Passing of Bill 104 without broader consultation, investigation and research!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Passing of Bill 104 without broader consultation, investigation and research

Toronto 7th May, 2021 – Democratic lawmaking needs debate, hearings, reviews and submissions at committees — all the machinery that winnows the truth out of the clash of partisan polemics and even outright lies. We did not find any of that in Queen’s Park on 5th May.  The Standing Committee on Regulations and Private Bills (SCRPB) responsible to look into Bill 104: Tamil Genocide Education Week Act, had met on the 4th of May and had recommended the bill for the  3rd reading on the 5th of May and a hearing for the 6th of May in spite of the large number of provincial, national and international submissions against the bill. None of their requests for speaking at the committee were granted. The title of the bill had a hoodwinking wording of “Education” to reflect provincial jurisdiction for a federal matter.

The United Nations Human Rights Commissioner had ruled that there was NO GENOCIDE against Tamils in Sri Lanka.  A study conducted by the British House of Lords under the direction of Lord Naseby had concluded that less than 7000 had perished when a democratically elected government put down an uprising by a group labeled as a terrorist movement by Canada.  The Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs had made representations to the Canadian High Commissioner in Colombo regarding this bill, soon after the second reading of the Bill. The Sri Lankan High Commissioner in Ottawa accredited to Canada, as well as the Consul General of Sri Lanka in Ontario had made submissions. Numerous Immigrant organizations had made submissions, pointing how this bill has already begun to create ethnic strife among the expatriate Sri Lankan communities now domiciled in Canada.

Nevertheless, a false claim that some 140,000 Tamils were butchered in Sri Lanka in a matter of months has been launched into a mockery of a law in Ontario, by its adoption by committee and recommendation for its third reading in the legislature.

This highly undemocratic process at committee level seem to involve political foot work violating the principle that justice must also be seen to be done. Here it seems to be manipulated. Prior to the taking up of Bill 104, the chairman of the committee had been changed. The MPP for Markham, a riding with one of the highest numbers of pro-Eelamist (Tamil separatist) activists, has been made the chair of the Standing Committee on Regulations and Private Bills committee dealing with Bill 104, acting in conflict of interest. MPP Kanapathi rose in the house to make a statement on the 25th of March to acknowledge that the United Nations has “refused to recognize Tamil Genocide”. He failed to mention the Ontario Legislature’s lack of jurisdiction to declare Genocide

The way this Bill 104 has been prioritized at a time when every one’s time, effort and money should be directed to fighting the Pandemic is also shameful. The MPPs of the Ontario legislature must understand that if this bill 104 is a law, it will lead to ethnic strife among immigrant communities.

We request:

1. an investigation into the practice within Ontario Legislature to approve bills of foreign in nature;

2. an investigation into the practice of public hearing for a broader consultation with Ontarians for inclusiveness and equality;

3. an apology from the speaker and from the Premier of Ontario for letting this adversity happen right in the Ontario Legislature and repeal the Bill 104;

4. all school boards, trustees, school principals and educators to consider facts about the armed conflict and not the lies of pro LTTE Tamil terrorists that massacred innocent civilians now acting as human rights crusaders; 

5. we request politicians not to use Ontario Education System for their political gains.