Wednesday 27th December 2006.
Maurice Brenner Delivers Message at Memorial held in remembrance of the Boxing Day 2004 Asian Tsunami
Tamil Canadians Canadian Tamil Congress - December 28, 2006
A Memorial held in remembrance of the Boxing Day 2004 Asian Tsunami by the Tamil Community in Toronto who vowed not to forget these victims and their plights.
The Tamil Community gathered in their hundreds at the Ajax Community Centre on December 27th, 2006 in remembrance of 250,000 lives that were lost in the Asian Tsunami calamity. They vowed not to forget these victims and their plights.
It was only last week the United Nations claimed that 80 percent of the Tsunami aid was not spent and Tsunami recovery process is too slow in Sri Lanka due to the ongoing conflict between warring parties. Also, the Canadian Red Cross said it had only distributed a third of the total aid it had received in donations.
Hon. John McCallum, Liberal MP, and former national revenue minister said the problem is bigger than just one aid organization.
"I think the whole world has to accept blame. Its Bill Clinton, Its George Bush, its the Canadian government and the International Community who are not doing enough in ensuring that aid reach the people who are most deserving of it."
Mark Holland Liberal MP from Ajax- Pickering who was a Durham Community Tsunami Relief Effort Finance Committee Chair said he will do everything possible to ensure the aid reaches most needy people.
Another Liberal MP, Hon. Jim Karygiannis who traveled to Sri Lanka after the Tsunami to witness the devastation said, he has to ensure the Canadian Government get involved in monitoring the aid process so that, the aid reaches the right people. He requested the audience to write to the Canadian Prime Minister asking why Canada is not making a special effort in ensuring that aid reaches the most deserving cases in Sri Lanka.
Ontario Provincial Minister of Education Hon. Kathaleen Wynne MPP said she will work with the Tamil Community in solidarity to ensure that the aid reaches the needy people.
Maurice Brenner former Regional Councilor and Pickering and Durham Community Tsunami Relief effort Committee Chair said, people of Canada generously contributed to the cry of help of the Asian tragedy, but all levels of government in Canada should do more to make sure the aid reaches the right people in the North and East of Sri Lanka. Present regional councilor Bonnie Littly also spoke and read the message from City of Pickering Mayor. Hon. Dan McTeague MP also sent his message to memorial service. Other councilors from the Durham region were also present.
Many prominent Tamil Community members including Dr. Meera Selvakone of Canadian Tamil Congress, Prof. Joseph Chandrakanthan, Mr. V. Thangavelu of Tamil Creative Writer’s Association (TCWA), Mr. Gunanathan of Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), Mr. Dineshkumar of Durham Tamil Association (DTA), Mr. Gary Anandasangaree, Dr. V. Figuerado (Doctors without Borders), Ms. Nalayini Balarajan of Tamil Youth Organization (TYO) and Mr.Sajith Loganathan of Durham Tamil Youth Association (DTYA) spoke about the forgotten Tsunami victim in Sri Lanka.
All the Tamil Community members who spoke in the event said they were unhappy, although the Canadian public gave generously to this most deserving cause in helping the victims of the greatest disaster of the century. Many International Governments including our own Canadian government are making an extra attempt to ensure that aid is channeled to the areas where they were most needed.
They stressed that as far as Sri Lanka is concerned the Tamil Community in the North and East have suffered immensely in terms of lives and properties (Close to 30,000 died, a million lost their livelihoods in matter of few minutes) however, aid is not being received in these areas.
“We cannot sit carelessly by without assisting these needy people in the North and East of Sri Lanka and we have to bring this most unfortunate situation to the attention of the Canadian government and the International Community and We sincerely hope our Canadian Government will do everything possible within it powers to ensure that aid reaches the North and East areas” said Pon Balarajan one of the organizer’s of the event from Canadian Tamil Congress.
Hindu priest Ragurama Kurukal from Canada Kandasamy temple, Rev. Fr. Sunnyston assistant parish priest of Toronto’s Tamil Catholic Community and a priest from Devi Mandir, Pandit Moti Lal Prashad performed religious ceremonies.
“Little Empires” a Tamil Canadian musical group performed a song in memory of Tsunami victims.
Canadian mainstream media like CTV, CITY TV and GLOBAL TV etc. gave prominent coverage of aid not reaching the most affected people of north and east of Sri Lanka. Tamil Vision and Tamil One both covered the event.
The Memorial Service was organized by Canadian Tamil Congress in association with many Tamil Canadian Organizations.
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