[antiwar-van] *Saturday* MAWO Rally cancelled to support Tamil Refugee Rally

[Kira Koshelanyk]

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* Please Forward Widely *





*** Mobilization Against War & Occupation (MAWO) Antiwar
Rally & Petition Campaign cancelled to support Tamil Refugee Rally ***





Mobilization Against War & Occupation (MAWO) is
cancelling our monthly antiwar rally and petition campaign on Saturday August 21st,
in order to join and support the national day of action to demand asylum for
the 490 Tamil Refugees. MAWO is encouraging all social justice and peace loving
people to join this rally and demand in unity: 





Stop Jailing and Deporting Refugees!

Let the Tamil Refugees Stay!

Grant the Tamil Refugees Asylum Immediately and
Unconditionally!

End the Racist Immigration and Refugee Policies!





RALLY IN SUPPORT OF TAMIL REFUGEES:

Saturday August 21

3:30pm

Vancouver Art
 Gallery

Robson St
at Howe St





Rally organized by No One Is Illegal

Endorsed by Mobilization Against War & Occupation (MAWO)





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MAWO STATEMENT ON RECENT ARRIVAL OF TAMIL REFUGEES 





August 16, 2010




On August 14, 2010, 490
Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka
arrived in BC’s waters aboard the MV Sun Sea. These refugees are fleeing war
torn Sri Lanka,
where in 2009 the government of Sri Lanka
launched a war against the Tamil people who were fighting for their
self-determination. These 490 Tamil refugees are part of hundreds of thousands
of Tamils who were persecuted and detained by the government of Sri
  Lanka. Upon their arrival, they were met by
Canadian military, RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency personnel and taken
to jails while they await their immigration hearings. “Families are now being
separated, with many children being taken by the Ministry of Child and Family
Development. The refugees now face the threat of incarceration and eventual
deportation,” according to a statement by No One is Illegal in Vancouver.




The government of Canada
has made it clear that the doors will be closed to these Tamil refugees. Before
the MV Sun Sea had even neared BC’s coast, the Canadian and BC governments had
already begun a negative and deceptive campaign against the refugees, labeling
the asylum seekers as ‘terrorists’ and ‘human traffickers’. On Thursday August
12th, Minister of Public Safety Vic Toews said, “Human smugglers and human
traffickers are now watching Canada’s
response to judge whether or not they can continue to take advantage of us… We
will send a message loud and clear to other criminals: ‘if you do this, then
you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.’” 



This statement and other similar statements by the government of Canada
and BC are part of the racist fear mongering against the Tamil people. We must
not let this negative and deceptive campaign divide poor and working people, or
isolate the Tamil community – this is not just a Tamil issue, but one of human
rights and dignity, that all peace loving people must unite around. In this
crucial time of attacks against refugees in general and Tamil refugees in particular,
unity is essential. 



The refugee and immigration problem today is created by imperialist countries
like Canada on
two fundamental basis. Firstly, the effect and impact of colonial and
imperialist policies on third world countries, such as the destruction of their
economy and domestic agriculture, and crisis of market dysfuctionality, as well
as the creation of political crises in these countries, has created hundreds of
millions of refugees and immigrants around the world. Secondly, the racist and inhuman
immigration policies of imperialist countries have brought this immigration and
refugee problem to its state of tragic crisis for immigrants and refugees.
Tamil people are suffering from imperialist exploitation, as well as being
victims of the Sri Lankan government’s war against them – a war which was the
result of divisions imposed by the legacy of colonialism in Sri Lanka, and
supported by imperialist countries, like Canada, the US and Britain who
declared The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to be a terrorist organization.
We as human and peace loving people must support the Tamil people’s human and
democratic rights to self-determination. People in Canada
and the US must
demand that the doors be opened unconditionally to all Tamil refugees. 



Join Mobilization Against War & Occupation (MAWO) in supporting No One is
Illegal’s National Day of Action in support of the Tamil refugees, by attending
as well as promoting these actions. MAWO will actively promote the actions
though announcements to our lists of thousands of our supporters, and by
distribution of posters and leaflets. For further information go to:
www.nooneisillegal.org 



Stop Jailing and Deporting Refugees! 

Let the Tamil Refugees Stay! 

Grant the Tamil Refugees Asylum 

Immediately and Unconditionally! 

End the Racist Immigration and 

Refugee Policies! 




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MAWO ~ Mobilization Against War & Occupation

http://WWW.MAWOVANCOUVER.ORG

info at mawovancouver.org

P 604.322.1764 || F 604.322.1763