[TamilNet, Friday, 19 April 2013, 11:24 GMT]The biannual national convention of the New Democratic Party held in
Montreal, Canada from April 12-14 passed a resolution recognizing
Jaswant Singh Khalra, a Sikh activist who was allegedly abducted and
killed by the police in the Indian state of Punjab in 1995, as a human
rights defender. However, a resolution submitted from Scarborough-Rouge
River calling for, among others, an independent, international and
impartial mechanism in Sri Lanka to ensure justice for the Tamils and a
UN conducted referendum to determine their political future, failed to
make it to the tables of the convention. While Tamil activists who
attended the convention argue that the resolution could have been passed
had it been pushed by the Tamil NDP MP from Scarborough-Rouge River, Ms
Sitsabaiesan, a NDP source claims that the resolution was brought in
late but the MP made sure that it was in the policy book.
The resolution on Mr Jaswant Singh Khalra, the Sikh human rights
activist, was strongly pushed for by the NDP MPP for
Bramalea-Gore-Malton Mr Jagmeet Singh at the convention, and was passed
with overwhelming support.
However, the resolution on Sri Lanka,
which included calls for the recognition of the right to
self-determination of the Tamils and a UN monitored referendum, was not
taken up as it was not pushed as a prioritized one by Ms Rathika
Sitsabaiesan, the MP representing Scarborough-Rouge River and as a
result, it was not tabled at the national convention, said a community
activist from the Tamil Worker’s Alliance (TWA) from that constituency
who participated in the convention.
The resolution on Sri Lanka,
which was passed in the Scarborough-Rouge River riding, through a
democratic process on February 28, was mentioned in a NDP booklet of
regular resolutions from ridings across the country and was sent to the
organizers of the convention well in advance and was submitted as an
emergency resolution, the activist from TWA further said.
While
there were other resolutions too that were not tabled, grassroots
activists from Scarborough claim that given the gravity of the situation
facing the Eezham Tamils both in the homeland and in the international
scenario, and given the history of NDP’s position on the Tamil question,
the resolution on Sri Lanka could have been tabled at the national
convention.
However, a NDP source speaking to TamilNet said that
the resolution was brought to the convention late but Ms Sitsabaiesan
made sure that it was in the policy book. Adding that Ms Sitsabaiesan
worked in the background very strongly to make sure that issues on Sri
Lanka are addressed both in the party and the parliament, he further
said that Ms Sitsabaiesan also supported the Sikh resolution because she
is building solidarity with the Sikh community so that the two
communities can work closely and be stronger allies.
An official
response to TamilNet from Ms Sitsabaiesan’s office said “NDP
conventions have passed resolutions, giving our Leader and Caucus the
mandate to fight for Tamil rights. That's what we're doing and we're
very proud of our Leader and Caucus taking the strongest and most
principled positions toward Sri Lanka. At this convention we also saw
Neethan Shan, a Tamil activist and friend, elected to represent Ontario
at Federal Council.”
“Thanks to Rathika, Canada's Official
Opposition has taken the strongest, most principled stance on Sri Lanka
in support of Tamil rights. New Democrats have been standing up in the
House of Commons to demand that Conservatives refuse to send any
delegation to the Commonwealth meeting in Sri Lanka. The Conservatives
have refused. Rathika and Tom Mulcair will continue to increase the
pressure on Conservatives on this.”
Full text of the resolution passed at the Scarborough-Rouge River riding submitted to the NDP National Convention follows:
Resolution on Human Rights in Sri Lanka
Submitted by Scarborough-Rouge River
WHEREAS
the NDP has consistently supported the Tamil community’s call for
justice, fairness, and human rights while being a strong voice for peace
on the global stage; and
WHEREAS Noting while Tamil homes,
schools, hospitals, and places of worship remain destroyed by the war in
our home land, the Government of Sri Lanka is building symbols of
Sinhala hegemony in the occupied lands to destroy any evidence of Tamil
existence,
BE IT RESOLVED that New Democrats again reiterate the
call on the United Nations to immediately establish an independent,
international and impartial mechanism to ensure truth, accountability,
and justice in Sri Lanka; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that New
Democrats call on the government of Canada to state unconditionally, and
without reservation that it will not be participating in the 2013
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting to be held in Sri Lanka; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that New Democrats call the United Nations to recognize the Tamils’ right to Self-Determination; and
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that United Nations to conduct a referendum among
the Tamils originally from North and East of Sri Lanka to decide their
political future.
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