Canada MP to initiate All Party group on Lanka - Report

The first ever Tamil MP in Canadian parliament says she will take the initiative to form an All Party Parliamentary Committee (APPC) to look into alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka during the last stages of the war.

Rathika Sitsabaiesan, MP, told BBC Sinhala service, Sandeshaya that to form the APPC to “research and come up with recommendations” for the Canadian government over the UN expert panel report will be a priority.

She expressed hope that the Canadian government would honour the recommendations of a future APPC on Sri Lanka.

Ms Sitsabaiesan, candidate of opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) was elected as the MP for the constituency of Scarborough- Rouge River on 02 May.

“For me the focus is people being treated with fairness, equality, dignity and justice,” she said.

The newly elected Tamil MP, who hails from Jaffna, insisted that it is important that the culprits are identified for a genuine reconciliation process.

“Whoever the wrongdoer was its still wrongdoing and it is important to have some reconciliation people need to have some identification and that is what is lacking now.”

Rathika Sitsabaiesan added that the asylum seekers are arriving in countries like Canada though very difficult and dangerous journeys simply because they did not feel safe in Sri Lanka.

“I don’t think it is fair for somebody who is here to pass a judgment on their choices and their sense of safety,” she said.

“I think we need to treat all asylum seekers that they truly are asylum seekers and treat them with dignity and respect.”