Thousands Form Human Chain To Protest Sri Lankan Violence
A day after thousands of demonstrators descended on University Avenue to protest the growing humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka, thousands more formed a human chain to the same end, one that stretched through an astounding portion of the downtown core.
By noon Friday as many as 10,000 Sri Lankan-Canadians were linking arms from Yonge and Bloor to Union Station and back up University to St. George trying to bring attention to the escalating civil war and urge Ottawa to step in on behalf of an estimated 250,000 civilians trapped in the war-torn north.
"Today we are out here to tell the Canadian community that this kind of genocide is happening in Sri Lanka right now and we need to put an end to it," insisted organizer Shyanthy Thevarajah.
In recent months, the conflict between the Singhalese-dominated government and the rebels - who have been fighting for a separate homeland for ethnic Tamils in northern Sri Lanka since 1983 - has spiraled out of control.
Heavy battles between the two sides have driven the rebels out of major towns, and they are now cornered in a 300-square kilometre area of jungle and villages in the northeast.
Nearly all communication to the area has been cut off. And with the government preventing aid workers and international journalists from entering the zone, there's little knowledge of how dire the situation really is.
Sri Lanka's president has pledged safe passage for trapped residents and challenged the rebels to do the same. And although the UN is accusing both sides of committing grave violations, protestors in Toronto say they simply want the bloodshed to end.
"We just want people to recognize the humanitarian crisis that's going on in Sri Lanka. We want the international community to actually speak up. And we want the Sri Lankan government to immediately call a ceasefire to stop the war," stressed Aranee Muru of the Coalition To Stop The War.
Meanwhile, Ajanthan Kanpathipillai revealed how the conflict had affected him personally.
"My family's been affected. My aunt's there ... I've lived in the war area. And right now, it's getting very, very bad. There's a lack of media attention, and there's lack of knowledge in the international community."
The conflict has prompted Tamil leaders around the world to speak out in the hopes of a negotiated peace settlement.
More than 70,000 people have been killed during the 25-year civil war.
The intensity of Friday's demonstration was underscored by its length. After a full day out in the cold some 5,000 rally attendees still stood in the streets, snaking down to flood Union Station ahead of rush hour.
Police were forced to close down Front St. between York and Bay, as the peaceful crowd swelled.
Similar protests uptown also caused major overcrowding on subway stations from Bloor on down.
Things were so crowded at the busy Bloor hub that trains were forced to stop before entering the station to ensure safety.
Photos: Michael Talbot, CityNews.ca
கனடிய ஆங்கில ஊடகத்தில் இன்று நடைபெற்ற மனிதசங்கிலி பற்றி காணொளியில்
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கனடிய ஆங்கில ஊடகங்களில் இன்று நடைபெற்ற மனிதசங்கிலி பற்றி,,,,,,,
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