Canada pressures Lanka for political solution

Toronto: A top Indo-Canadian leader in the Canadian government has urged Sri Lanka to work for a political solution to the Tamil problem.

Deepak Obhrai, who is parliamentary secretary to the Canadian foreign affairs minister, said in the nation's parliament on Thursday that a long-term political solution is the only way out of the ongoing crisis in Sri Lanka.

Echoing the views of his minister (Lawrence Cannon) who spoke on the issue in the House on Wednesday, Obhrai said, “Canada is deeply concerned by the civilian casualties caused by continued fighting between government forces and the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka.”

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He said, “We call on all parties to this conflict to end the violence, to allow full, safe and unhindered access for humanitarian workers, and to ensure the safe and voluntary movement of civilians from combat zones.''

Obhrai said the Canadian government wants the Sri Lanka government to “start building confidence measures to ensure Tamil aspirations are met through peaceful engagement and inclusion within the democratic process”.

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He said the root causes of this conflict must be addressed to usher in peace.

Canada would call upon all the parties - Sinhalese, Tamils, and others - to work for “a peaceful and prosperous Sri Lanka”, Obhrai added.

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