Video might change reader’s mind

Video might change reader’s mind

Published On Tue Jun 21 2011

Re: These refugees are not victims, Letter June 20

Last Tuesday, Channel 4 TV (Britain) aired a documentary entitled “The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka.” This morning I ran a Google search on that title and found approximately 908,000 hits. I strongly suggest caution in viewing this material. As a physician in a cancer clinic, I have been well acquainted with death, but the visual evidence of murders, torture, and rape of captive Tamil men, women, and children shown in this documentary made me feel physically sick.
Evidently members of the British Houses of Parliament and the United Nations reacted in a similar manner.
In his letter about the proposed human smuggling bill, J. Richard Wright stated, “Let’s be clear about one thing. These so-called refugees are not victims.” Let him first view this documentary and the associated material, and then state plainly that, if he were a Tamil in Sri Lanka, he would never try to bribe his way out of the country, and he would never pay anyone for transport to Canada.
In my opinion, those who succeeded in getting here were very lucky, and most of them should be welcomed with open arms, no matter how they got here.
By the way, there is no queue that refugees can join in Sri Lanka. Refugees who are still living within the borders of Sri Lanka (those who have not yet managed to bribe their way off the island) are not allowed to apply for status at the Canadian High Commission in Colombo. They must first escape from Sri Lanka, and then apply somewhere else.
J.C. (Jim) Kennedy, Kingston