[antiwar-van] *Tuesday* Forum: Let Them Stay! The Case of the 490 Tamil Refugees

[Kira Koshelanyk]

*Please Forward Widely * 

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PUBLIC FORUM:



Let Them Stay! The Case of the 490 Tamil Refugees



TUESDAY August 24

7pm

Britannia Community Centre

1661 Napier St (at Commercial Dr)

Vancouver, Canada



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.



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, labelling 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.’”



==> What is behind the government of Canada’s campaign against the refugees?

==> Why were these Tamil refugees forced to leave their home in Sri Lanka?

==> How should the antiwar movement respond to the case of the 490 Tamil 

refugees?



Join us to discuss the case of the 490 Tamil refugees and the role of the 

antiwar movement in fighting for refugee and immigrant rights.



Multimedia Presentation Followed by Speakers & Discussion



Speakers:

==> Waran Vaithilingam ~ Ontario East-Canada Representative of the Transnational 

Government of Tamil Eelam

==> Aaron Mercredi ~ Organizer with the Indigenous Rights & Action Project



For poster click:

http://www.mawovancouver.org/materials/posters/100824forum.pdf



Join the Facebook Event:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=154293404584000



Read MAWO’s statement on the recent arrival of the Tamil Refugees:

http://www.mawovancouver.org/articles/statements/100816TamilRefugees.html 



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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