Fredericton Peace Coalition

On Saturday August 21st, close to 250 people gathered at the Vancouver Art Gallery on Coast Salish Territories as part of a National Day of Action to demand the release of detained Tamil asylum seekers and an end to racist and restrictive refugee policies.

Vancouver Media Co-op on today’s picket against Israeli ships in Vancouver.

Elders weep during a ceremony held last spring, after women from the community testified that they were gang raped by a Canadian-owned mine’s security guards in January 2007. Photo: Nathan Einbinder.

“Hell on earth is the only way one can describe the situation in the flood affected areas of Pakistan. People are going hungry, children are being hit by disease, poor pregnant women are lying in the open air under the rain. In these conditions the comrades of the PTUDC are doing what they can with the meagre resources at hand to provide some relief. Please help these comrades with whatever you can!”

The Canadian Peace Alliance, Canada’s largest peace network, urges the government of Canada to respect the human rights of the Tamil refugees arriving in British Colombia. The Tamil people have already endured decades of repression at the hands of the Sri Lankan government, culminating in a war in 2009 which resulted in thousands of civilian deaths and the illegal use of detention camps for the Tamil minority. The Harper government failed to strongly condemn this ethnic cleansing. Canada must not further contribute to these ongoing abuses of human rights in Sri Lanka by denying sanctuary to these refugees.

Harsha Wali: Instead of relying on sensationalism, let us ask: On what basis are the Tamil migrants being declared terrorists? Is it even logical that well-financed and often state-backed terrorists or traffickers would suffer in a three-month long, arduous journey risking death? Even if we believe that women and children were forced onto this boat, how do we justify jailing them as a humane response?

“They call it the Siege of Fort Battleford, one of the best-known events of the Northwest Rebellion, and Parks Canada will re-enact it again this weekend from the point of view of the terrified settlers within the fort’s palisades.

But this year, the rebellion’s 125th anniversary, at least one aboriginal historian has had enough.

Tyrone Tootoosis points out there was no siege, just hungry and desperate people come to ask for help, and he’s tired of Parks Canada posters that present the encounter as an armed struggle.”

Approximately 200-500 Tamils have risked their lives in an extremely long and dangerous journey looking for a place where they can live in safety. We say: LET THEM STAY! No One is Illegal calls on all allies, fighters, trouble makers and social justice activists to organize and fight the racist and anti-immigrant sentiments and policies of the Canadian government and society. Stay tuned for more information on how to support. For now, take a minute to post the image above as your facebook profile pic, or print it and display it on your window, office, school.

Edward Said:
Nothing in my view is more reprehensible than those habits of mind in the intellectual that induce avoidance, that characteristic turning away from a difficult and principled position which you know to be the right one, but which you decide not to take. You do not want to appear too political; you are afraid of seeming controversial; you want to keep a reputation for being balanced, objective, moderate; your hope is to be asked back, to consult, to be on a board or prestigious committee, and so to remain within the responsible mainstream; someday you hope to get an honorary degree, a big prize, perhaps even an ambassadorship.