Sri Lanka Summons Canadian Envoy Over Trudeau Remarks

The Sri Lankan foreign ministry has summoned Canadian High Commissioner in Colombo Eric Walsh in response to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s remarks recognising what he called ‘Tamil genocide week’. Foreign Minister Ali Sabry told Daily Mirror that the envoy was summoned on Friday. “We registered our strong protest with him,” he said. Canada’s Ontario declared the week between May 11 and 18, the day marking the end of Sri Lanka’s civil war in 2009, as the ‘Tamil genocide week’. When Sri Lanka was on the eve of its victory day celebration, the Canadian leader said: “Today, we reflect on the tragic loss of life during the armed conflict in Sri Lanka, which ended 14 years ago. Tens of thousands of Tamils lost their lives, including at the massacre in Mullivaikal, with many more missing, injured or displaced. Our thoughts are with the victims, survivors and their loved ones, who continue to live with the pain caused by this senseless violence.”