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Hon. Jack Layton who gave us voice in Ottawa

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Thank you for contacting me about the current crisis in Sri Lanka.

This past Tuesday I spoke at the rally in Ottawa reiterating our desire for Canada to work with the international community to bring about an immediate ceasefire in Sri Lanka. In addition, I have met with the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Canada to push for a ceasefire and humanitarian help for civilians. Please see attached a copy of my statement following this meeting.

Spanning over two long decades, the New Democrats have consistently and unequivocally condemned the violent actions committed by all sides of the conflict in Sri Lanka, which have caused the loss and destruction of far too many civilian lives. In our discussions with the Sri Lankan community, we have learned that violence is escalating, human rights are being violated, and the number of deaths, political disappearances and forced evictions are growing.

New Democrats continue to repeat calls to end the war and urge the Sri Lankan government and military to resume discussions to establish peace with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Recently, I participated in a conference in North York called "Human Rights and Sri Lanka". The following is a comment by TVO.org regular contributor Daniel Kitts.

"Federal NDP Leader Jack Layton also made an appearance. While saying that "both sides (in the conflict) must bear some responsibility,"

Layton clearly won over many in the audience with his stern criticism of the way the current Canadian government has handled the Sri Lanka file and by detailing his efforts to have the civil war discussed in Parliament. The crowd was respectful and applauded all the speakers at the conference, but I think it's fair to say that Layton was the Canadian politician whose message was the most well-received." (Daniel Kitts, TVO.org, "Sri Lanka and Human Rights", April 3rd, 2009)

We were also successful in getting the Parliament of Canada to participate in an Emergency Debate on February 4th . "I am very honoured, on behalf of the New Democratic Party, to have requested and been granted this emergency debate on the humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka. I want to thank all other members who requested the same thing.

(NDP Leader Jack Layton, House of Commons, Feb. 4, 2009).

You can read the full debate speeches at:

http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/P...guage=E&Mod

e=1&Parl=40&Ses=2&DocId=3645216#OOB-2582077

In addition, New Democrat MP Peter Julian has introduced the following

motion:

M-273 - January 27, 2009 - Mr. Julian (Burnaby-New Westminster) - That, in the opinion of the House, the government should immediately use all diplomatic means to put pressure on the government of Sri Lanka and its military to respect the human rights of the civilian Tamil population,

by: (a) ceasing all violence against Tamil civilians, including any detention of civilians in military-camps, extrajudicial killings, and disappearances; (b) immediately lifting the September 2008 ban on United Nations (UN) and international humanitarian organizations from operating in the northern region of the country, in addition to ensuring that these organizations are free from government interference so they may independently supervise both parties of the conflict and respond to the humanitarian crisis; © halting all government policies and actions aimed against the Tamil minority of Sri Lanka; and (d) supporting the peace process and efforts of the UN that will invest in infrastructure, education and provide significant support for the Tamil population of Sri Lanka.

We remind our fellow Canadian politicians and parties not to use the situation in Sri Lanka as a partisan issue. The human rights and dignity of the Sri Lankans, Tamils and other minorities need to be respected and preserved. Peace must always be the goal and the New Democrats are prepared to explore options and solutions to bring about peace to Sri Lanka.

For more information on our position, please see the following links:

http://www.ndp.ca/press/ndp-calls-for-imme...re-in-sri-lanka

and

http://www.ndp.ca/press/ndp-motion-in-supp...mil-communitys-

call-for-end-to-violence-in-sri-lanka.

Again, thank you for writing to me on this crucial matter.

Sincerely,

Jack Layton, MP (Toronto-Danforth)

Leader, Canada's New Democrats

LAYTON CONVEYS CALL FOR IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE IN SRI LANKA

OTTAWA - New Democrat leader Jack Layton took the opportunity at a meeting with the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Canada to convey New Democrats' call for an immediate ceasefire in Sri Lanka.

"I call on the government of Sri Lanka to accept an immediate ceasefire," said Layton as he expressed his condolences to all those on both sides of the conflict who had lost loved ones.

"Furthermore, I asked that aid agencies and international media be given unfettered access to the conflict zone."

Layton expressed his concern regarding the camps erected by the Government of Sri Lanka and relayed the fears of Canadian Tamil families about the safety of their relatives at these camps.

"I expressed my strong rejection of the practice of internment at these camps and asked that at the very least the government of Sri Lanka open the means of communications between Canadian Tamil families and their relatives at these camps," said Layton.

The meeting had been requested by the Sri Lankan representative. Layton rejected the Sri Lankan government's assertion that a ceasefire was impossible. He reiterated the New Democrats' position that sustainable peace in the region can only be guaranteed through a peace process, starting with an immediate ceasefire to all hostilities. Layton expressed hope that meetings between high-level UN officials and Sri Lankan government may lead to a ceasefire agreement.

"New Democrats have once again articulated its strong position for an end to the conflict, this time directly to the government of Sri Lanka,"

stated Layton.

Layton spoke of the anguish in the eyes of those many Tamils with whom he had met here in Canada because they cannot communicate with their loved ones back home

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