Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Minister Beverly J Oda in Srilanka.

OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwire) -- 05/03/09 -- The Honourable Beverley J. Oda, Minister of International Cooperation, will make an official trip to Sri Lanka on Monday, May 4, 2009. Minister Oda will be available to take questions from journalists during a moderated conference call (call-back).

What: Moderated conference call

Date: Monday May 4, 2009

Time: 10:30 am

For conference call information, please contact CIDA media relations at (819) 953-6534.

Contacts:
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
Media Relations Office
819-953-6534
media@acdi-cida.gc.ca




கனடா விடுத்த போர் நிறுத்தக் கோரிக்கையும் நிராகரிப்பு!

தாம் வகுத்த திட்டப்படி செயற்படவே அரசாங்கம் விரும்புகிறது:
கொழும்பு வந்து திரும்பிய பெவ் ஒடா.
செவ்வாய்க்கிழமை, 05 மே 2009,

இலங்கையின் வடக்கே, முல்லைத்தீவில் போர்ப் பிரதேசத்தில் சிக்குண்டுள்ள ஐம்பதினாயிரத்துக்கும் அதிகமான மக்கள், பாதுகாப்பான பகுதிக்குள் செல்வதற்கு வசதியாக போர் நிறுத்தம் ஒன்றை நடைமுறைப்படுத்துமாறு கனேடிய அரசாங்கம் விடுத்த கோரிக்கையையும் கொழும்பு அரசு நிராகரித்துவிட்டது.
இலங்கை அரச தரப்பினர் போர் நிறுத்தத்தின் அவசியம் குறித்து சொன்னவற்றை வெகு அடக்கமாகக் கேட்டனர். ஆனால் அது தொடர்பாக கருத்துக் கூற மறுத்துவிட்டனர்.
இப்போது தான் இவ்விடயத்தில் பெரும் விவகாரமே தோன்றியுள்ளதாக நான் கருதுகிறேன். அவர்கள் தாம் வகுத்த திட்டத்தை விட்டுக்கொடுக்காமல் அதன் பிரகாரம் செயற்படவே விரும்புகின்றனர் என்பதனை உணரமுடிந்தது
நேற்றுக் கொழும்பு சென்று திரும்பிய சர்வதேச அபிவிருத்தி அமைச்சர் பெவ் ஒடா இவ்வாறு தெரிவித்தார்.கனேடிய சர்வதேச அபிவிருத்தி அமைச்சர் பெவ் ஒடா அம்மையார் நேற்று ஒரு நாள் விஜயமாக கொழும்பு சென்றிருந்தார்.
அவர் இலங்கை ஜனாதிபதி மஹிந்த ராஜபக்ஷ, வெளிவிவகார அமைச்சர் ரோகித பொகெல்லாகம ஆகியோரைச் சந்தித்து கலந்துரையாடினார்.பேச்சுக்களை முடித்துக் கொண்டு திரும்பிய அமைச்சர் ஒட்டாவாவில் செய்தியாளர்களுடன் நடத்திய சந்திப்பின் போது தெரிவித்தவை வருமாறு:
மோதல் பிரதேசத்தில் சிக்கியுள்ள 50 ஆயிரம் பொதுமக்கள் பாதுகாப்பான இடத்துக்கு வருவதற்கும் தொண்டு நிறுவனங்களின் பணியாளர்கள் அங்கு சென்று சேவையாற்றுவதற்கும் வசதியாக போர் நிறுத்தம் கொண்டு வர வேண்டியதன் அவசியத்தை அந் நாட்டு அரச தலைவர்களிடம் வலியுறுத்தினேன்.
நான் கூறியவற்றை அவர்கள் மிக அடக்கமாக கேட்டனர். ஆனால் போர் நிறுத்தம் குறித்து கருத்து எதனையும் அவர்கள் வெளிப்படுத்த விரும்பவில்லை என்பதை உணர்ந்தேன்.
இலங்கையின் பிரச்சினைக்கு இராணுவ நடவடிக்கை மூலம் தீர்வுகாண முடியாது என்றே நாம் நம்புகிறோம். இலங்கையில் உள்ள தமிழ் மக்கள் உட்பட சகல சமூக மக்களுக்கும் அரசியல் தீர்வு மூலமாக எட்டப்படும் முடிவின் மூலமே நிலைமை சீராகும் என்று இலங்கைத் தலைவர்களிடம் எடுத்துக் கூறினேன்.
பொதுமக்களும் யுத்தத்தால் பாதிக்கப்பட்டவர்களும் பாதுகாப்பான பகுதிக்கு வருவதற்கு வழி வகுக்கும் வகையில் மோதல்களில் ஈடுபட்டுள்ள தரப்பினர் யுத்த நிறுத்தத்துக்குச் செல்லுமாறு கோரியுள்ளோம் என்றும் அவர் தெரிவித்தார்.
இதேவேளை இலங்கை வெளிவிவகார அமைச்சருடன் நடந்த பேச்சின் போது கனடாவில் விடுதலைப்புலிகளுக்கு ஆதரவான பிரச்சாரங்கள் முன்னெடுக்கப்படுவது குறித்து கேள்வி எழுப்பப்பட்டது.
அதற்குப் பதில் அளித்த அமைச்சர் பெவ் ஒடா கூறியதாவது.
2006ஆம் ஆண்டிலேயே விடுதலைப் புலிகள் இயக்கத்தை கனடிய அரசாங்கம் தடை செய்திருந்தது.
கனடாவில் பெரும் எண்ணிக்கையிலான தமிழ் மக்கள் வாழ்கின்றனர். அவர்களில் பெரும்பாலானோர் சிறந்த குடிமக்களாவர். அவர்கள் தாயகத்திலுள்ள தமது சொந்தங்களுடன் நெருங்கிய தொடர்புகளைப் பேணிவருவதை நாம் அறிந்து வைத்துள்ளோம்.
எனினும் ஒருசில விரும்பத்தகாத சக்திகள் மேற்கொண்டு வருகின்ற நடவடிக்கை தொடர்பாக இனங்கண்டு கொண்டுள்ளோம். அத்தகைய தரப்பினரின் செயற்பாடுகளை கனடா சகித்துக் கொள்ளமாட்டாது என்றார்.




