Andrei.Hicks wrote on Nov 21
st, 2010 at 6:03pm:
'Most of these alleged refugees to places such as Canada, Australia and Europe are hardcore LTTE people.
The Tigers are trying to regroup to keep the movement alive because of the success of our military engagement in Sri Lanka.
If these are so called refugees, where are the women and children?
It is for these reasons we have, as a Government, requested to the host nations that these people are denied entry and sent back to Sri Lanka to face the justice that is demanded by our people.'
Sumith Dassanayake,
Sri Lankan High Commission, Ottawa
"He said the ship is part of a human smuggling operation linked to the Tamil Tigers.
Last October, a ship carrying 76 Sri Lankan migrants was intercepted in Canadian waters after crossing the Pacific from Sri Lanka. The group on board the Ocean Lady claimed to be fleeing persecution.
All of the men were immediately detained in jails around the Vancouver area, but most were let go within weeks or months, and only one remained in custody on suspicion of being a Tiger. By this past spring, he, too, had been released."
Little substance to the claims.
Canada has a population of about 300,000 Tamils - not all are male.
"Initial images of the vessel show woman and children, some smiling, aboard the dilapidated, tarp-draped vessel. Anandasangaree said the tarps might be used to shield the identities of those on board. He suggested there could be reprisals against family members still in Sri Lanka if those identities are revealed."