• Colombo urges Canada to halt construction of Tamil genocide monument, citing misinformation.

The Government of Sri Lanka has strongly rejected allegations of genocide during the final phase of its civil war and has formally protested the construction of what it calls ‘a misleading monument’ in Brampton, Canada.

In a statement issued on 14 May, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism said the genocide allegations were unsubstantiated by any credible authority, either nationally or internationally, and were based on misleading information. 

The government further stated that these narratives had been propagated primarily for electoral gains within Canada.

The ministry also highlighted that in April 2021, Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Development confirmed that the Canadian government had not made any finding of genocide in Sri Lanka. 

It further noted that Canada has designated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as a terrorist organisation since 2006, a status reaffirmed in June 2024.

The statement expressed Sri Lanka’s repeated objections to the so-called Tamil Genocide Monument at Chinguacousy Park in Brampton and called upon the federal government of Canada to intervene and prevent the Brampton City Council’s initiative from proceeding.

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath met with the Canadian High Commissioner to reiterate the country’s concerns, stating that such monuments, based on fabrications, mislead the public, undermine reconciliation efforts, and harm national unity and peace among communities.