Canada gives $3 million in aid to Sri Lanka
The Canadian Press
OTTAWA — The Canadian government offered $3 million in humanitarian aid to strife-torn Sri Lanka on Monday, but received no assurances about the plight of civilians there.

International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda made the announcement during a visit to the country's capital, Colombo. The money will provide food, medicine and shelter through independent NGOs such as the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders.

However, the Sri Lankan government offered little when Oda asked about the situation of minority Tamils trapped by fighting.

Oda says she asked the government for a ceasefire and full access for international monitors in the country's Tamil regions.

"They listened to us politely. They weren't willing to comment on the ceasefire request," Oda told a conference call with Canadian media.

Sri Lankan forces claimed to be closing in on Tamil insurgents from three sides, pushing deeper into rebel-held territory Monday amid a report that navy gunboats heavily shelled an area packed with civilians.

The government was similarly non-committal when Oda demanded more open access to the conflict zone. She said she was told that the Red Cross and United Nations were already able to enter to retrieve the most at-risk civilians.

There were no promises, either, when Oda asked that international media be allowed to enter the zone.

"They indicated there were some restrictions now. They also indicated that they were very aware of the need for this to happen. (They) suggested it may open up sometime in the future - in the near future," Oda said.

Canada donates $7.5 million to civilians in Sri Lanka, which has seen a decades-long civil war between the ethnic Sinhalese-majority government and Tamil minority rebels.


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Comments are now closed for this story

Dianne
How about looking after our own backyard first, before we start handing out money to other places?




