Ottawa demonstration – News Flash

By Siva Sunderam

(April 21, Ottawa, Sri Lanka Guardian) The person who organized the coaches to transport demonstrators from Toronto to Ottawa tomorrow Tuesday, wants $1000 more per vehicle for the return trip, an increase from $1800 to $2800 from last week’s rate. It is believed that whoever took charge of this arrangement saw in it quick money for his pockets and about hundred or even more coaches are expected to take the roads.

This date may very well be the one when the Tamils in Sri Lanka get fully liberated from Tiger terrorism. It also turns out to be the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, the Head of the Commonwealth of Nations.

An estimated 20,000 pro-LTTE participants are expected to gather near the Houses of Parliament in Ottawa and they will have to yield space to the Annual Holocaust Rally held by the Jewish community in the area. Traditionally the Prime Minister and some other ministers honour this rally with a brief presence and security is expected to be very tight.

Demonstrators have been asked to keep the Tiger standards unfurled and hidden but at a given signal to unfurl them and make a mighty shout hailing Prabhakaran as the leader of the Tamils that will be heard as far as possible. In the meantime, the Tiger voice the public funded CMR radio is urging as many people as possible to gather in Ottawa even if they have to be absent from work and schools.

Significantly neither the CMR nor other Tamil media organizations have appreciated that the Armed Forces have brought to safety thousands of civilians held as human shield and this action is currently in progress despite LTTE fire at the escaping civilians and three suicide bombers attempting to stop this action. Many of the escapees cursed Prabhakaran and his terror goons as they reached safe grounds.

In respect of tomorrow’s demonstration, even though considerable concerns have been expressed about the use of public facilities, it appears the pro-LTTE organizers have not made arrangements to rent portable toilets for the use of the demonstrators. Recognizing and respecting such factors are very much part of the kind of public expressions and demonstrations and these must be honoured.

Now that these demonstrators will not be allowed to use washrooms in the nearby restaurants and unless they are carrying their own containers and curtains, the Tulip Field nearby may be in danger of being stampeded. When this was queried from one who will be going to Ottawa tomorrow, he said the best potatoes produced in Jaffna came from Urumpirai and the farmers there prepared the soil by ingesting in it solid human waste. It was suggested to him that he takes a mammotty with him.

-Sri Lanka Guardian