stood for voluntary unity of Sinhala and Tamil nationalities.
Thirdly, if you have such credible evidence of my self being a member of the LTTE, I am sure you would have shared that knowledge with the Mahinda regime. It is strange that the government has taken no action what so ever. Your ludicrous claim is not taken seriously even by this chauvinist war mongering government.
Finally if you have any sense of democracy left, please let me know whether I have the right to appeal against your irresponsible and dangerous conclusions. - Sri Lanka Guardian
Dr. Karunarathne has responded back to the High Commission.
Earlier the High Commission in a letter to Dr. Karunarathne informed him the visa had been rejected.
”It has been report that you have publicly participated in LTTE activities by personally and knowingly attending and speaking at pro-LTTE events such as Pongu Thamil in Madrid and London. In addition, you have publicly announced your support for B.Nadesan (LTTE police chief). As a prominent member of a political party that has historically and consistently shown support for the LTTE we can conclude that your actions constitute membership in the LTTE”, the letter from the Canadian High Commission said.
“As a result of your membership in this organisation you are inadmissible to Canada pursuant to section 34 of the Act and therefore I am refusing your application”, the letter signed by the First Secretary Immigration, C. Mckinney said..
Dr. Karunarathne in his letter said :
“Thank you for your letter dated 16 Sep 2008, which I found quite amusing.
Firstly, let me correct some absolute untruths included in your letter. I have never been to Spain; and I could not attend Pongu Thamil meeting in London as I got the British visa after the event.
Secondly, our party is a socialist party that believes in mass actions while the LTTE is a Tamil nationalist bourgeois party that uses the method of terror in the course of the struggle. If you have an iota of knowledge in political science you will see that I could not be a leader of the New Sama Samaja party and also be a member of the LTTE. Of course we have defended the right of self determination of the Tamil people and the autonomy for the Tamil home land since 1974. In spite of that, the LTTE has used terror against our party members. Disregarding that, in common demonstrations that demands human rights for Tamils we have participated with LTTE supporters. How ever in all such meetings we have stood for voluntary unity of Sinhala and Tamil nationalities.
Thirdly, if you have such credible evidence of my self being a member of the LTTE, I am sure you would have shared that knowledge with the Mahinda regime. It is strange that the government has taken no action what so ever. Your ludicrous claim is not taken seriously even by this chauvinist war mongering government.
Finally if you have any sense of democracy left, please let me know whether I have the right to appeal against your irresponsible and dangerous conclusions. - Sri Lanka Guardian