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Dave from NB - A have not and never will province
More tax dollars being given with over the 7.5M$ already donated. We seem to have lots of money to give away. When will Canada stop trying to buy notariety and favour and concentrate on the problems within its own borders. I am not saying that they do not need the money but when only 10 cents on the dollar actually gets where it should, it is time to re-evaluate our spending habits. I would love to know just how many Canadian Dollars are given away in any one year. I am sure that we could buy a winter coat and a nice pair of boots for everyone in Canada. I think Canada should take on one pet project and leave the rest to someone else. We now have afghanistan that is costing and puting millions a month into that economy. Where is the money going to come from with all the layoffs???What a waste




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Jeffery_Lawyer
Well done Canada. Canada should be number one in the world for the humanitarian support. There are about 300000 Sri lankan living and working in Canada. This 3M dollars is nothing to their Tax payment. Also, remember Canada spent 80M on evacuating Lebanonise, How many of them are living here and paying tax?




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M
You're joking, no money will ever ease their circumstances. Give the funds to our own, many Canadians could use a little help at the moment including myself!




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Alex (Toronto)
Canada is a rich country and should be helping poor countries. Sri Lanka's civil war imposes suffering on civilians and Canada is right to offer assistance. Canada and other Western countries should offer greater assistance on the condition of allowing Western media and international aid workers into the conflict zone. Canada should also try to help Sri Lanka solve its own problems, instead of just acting as a proxy battleground for India and India's adversaries.




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Ruwan K
Canada have to make sure that all the aids (Canadian Tax money) should reach the affected people. This can be done by send the aids through the INGOs including UN agancies.






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KMC (Markham, ON)
Dianne and Dave From NB

While I actually agree with you, that there should be a moratorium on all foreign aid until every Canadian well taken care of, the HealthCare system is properly funded and the homeless are housed, I'd go farther and insist that there should also be a moratorium on further immigration until all Canadians, on the job market are fully employed.

The problem is, about ten years ago, or so, the, then, government, agreed to provide foreign aid equal to 7% of Canada's GDP.

Although Canada has never quite reached that figure, any attempt to CUT foreign aid would lead to the Canadian Government being pilloried, not just in internationally, but here in Canada, as well.

Both the NDP and the Liberals would scream blue murder, regardless of whether those policies would be best for Canada.

That's the problem. It's like the immigration issue, which everyone agrees is broken, but nobody dares to touch because any attempt to fix it would elicit howls of "raciem" by the other parties and it would simply become an issue for the other parties to make political points.








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IM
The money being sent is also from Sri Lankans living in Canada that pay their taxes and make a contribution to the Canadian economy...it's not just from New Brunswick




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LAL
I'm appalled by this. University Ave./Toronto was inundated with Sri Lankan protesters who disrupted daily activities for 4 days, costing the tax payer thousands of dollars to provide police presence to ensure safety and order only to be rewarded with more tax-payers money.
With the number of Canadians facing poverty due to the economy and job loss, I think it completely inappropriate for the government to provide aid to anyone other than it's own citizens.




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Laura Langstaff
Why not give the money to 'ordinary, everyday, Canadians who have recently lost their jobs? Oh yes, I forgot, the list of 'ordinary' Canadians is pretty short. Not even the Cons could fudge that much of a budget. Hmmm short list, short budget, short-sighted...wait a minute, do we have a 'short' theme goin on here, lolololololWhere's Randy Newman when you need him. lololol




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Tamil in Ottawa
This is a joke. Why are Canadian tax payers' money being given to a country that does not want to listen to Canada? What a waste.

I agree with Diana. This money could have been spent fixing Canada's problems because we all know the Sri-Lankan government will not spend a penny of that $3M on the suffering Tamils.

2 week demonstration in Ottawa, on-going demonstrations around the world and Canada goes and does exactly what the demonstrators were asking them NOT to do.

Thanks Canada!




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Rebecca Granovsky-Larsen
Let's be clear about this - there would not currently be a humanitarian catastrophe in Sri Lanka had the government not displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians by indiscriminately firing into densely populated civilian areas.

It is bizarre that the one time Canada allocates aid with no strings attached is this...

The Sri Lankan government refused to discuss a ceasefire, they received no assurances about the plight of civilians and refused media/human rights monitors' access to the conflict zone....

All Oda seems to have secured is the tepid statement that "(They) suggested it may open up sometime in the future- in the near future."

