Former Tory candidate going to 'build a bridge of friendship for the Tamil community'

InsideToronto.com  Jul 25, 2011

Personal "goodwill mission" is perplexing to Canada's first Tamil MP

SCARBOROUGH-ROUGE RIVER: Rathika Sitsabaiesan elected new MP. Scarborough-Rouge River NDP candidate Rathika Sitsabaiesan celebrates her victory with her campaign manager Andrea Moffat and supporters May 2, 2011. file photo/DAN PEARCE

Marlene Gallyot says she's determined to help Scarborough's large Tamil population by meeting with Sri Lanka's president next month. "I'm going to see how I can build a bridge of friendship for the Tamil community," said Gallyot, who ran as a Conservative in the May 2 federal election in the Scarborough-Rouge River riding but lost to rookie NDP candidate Rathika Sitsabaiesan -- Canada's first Tamil MP.

Gallyot said she will ask Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa, who has agreed to see her, to allow Tamils more freedom of movement in Sri Lanka and to let Canada to establish a High Commission in the northern city of Jaffna. "
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Chandrika Kumaratunga berates Sri Lankan government

South Asia  25 July 2011

Mrs Kumaratunga argues that her successor Mahinda Rajapaksa (left) is leading a divided nation

 

Former Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has condemned the current government, saying it has failed to win peace in the country after the war.

She alleged that members of ethnic minorities are leaving the country in response to its policies.
Giving a lecture in Colombo, she said her children had reacted with anguish to a controversial TV documentary on alleged war-time atrocities.     Full Story>>>