As for the folks commenting about not feeling any foreign aid obligations - please remember that the 400,000 Tamil-Canadians living in Canada pay taxes just as you do. It seems odd that you would begrudge the traumatized refugees who are currently being herded into ominous camps access to medicine, food and water.

Canada's hands are not clean in this matter. Despite having considerable leverage in the country - we were silent in the months leading up to these atrocities... and our actions today appear to be doing nothing to put an actual end to the indiscriminate slaughter of civilians.




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Rob NS
This was the right thing to do. 3 Million is not enough to make any big changes here in Canada...but can actually save lives down there.

For all the greedy people saying help Canada first...you have no idea how lucky you are to live in a safe rich country. You have the means to work and survive here easily....even if you have to take a paycut during "Hard times."
Belive me, your hard times of maybe not buying a new car this year, or not being able to afford all the cable channels...SHOULD not be compared to the "Hard times" of being ethic clensed....or to be actually starving because you are herded from the only land you know.

I do not agree with the Tamil Tigers, but we can certainly send support to the people who need it most.

Bottem line, you can get off your butt and support yourself here in Canada...they don't have the same choice.




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Take care of our own...
Why do we continue to send money to countries that are perpetually at war? We have people in need in Canada that are deserving of this money.




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Taxpayer in Ottawa
Maybe we could take back $900,000 which is what the City of Ottawa spent in extra policing for the massive demonstrations on parliament hill in April. I have no issues with demonstrators but NOT ON MY DIME. Next time bring cash.




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Doug BC
Foreign aid will always be a contentious issue,in part because our the diverstiy of out population.When we send aid to one group,it is often seen as detrimental to an opposing group.Citizens here wiht ties to the country receiving the aid will then either praise,or criticize the aid in accordance with political views that they hold regarding their country of origin.
Perhaps one way to HELP resolve this,would be to use less taxpayer dollars,and more charitable donations to fund foreign aid.That way the dollars sent would more accurately reflect the views of Canadians,and be less of a reflection of government or politicians.In this case Sri Lankans in Canada and Canadians in general,could put their own money where their own mouths are,and use fewer of my tax dollars.If I had a choice,I would choose to send more of my tax dollars to nations and causes that I believe in,and fewer to those I oppose.My preferred option now,it more dollars for First Nations people here.
In realtive terms,Canada my be wealthier that some.I do think,however,that we are not as wealthy as some thinwe are.We carry to much debt,our taxes are to high, and many of the institutions we value are in need of much more funding if they are to be sustainable.
Sending to many tax dollars on foreign aid takes the decision on which emergencies we respond to out of the hands of citizens,and puts the decision into the hands of politicians and special interest lobbies.
Charitable donations are donations made willingly.If tax dollars are used,those donations are extorted from people who may already be struggling to get by here.
A tricky issue,because I do believe we have a duty to help around the world.I just think we can do it better.




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unapologetic
The Canadian government could have at least given me $5 for a pair of earplugs. I have been listening to this stupid protest for over a week now and I'm literally losing sleep. This money should have been used to pump up our own economy, just because 1000 people are protesting outside of the U.S. consulate does not mean that we have to hand over "X" amount of money for them to shut up. UNREAL.












Sri Lanka: Canada?s Minister for International Co-operation meets President
Canada?s Minister for International Co-operation Beverley J. Oda met President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees yesterday (04). The Canadian Minister is on a brief visit to Sri Lanka.

The visiting Minister appreciated government?s humanitarian efforts towards the betterment of the lives of stranded civilians who fled the NFZ into government liberated areas.

And, she praised the government authorities utilizing funds channeled through various Canadian agencies for the maximum benefit of the displaced civilians, and said that Canada expects to channel more funds for the purpose in future.

Ministers Mahinda Samarasingha, Dougles Devananda, Arumugam Thondaman, Rohitha Bogollagama and V. Puthrasigamani participated in the discussions. Apart from the ministers, Senior Presidential Advisor and MP Basil Rajapaksa, MP Vinagamurthi Muralitharan, Canadian High Commissioner Angola Bagdan and Presidential Secretary Lalith Weerathunga were also present.


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புலம்பெயர் இலக்கியத்தில் ஓர் அகதியின் புலம்பல்.

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